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VOLUME XV - 1881-1882
of Saint John Bosco

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FATHER EUGENIO CERIA
FATHER EUGENIO CERIA (1870 · 1957)
already enjoyed the reputation of a dis-
tinguished scholar, author, and editor when
in 1929 Father Philip Rinaldi, Superior
General, asked him to continue the publi-
cation of the Biographical Memoirs, the
monumental work begun by Father John
Baptist Lemoyne. Father Ceria's qualifica-
tions had been enhanced by his personal
contact with Don Bosco during his forma-
tive years as a novice and a student of
Philosophy at San Benigno Canavese and
Valsalice. Don Bosco con Dio, published
in 1930 and now considered his master-
piece, is a penetrating and inspiring study
of his spiritual father.
By systematic and persevering effort Father
Ceria brought the Biographical Memoirs
to completion in 1939, his contribution
being Volumes XI-XIX. Other works fol-
lowed. Wh i le compiling the Annali della
Societa Salesiana in four large volumes
(1941-51), he published biographies of St.
Mary Mazzarella, the Venerable Father
Michael Rua, the Servants of God Father
Andrew Beltrami and Father Philip Rinaldi,
and many other outstanding Salesians.
Though advanced in age, he undertook the
collection and editing of the Epistolario di
S. Giovanni Bosco, in four volumes, two of
which were published before his death,
which occurred on January 21, 1957 at
the age of 86.

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~({!/~({!/~
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Don Bosco's Statue In St. Peter's, Rome
A Faithful Translation of the Original Expertly Done
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The
Biographical Memoirs
of
SaintJohn Bosco
by
REV. EUGENIO CERIA, S.D.B.
AN AMERICAN EDITION
TRANSLATED
FROM THE ORIGINAL ITALIAN
REv. Drnao BoRGATELLO, s.n.B.
Editor-in-chief
Volume XV
1881-82
SALESIANA PUBLISHERS
NEW ROCHELLE, NEW YORK
1988

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IMPRIMI POTEST: Very Rev. Richard McCormick, S.D.B.
Provincial
New Rochelle, N. Y., September 8, 1988
Feast of the Birth of Mary
Copyright © 1989 by the Salesian Society, Inc.
Library of Congress Catalog Card No. 65-3104rev
ISBN 0-89944-15-0
All Rights Reserved
Manufactured in the United States of America
FIRST EDITION

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llrlliratrb
WITH PROFOUND GRATITUDE
TO
THE LATE, LAMENTED, AND HIGHLY ESTEEMED
VERY REVEREND FELIX J. PENNA, S.D.B.
(1904-1962)
TO WHOSE
WISDOM, FORESIGHT, AND NOBLE SALESIAN HEART
THE ENGLISH TRANSLATION
OF
THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS
OF
SAINT JOHN BOSCO
IS
A LASTING MONUMENT

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This Volume is Dedicated
to
SISTER ANTOINETTE POLLINI
Daughter of Mary, Help of Christians,
Missionary and twice Provincial
of the Salesian Sisters
in the United States.
Deeply loved and appreciated
by her Sisters,
she will always be remembered
for her love of Don Bosco
and the implementation
of his Preventive System
through
Reason, Religion and Loving Kindness

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Editor's Preface
1SAINT JOHN BOSCO, the central figure of this vastly
extensive biography, was a towering person in the affairs of both
Church and State during the critical 19th century in Italy. He was
the founder of two very active religious congregations during a time
when other orders were being suppressed; he was a trusted and key
liaison between the Papacy and the emerging Italian nation of the
Risorgimento; above all, in troubled times, he was the saintly
Christian educator who successfully wedded modem pedagogy to
Christ's law and Christ's love for the poor young, and thereby
deserved the proud title of Apostle of youth.
He is known familiarly throughout the world simply as Don
Bosco. 1 His now famous system of education, which he called the
Preventive System, was based on reason, religion and kindness,
and indicated by its descriptive name that, also in education, an
ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. He always sought to
place pupils in the moral impossibility of committing sin, the moral
disorder from which all evils flow.
·To ensure the continuation of his educational mission in behalf of
youth he founded two worldwide religious congregations, the
Society of St. Francis de Sales (Salesian Society) and the Institute
of the Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians (Salesian Sisters),
which today number more than 40,000 members conducting 2,800
educational institutions throughout the world.
To help in the difficult art of educating the young, Don Bosco
planned to expound his method of education in a book but,
absorbed as he was in the task of firmly establishing his two
religious congregations and in unceasing other labors, he had to
content himself with a simple outline of his ideas in a golden little
treatise entitled The Preventive System in the Education of Youth.
1Don is an abbreviation of the Latin do minus, master. It is used in Italy as a title for
priests; it stands for Father.
ix

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x
EDITOR'S PREFACE
Fortunately, the Biographical Memoirs of St. John Bosco are
ample compensation for a book which, if written, might have given
us only theories. These memoirs, a monumental work in nineteen
volumes, until recently reserved exclusively to Salesians and
published only in the original Italian, are now available in this
American edition not only to his spiritual children, devotees and
admirers, but also to all who are interested in education.
In these volumes Don Bosco is shown in action: not theorizing,
but educating. What he said and did in countless circumstances
was faithfully recorded by several of his spiritual sons, chief among
them Father Giovanni Battista Lemoyne. From the day he first met
Don Bosco in 1864 to his own death in 1916, Father Lemoyne
spent his life recording words and deeds of Don Bosco, gathering
documents,2 interviewing witnesses, and arranging raw material for
the present nineteen volumes of the life of Don Bosco, eight of
which he himself authored besides readying another volume for the
press before his death.
In the compilation of the Biographical Memoirs of St. John
Bosco, Father Lemoyne's primary sources were the Memorie
dell'Oratorio dal 1835 al 1855 (Memoirs of the Oratory from
1835 to 1855) written by Don Bosco himself, the diaries and
chronicles of various fellow Salesians who daily recorded what
Don Bosco said or did, numerous letters of the Saint, the Cinque
lustri di storia dell'Oratorio de S. Francesco di Sales (The
History of the First Twenty-five Years of the Oratory of St. Francis
de Sales) written by Father John Bonetti, S.D.B., and personally
checked by Don Bosco, the proceedings of the diocesan process of
beatification and other unimpeachable contemporary documents
and testimonies. Above all, Father Lemoyne, intelligent, conscien-
tious and well-informed, not only used reliable sources, but was
himself an eye witness. He recorded what he personally saw and
heard from Don Bosco. This enabled him to write a true history,
even though not according to modern critical methods. He
concerned himself principally with presenting chronologically his
vast selected material and therefore his narrative is somewhat
fragmentary and may lack scientific method. It is nevertheless true
history, even Volume I which deals mainly with Don Bosco's youth
2All the documents in the archives at the Salesian Motherhouse in Turin, Italy are now
being microfilmed and stored in the Don Bosco College Library in Newton, New Jersey.

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EDITOR'S PREFACE
xi
and the training he received from Mamma Margaret, his mother.3
When gifted writers and scholars of the future will produce a
critical biography of Don Bosco, the Biographical Memoirs will
still not be surpassed because Father Lemoyne lived at Don
Bosco's side, wrote what he saw and heard, and eminently
succeeded in giving us a living portrait of Don Bosco.
In editing the translation of the Biographical Memoirs accuracy
and readability were the goals we set. This was not easy and
occasionally, as regards the latter, we may have fallen short of the
mark. Nineteenth-century Italian does not readily lend itself to an
agile .version that strives to be an accurate translation and not a
paraphrase.
May the reading of these Memoirs portraying the life of a man
whom Pope Pius XI called "a giant of sanctity" inspire his spiritual
children, to whom this work is primarily directed, and all men and
women of good will to walk their own path of life in a spirit of
service to God and man.
Fr. Diego Borgatello, S.D.B.
Editor-in chief
New Rochelle, N.Y.
June 5, 1965
124th Anniversary of Don Bosco's Ordination
EDITOR'S NOTE
As with Volumes VI through X and Volumes XII through XIV,
we have omitted material from the original text that is of little
interest to American readers and of no direct consequence to
these biographical memoirs. Such omissions will always be
pointed out in the footnotes.
Fr. Diego Borgatello, S.D.B.
Editor-in chief
New Rochelle, N. Y.
September 8, 1988
Feast of the Birth of Mary
3Cf. Francis Desramaut S.D.B., Les Memorie I de Giovanni Battista Lemoyne, Etude
d'un ouvrage fondamental sur la jeunesse de saint Jean Bosco, Lyon, 1962, pp. 411 ff.

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Author's Preface
Q UR Holy Father, Pius XI, in an audience granted us on
April 29 [1933], strongly advised that we allot ample space throughout
these Biographical Memoirs to documentation.
"Valuable as an author's own comments may be," he remarked, "it
is the documents that really matter. Above everything else they will
benefit posterity, and posterity will search for them." These words we
took to be an unqualified, highly authoritative approval of the method
we have so far followed, as well as an encouragement to pursue it to the
very end. Present and future scholars will never be made to lack any-
thing which may document a life so complex and engaging. Precisely
that nothing might become lost-for unforeseen situations often bring
to light documents unknown in the past-from the very start of our
work we decided to group these documents into special appendices to
each volume.
Ample documentation will shed ever brighter light upon Don
Bosco's figure, as an impartial study of the harrowing two years of this
volume will once more convince us. Unfortunately we cannot say the
same of his opponents. However, the hour has struck to mark the end of
this prolonged, heroic forbearance. In moments of severest opposition,
Don Bosco used to say: "Patience! In due course everyone will know.
In His own good time God will bring it all to light." That time is today
[1933].
As for the documents themselves we must say something more.
Documenting Don Bosco's life requires some clarification, if, in years
to come, competent and conscientious historians are not to run into
seemingly insurmountable obstacles.
We today [1933] have certain knowledge of many incidents in Don
Bosco's life, but in future years when historical criteria are applied to
these facts, genuine authentic documentation supporting their histor-
icity will be lacking. Their certainty rests upon a situation which was
slightly, if at all, ever noticed and usually overlooked, since no one felt
the need to call attention to it. We know that in private conversations
and-rather often-in public gatherings, Don Bosco enjoyed telling
xiii

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xiv
THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
stories of events which had happened in the many years preceding the
establishment of the Oratory. With the passage of time these reminis-
cences became rarer, but they never totally ceased. For instance, read-
ers of this very volume will find Don Bosco, at an entertainment given
him in France, narrating the famous episode of an attempt made to
place him in an insane asylum. So also, at San Benigno, he retold to
Father Barberis accounts of other things that had happened to him
many years before. However, while in the prior instance his words
were stored in the audience's memory, in the latter his listener recorded
what he heard and carefully preserved a written account of it. 1 Had this
been done more often, our documentation of earlier events would not
be as scarce as it is today, to the regret perhaps of those coming after
us. These often repeated narratives or confidences gave rise to a living
tradition which swiftly spread, albeit under the immediate control of
persons who were in a position to point out any distortion of the truth,
even at times by consulting Don Bosco himself. It was from this source
that. Father Lemoyne drew abundantly, without being overly worried
about bolstering his narrative with those trifling accessory details
which might lend it credibility and trustworthiness for the sake of
posterity. This is one caution we must bear carefully in mind in reading
his weighty nine volumes. Until these last few decades, while eyewit-
nesses or trustworthy testifiers of the tradition were still alive, his
accounts were accepted with unruffled trust in his knowledge of the
facts and in his honesty; however, it shall not always be so. A time will
come when readers, unfamiliar with the milieu we have described, will
want to get to the bottom of the matter at hand. Hence, before dis-
crediting an account of his or some noteworthy detail, we must recall
the very special circumstances of milieu in which the trustworthy au-
thor brought his work to completion.
Let us be more specific and take, for example, the very well known
episode of [Turin's refomiatory] La Generala. Don Bosco's contempo-
raries and those who heard the story, influenced by that milieu, be-
lieved it without the least hesitation. But "one generation passes and
another comes" [Eccl. 1, 4] and will not those who regard that era as
"days of yore" read it as a legend? Won't they say, "What a miraculous
power of education-for one man to take on an outing several hundred
juvenile delinquents from a reformatory, unescorted by guards, and yet
isee p. 404 and Appendix 4 of this volume. [Editor]

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AUTHOR'S PREFACE
xv
no one escapes?2 Surely, the newspapers of the day must have carried
so extraordinary a story, and records may still be in the reformatory's
files. " However, search as you will, there is nothing to find: nothing in
the press, nothing in the reformatory archives. Going one step further, I
say that no one can find even one single reliable document to pinpoint
the year when this occurred. Back in 1882 attempts were made to
establish this and proved unavailing. We do not precisely know who
undertook this investigation, of which we have evidence in a letter from
Stupinigi. 3 A priest of the area replies to his inquirer: "I am sorry I
must tell you again that all my research into the year when the young
offenders of La Generala came here, thanks to Don Bosco's kindness,
has proved unavailing. I called on the parish priest at Mirafiori, the
oldest pastor in this area, and while he recalls the event perfectly well,
he cannot tell us the precise year." Obviously, Don Bosco himself
could not pinpoint the year; else why was it necessary to seek informa-
tion so far from the Oratory?4 Luckily in this instance we have the word
of an eyewitness who testifies to the facts-the only authoritative docu-
ment so far concerning that famed event.
This lack of records which may vex future historians is already
affecting the historians of today. We are often asked: "How is it that the
first volume of [Edward] Soderini's5 Life ofLeo XIII mentions a host of
minute details about the preparations for the conclave in which Car-
dinal Joachim Pecci became Leo XIII, but makes no mention of Don
Bosco's contacts with [Francis] Crispi, Minister of the Interior, and
[Pasquale] Mancini, Minister of Justice? The reason is very simple:
Soderini had no documentation of these contacts to go by. Don Bosco's
involvement was strictly confidential and exclusively oral with not the
slightest trace of any official character. He was probably entrusted with
this mission by Cardinal [Camillus] Di Pietro who, as dean of the
Sacred College [and camerlengo], was obliged to busy himself imme-
diately and extensively with the location of the forthcoming conclave.
True, Mancini had hastened to write Cardinal Di Pietro a very confi-
2See Vol. V, pp. 140-144. [Editor]
3A suburb of Turin. [Editor]
4The letter, dated October 16, 1882, seems to have been found among Father Bonetti's papers.
This guess is also confirmed by the fact that, as director of the Bollettino Salesiano, he was then
writing a serial account called History ofthe Oratory. In the November 1882 issue it published the
story of La Generala's juveniles' outing with Don Bosco. The priest who wrote the letter ad-
dressed his correspondent as "director." [Author]
5Author of Il Pontificato di Leone XIII, Mondadori, Milan, 1932. [Editor]

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xvi
THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
dential letter, later published by Soderini, to assure His Eminence that
the Italian government would in no way hinder the freedom of the
Sacred College to hold the conclave in Rome; however, this letter does
not render Don Bosco's intervention superfluous. Certainly, the car-
dinal must have known that Crispi, while debating the Law of Guaran-
tees, had stressed to the entire parliament how necessary it was for the
Italian authorities to keep an eye on the conclave. Consequently he
could not help but realize the wisdom of sounding out Crispi's real
intentions and of ascertaining whether or not the government's actual
stand was in accord with its written assurances. Now no one was better
suited to find this out than Don Bosco. Cardinal Di Pietro, who had
become acquainted with his cleverness and prudence when, as bishop
of Albano, he had dealings with him on the local school issue there,
also shared Don Bosco's conciliatory views, in the interest of souls,
concerning relations between the Holy See and the Italian state.
This also answers a doubt raised by Mallat in his excellent book on
the Roman Question. Commenting on an article by our Father [Au-
gustin] Auffray6 concerning Don Bosco's conduct throughout the Ital-
ian Risorgimento, he concludes that in this particular regard the
documents published by Crispi's nephew would seem to contradict the
Salesian version.7 From these documents we learn that no sooner had
Pius IX died than Mancini proposed that Premier [Augustine] De Pretis
send a confidential letter [to the cardinal camerlengo], giving him
assurances that would dissuade the Vatican from holding the conclave
outside Rome. 8 But, as we have said above, one point of view does not
exclude the other. Mefiance, mere de surete! [Mistrust is the mother of
certainty!] Among us, Don Bosco's interventions in those matters have
ever been held as most certain facts, knowledge of which was handed
down partly by Father Joachim Berto, who had accompanied Don
Bosco to Rome in 1878, and partly from confidences made by Don
6 "La politique d'un Saint: Don Bosco aux heures du Risorgimento," Etudes, June 2, 1929.
[Author].
7G. Mollat, professor at the University of Strasbourg, La Question Romaine de Pie VI aPie
XI. Paris: Lecoffre, 1932, pp. 371f. Father Auffray's article formed a separate chapter in his Life of
Don Bosco which was so well received in France and in French-speaking countries. [Author]
8Francis Crispi, Politica Interna, Ch. 8, pp. 81-93. These pages state that the letter was
addressed to the cardinal camerlengo, with whom Mancini had apparently been corresponding,
but, actually, the addressee was the cardinal dean with whom Mancini was really on fairly familiar
terms. There is no evidence that Mancini had any contact with Cardinal Pecci, who was the
"camerlengo." [Author]

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AUTHOR'S PREFACE
xvii
Bosco himself. Father Lemoyne has left a record of it in his usual
manner, on which we shall comment shortly.
To take another instance, Soderini's second volume,9 speaking of the
exequatur10 denied to Italian bishops, remarks: "Thus, Cardinal [Lu-
cido] Parocchi, a man of letters, who had been appointed archbishop of
Bologna, had to wait five years for the exequatur, despite the reiterated
insistence of two senators, [Joachim] Pepoli11 being one, and the ap-
peals of Bologna's civic authorities. These circumstances forced the
cardinal to resign and live in Rome in order to avoid greater evils."
Now as our readers will recollect, 12 Don Bosco took a hand in this
matter too, specifically mandated by the Holy See. He did all he could
in both Bologna and Rome to break down opposition; some clues to his
exertions may be found in the cardinal's reports to the papal secretariat
of state. However, it is certain that on Don Bosco's part all proceedings
were oral, of which but few details were mentioned; of these, as he
always did, Father Lemoyne took due note.
In both these instances, as also in many others, Father Lemoyne in
gathering his material never overlooked a chance to obtain testimonials
which would lend worth to his planned Biographical Memoirs, dili-
gently taking notes and saving them. Witnesses are still living today
who can attest that, notes in hand, he would sometimes ask Don Bosco
himself about details to be cleared up or matters that needed complet-
ing. 13 Then, about thirty years ago, coordinating these records with our
9/l Pontificato di Leone XIII, p. 31. [Author]
10Permission granted by a civil ruler for the exercise of a bishop's functions under papal
authority or for the publication of papal bulls. [Editor]
11Count Joachim Pepoli of Bologna was an outstanding statesman and patriot. [Editor]
12See Vol. XIV, pp. 72ff. In the first line of p. 73 the first name of Pepoli should read
"Joachim" instead of "Charles." [Editor]
13Pdrticularly important is Father Lemoyne's statement concerning what he wrote about Don
Bosco's mother. In Volume I, pp. 92f of these Biographical Memoirs, he stated: "As concerns
Mamma Margaret all that has been written has come directly from Don Bosco himself. For six
years and more we had the good fortune to spend almost every evening in friendly conversation
with him. Although we very rarely returned to material already covered, whenever I questioned
him about what he had told me years before and I had faithfully recorded, I was amazed to hear
him repeat the same things about his mother and her very same words, so exactly indeed that he
seemed to be reading from a book. The very same assertion I can make about many other
occurrences which he kindly confided to me and which I treasured for the sake of my dear
confreres."
In a letter from Rome to Father Rua dated April 28, 1884, he stated: "I have not yet been able
to see Rome because there is always writing to be done, but I feel I must be near this great man of
God, take notes on whatever I come to learn about him, and help him in whatever small measure I
can." Father [Charles] Viglietti's diary states on February 27, 1885: "Every day that Don Bosco

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xviii
THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
archive documents, he secretly handed his work to our printshop at San
Benigno Canavese for typesetting; only a few copies were printed, and
they were only galley proofs. Unfortunately, however, he did not take
the trouble to authenticate··and to file away his originals. On receiving
the proofs from the printers, he would get rid of all the papers which
contained both the data he had accumulated and their sources. Some of
these papers, in his handwriting, are still extant, but they concern data
which came to him after the galleys had been printed and which he did
not insert into the volumes of the Memoirs. By so doing, he relied on
the trust his confreres put in him, for it was for them mainly that he was
writing, with no thought that someday outsiders or posterity might
possibly not be so compliant. Therefore, when these Memoirs make
use of these galley sheets, their only historicity rests on the indisputa-
ble knowledge and integrity of the writer who passed them down to us.
It was very fortunate that the apostolic process for the cause of Don
Bosco's beatification and canonization was initiated so soon after his
death-almost immediately, one might say. It offers us a steady flow of
primary eyewitnesses and earwitnesses whose sworn testimony makes
it abundantly possible to verify the biographer's account.
Another providential source that greatly helped us in compiling
these last volumes was a substantial collection of documents which
shed much light on the controversy dividing our blessed father and
Turin's archbishop. Our readers have often come across footnotes citing
an 9riginal document as being in the possession of Father [Dominic]
Franchetti of Turin. This distinguished priest was indeed very fortunate
because, on the death of Father [Thomas] Chiuso, Archbishop [Law-
rence] Gastaldi's personal secretary and heir, Father Franchetti was
able to buy his entire library for a thousand lire. He discovered among
the books a packet of letters and papers connected with the well-known
conflicts. He instantly realized how valuable this discovery would be
when the right time came for a monograph on this interesting topic; yet
with generosity beyond all praise, he not only permitted us to peruse
goes out for a walk-I always accompany him-he delights in talking about past events in his
life. This makes for highly entertaining conversation. I record all he says in notebooks which I
pass on to Father Lemoyne for his History of the Oratory and for Don Bosco's biography."
[Author]

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AUTHOR'S PREFACE
xix
these papers, but he also allowed us to copy whatever we might find
useful in them. I publicly express my thanks to him here. Without
these documents, as the reader will realize, I would have found it
impossible to shed light upon the final phase of that distressing
controversy.
As for myself, the author, I can only visualize myself as a patient
silkworm, dedicating my entire self to building my share of that vast
cocoon from which one day others will spin the silk to weave a cloak of
glory for our founder and father.
Turin, August 2, 1933

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Acknowledgments
For the publication of The Biographical Memoirs of St. John
Bosco we owe a debt of gratitude to the Reverends August Bosio,
S.D.B., John J. Malloy, S.D.B., Salvatore Isgro, S.D.B., and Do-
minic DeBlase, S. D. B. , Provincials emeriti of the Salesians in the
eastern United States and sponsors of this project, and to the Very
Reverend Richard J. McCormick, S. D. B . , their successor in office.
As regards this volume, we wish to express special thanks to the
Rev. Paul Aronica, S.D.B., for his very valuable editorial as-
sistance, and to the Rev. Michael Mendl, S. D. B. , for the compila-
tion of the Index. We are also grateful to those who have helped in
one way or another, in particular Mr. Joseph Isola, copyeditor of the
Paulist Press.
Fr. Diego Borgatello, S.D.B.
Editor-in-Chief
EDITORIAL BOARD
Rev. Diego Borgatello, S.D.B., Chairman
Rev. Paul Aronica, S.D.B.
Rev. Emil Fardellone, S.D.B.
Rev. Joseph Bajorek, S.D.B. Rev. William Kelley, S.D.B.
Rev. Peter Lapin, S.D.B.
DECEASED
Rev. Hugh McGlinchey, S.D.B.
Rev. Joseph Perozzi, S. D. B.
Rev. Chester Wisniewski, S.D.B.

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Contents
DEDICATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii
EDITOR' s PREFACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix
AUTHOR' s PREFACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiii
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxi
SALESIAN GLOSSARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . XXV
Missions, Missionaries and Two Expeditions ..............
2 A Month and a Half in France .......................... 26
3 Count Louis Anthony Colle ............................ 56
4 From France to Rome and from Rome to Turin ............. 103
5 Celebrations, Nuisances and a Dream about the Future
of the Salesian Society . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
6 Father Bonetti's Appeal to the Sacred Congregation
of the Council ....................................... 153
7 Libel Suit against Don Bosco for Defamatory Booklets ...... 186
8 Leo XIII's Settlement of the Bonetti Controversy ........... 218
9 Foundations in 1881-82: Refused or Postponed ............. 240
10 Start of the Salesian Work in Spain, Florence and Faenza..... 265
11 The Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians at the Death
of Their First Mother General .......................... 295
12 Consecration of the Church of St. John the Evangelist ....... 308
13 The Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Rome ........... 331
14 The Last Blocks to the Granting of Privileges .............. 351
15 1881: Events and Letters .............................. 365

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16 Two Months of 1882 in Southern France.................. 395
17 Don Bosco's Journey Through Liguria and Back
to Turin Through Romagna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 430
18 1882: Memorable Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 458
19 Claire Louvet: An Outstanding Salesian Cooperator. . . . . . . . . 486
20 Don Bosco 's Concern for the Missions and Missionaries . . . . . 509
21 Don Bosco, Letter Writer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 524
APPENDICES........................................ 575
INDEX............................................. 603

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SALESIAN GLOSSARY
(For the General Reading Public)
ARTISANS: trade school students.
ASSISTANCE: Salesian method of supervision of boys and students, friendly and
informal in manner, stressing the prevention of disorders rather than the
punishment of offenders.
ASSISTANT: a Salesian engaged in supervising boys.
CLERIC: a member of the Salesian Society training for the priesthood.
COADJUTOR: a lay member of the Salesian Society.
COMPANION OF YOUTH, THE: a prayer book composed by St. John Bosco for the
use of boys, originally entitled II Giovane Provveduto.
COOPERATORS: Christians (laymen, lay religious or priests) who, even if they
have no religious vows, follow a vocation to holiness by offering themselves to
work for the young in the spirit of Don Bosco, in the service of the local church,
and in communion with the Salesian Congregation.
EXERCISE FOR A HAPPY DEATH: a monthly practice of piety that promotes
spiritual recollection and fervor by meditation on one's eventual death. It
stresses the reception of the sacraments of confession and Holy Communion as
if for the last time.
FESTIVE ORATORY: a Salesian work which offers boys and young men organized
recreational, educational, and religious activities, mostly on Sundays and
festive days.
The Festive Oratory was St. John Bosco's first work and, for a good many
years, his only one. He called it "oratory," that is, a place of prayer, because its
primary purpose was to teach boys to go to church and pray. "Its objectives were
the practice of religion and virtue, the boys' moral education, and, consequently,
the salvation of their souls; recreation, entertainment, singing, and schooling,
which followed in due time, were only the means." (The Biographical Memoirs of
St. John Bosco, Vol. II, p. 71. See also Vol. III, pp. 67t)
Goon NIGHT: a short talk immediately after night prayers, given by the Director
or someone in his stead. It consists of advice, exhortations, or occasional
remarks.
ORATORY: see Festive Oratory, Oratory of St. Francis de Sales.
ORATORY. THE: abbreviated form of "The Oratory of St. Francis de Sales" (See
below)
ORATORY OF ST. FRANCIS DE SALES, THE: the first festive oratory and the first
boarding school for boys founded by St. John Bosco in a district of Turin known
as Valdocco; the motherhouse of the Salesian Congregation.
On a rainy night of May 1847 a hungry youngster, drenched from head to foot,
knocked at Don Bosco's door. Don Bosco's mother fed him and prepared a place
for him to sleep. (See The Biographical Memoirs ofSt. John Bosco, Vol. III, pp.
141fl) Thus, side by side with the festive oratory there began a hospice that
eventually grew into a large boarding school and became the motherhouse of the
Salesian Congregation.
PREVENTIVE SYSTEM: the Salesian method of education and discipline, based on
reason and religion. It stresses vigilance, guidance, and sympathetic
understanding in the training of the young.
VALDOCCO: a district of Turin.
The name is probably a contraction of the Latin val/is occisorum, the valley of
the slain-i.e., some soldiers of the Theban Legion who were martyred under
Emperor Maximian. The Salesian motherhouse stands on the site of their
martyrdom. (See The Biographical Memoirs of St. John Bosco, Vol. II, pp.
233ff, 268)
xxv

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THE
BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS
OF
SAINT JOHN BOSCO

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CHAPTER 1
Missions, Missionaries
and Two Expeditions
DoN Bosco both opened and closed the year 1881 by send-
ing forth new laborers to that remote portion of the vineyard which the
Lord of the Gospel had entrusted to him. An appeal had sounded from
Rome. On December 3, 1880 Leo XIII had addressed to all Catholic
bishops an encyclical dealing with three [pontifical] associations-the
Propagation of the Faith, the Holy Childhood, and the Oriental
Schools. The Holy Father had issued this fervent appeal:
My venerable brothers, you have been called to share Our solicitude [for the
universal Church]. We, therefore, ardently exhort you to cooperate whole-
heartedly in giving prompt assistance to Our apostolic missions, fully trusting
in God notwithstanding all difficulties.
At stake is the salvation of souls, for whom Our Redeemer laid down His
life and appointed Us, bishops and priests, to labor for the perfecting of His
saints and for the building up of His mystical body. Hence, wherever we have
been entrusted with His flock, let us each do our utmost to provide to the
missions those means which, as we have recalled, have been time-tested from
the very beginning of the Church-the proclamation of the Gospel, the
prayers and alms of devout souls.
After this exhortation the Pope continued:
Should you encounter persons who in their zeal for the glory of God are
willing and able to undertake so holy a journey, encourage them, so that once
they have searched and discerned God's will, they be not distressed by their
human weakness but rather be eager to follow the promptings of the Holy
Spirit.
1

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2
THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
Inspired by such firm urging, Don Bosco felt that the time had come
to resume the missionary expeditions which had been suspended for
the last two years. True, some missionaries, like Father Bernard Vac-
china,1 had gone singly or in pairs, but they were few. 2 Urgent need for
personnel in Europe and financial difficulties had made it impossible to
do more. Now that the way to Patagonia was open and people were
beginning to look upon present achievements as a tangible sign of the
perennial vitality of the Roman Catholic Church, he felt that this was
the time to push ahead. 3 Even some of the ultra-liberal newspapers
commented on the Pope's forceful exhortation, without daring to avow
it openly. 5 Don Bosco therefore decided on an initial expedition of six
Salesians and eight Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians to leave by
mid-January. To this first group he added six more Salesians who were
to go to Spain at about the same time. As for financing the expedition
Don Bosco put all his trust in his Salesian cooperators, as he an-
nounced in his regular January Jetter. 6
He tried also to obtain a subsidy of some kind from the Italian
government and sent to Benedict Cairoll, premier and foreign minister,
a concise report on what had been done and was still being done in
Argentina and in Uruguay especially for the ever growing number of
Italian immigrants. The report stated that the Salesians were ''scattered
over thirty-four localities," a round number including not only fixed
missionary residences, but also those posts which the Salesians peri-
ISee Appendix 1. [Editor]
21n the official listings their names were included as members of the 1880 expedition. [Author]
30ne of the gifts Don Bosco received on New Year's Day was a book written by a Rosminian
who sent it to him "as a token of his profound veneration." Describing the Church's advance into
the remotest quarters of the globe, the author mentioned the "inhospitable wastelands of Pa-
tagonia and the Pampas of South America." In an attitude of apologia, he went on to say: "Right
now when allegedly Catholicism is dying, it has strength enough between gasps to send to those
lands more and more groups of Salesian missionaries, recently founded by Don Bosco, a second
Calasanctius,4 who, meanwhile, here in Europe, thanks to his numerous and ever growing
schools, keeps rescuing thousands of boys from pillory and prison and turns them into hard-
working, honest citizens" (P.A. Cicuto, Se ii Cattolicismo sia morente [Is Catholicism Dying?],
diagnostic essay, published by Giulio Speirani & Son, Torino, 1881). This book is not entirely free
of error. [Author]
4St. Joseph Calasanctius (1556-1658), founder of the Piarists. [Editor]
son January 7 [1881], Il Diritto, in a long article entitled Missionari e Parlamento [Mission-
aries and Parliament] by Raffaele Mariano, acknowledged the civilizing influence of Catholicism,
though the author even at that time openly favored the Protestants, whose energy, morality and
skills he praised. [Author]
6Bollettino Salesiano, January 1881. [Author]

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Missions, Missionaries and Two Expeditions
3
odically visited in the exercise of their ministry. 7 The following state-
ment on Patagonia is noteworthy: "We plan to extend the Italian
Missions to the Strait of Magellan and from there to Cape Horn.
Hopefully, I will personally confer with Your Excellency on this matter
sometime next March, if it is agreeable to you." He intended to try to
persuade the foreign minister to use his diplomatic influence to channel
the stream of Italian immigrants to those plains of Patagonia which the
Indians had abandoned and left to lie fallow. Those were the areas
where they could establish colonies, develop agriculture and foster
civilization to their own economic and moral advantage. That is what
he meant by the "Italian Missions" which were to extend out to the
Strait of Magellan. As at other times in the past, the reply he received
was evasive, but, even if he accomplished nothing else, it was no waste
of time to call the government's attention to his religious and patriotic
activities overseas.
Relying upon his patron, Cardinal [Lawrence] Nina, to be his con-
tact with the Holy See in obtaining financial help, especially in the
form of Mass stipends and sacred vestments, he sent him a letter that
has now been lost. On January 12 [1881] he received by mail from
South America his very first letter that bore the postage stamp of
Patagonia. In itself this was not very important, but it meant so much to
him and brought him such comfort that he wrote again to the cardinal,
enclosing the envelope, almost like a proof that all was really going
well. In that letter he also enclosed two copies of his report on the
Salesian houses and missions of South America covering the years
1875 to 1881. 8
Your Eminence:
Turin, January 12, 1881
As I had the honor of telling you in my previous letter, our missionaries are
willing, in an effort to reduce costs, to sacrifice a cherished trip to Rome to
revere our Holy Father and to receive his apostolic benediction.
They therefore humbly ask that Your Eminence request our Holy Father's
kindly blessing and send it to them before their departure.
?'fo acquaint the public with what the Salesians had accomplished in South America in five
years, Unita Cattolica published on January 15, 1881 the report that had been sent to Pope Leo
XIII. [Author]
8See Appendix 2. [Author]

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4
THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
The solemn ceremony has been set for the 20th of this month in the Church
of Mary, Help of Christians. They will then sail from Genoa on the 22nd,
unless, as it is feared, storms at sea, usual in this season, should counsel
postponing the sailing date.
Today I received in my mail the first postage stamp of Patagonia. As art it is
not a good job, but since it is the first [I have seen] in Europe, I thought I
would send it to you with this letter.
I also believe that Your Eminence and our gracious Holy Father will be
pleased with the enclosed two copies of the updated report on our American
missions. One is for you; I ask you kindly to present the other to His Holiness
as a small mark of our missionaries' homage to the Holy See and their offer of
the first fruits they have reaped in these five years of evangelization.
I shall have an opportunity to inform you of further achievements of our
religious among the Indians of the Pampas and of Patagonia right after the
missionary departure which we have planned as above.
In deep reverence I ask for the charity of your prayers and am greatly
honored to remain,
Yours most respectfully,
Fr. John Bosco
The cardinal passed Don Bosco 's request to the Holy Father, who
referred to it on a distinctive occasion. On Monday, January 17, Father
Dalmazzo9 attended a special papal audience given to superiors and
procurators general of religious orders and congregations residing in
Rome. Its purpose was to get acquainted with the state of affairs of
their respective religious families. Father Dalmazzo was given a gra-
cious welcome by the Pope who first asked him about the Church of the
Sacred Heart. "You are now on the Esquiline10 which has been en-
trusted to you," he said. "Are you busy at work there? Is anything
being built? Hurry because great is the need. Do not get disheartened!"
He then continued, "I have read Don Bosco's letter to Cardinal Nina. I
have already given instructions that something be made ready for his
missionaries: sacred vestments, chalices and other things." He then
imparted his apostolic blessing for them, saying that he did so with
pleasure, and added, "How does Don Bosco manage? Don't all these
projects frighten him? It is obvious that the Lord is with him." Car-
dinal Nina, fearing that the Holy Father might forget Don Bosco 's
9See Appendix 1. [Editor]
1o0ne of the seven hills of ancient Rome. [Editor]

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Missions, Missionaries and Two Expeditions
5
request for Mass stipends, had prompted Father Dalmazzo to mention
them. and the Pontiff kindly responded, "I have requested some from
France, and you will have your share. Will two thousand do?" When
Father Dalmazzo said, "Yes, that is fine," the Pope concluded, "Then
we shall order that they be delivered to you." 11
Don Bosco of course appealed also to private charity as he had
regularly done on similar occasions in the past, but so far we have
traced only one of these letters, addressed to his good friend, Father
Peter Vallauri of Turin.
·
My dear Father Vallauri,
Turin, January 3, 1881
Ab amicis honesta sunt petenda [Only good things are to be asked from
friends], and I am aware of that. Yet I must push a bit beyond the bounds of
discretion.
Here I am. I have committed myself to send a missionary expedition to
[South] America on January 22. The Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians
and twelve Salesians are ready to go to relieve their overburdened co-workers,
but just now I cannot do anything because I am strapped for cash. In your
kindness can you see your way clear to contributing ten thousand francs, if
only in loan, in memory of your parents, to assist the Church, support our
missions, and ease my tight situation? I write with such trust only because I
know your heart's desire to put all you have at God's service for His greater
glory and the salvation of souls.
May God keep you in good health! While recommending myself and my
poor boys to the charity of your prayers, I am in Jesus Christ,
Yours affectionately,
Fr. John Bosco
Italy's largest Catholic newspaper carried this article12 on the forth-
coming expedition:
We most heartily applaud the courageous Don Bosco and his worthy sons.
Aware of how he keeps his important enterprises going with only the private
HLetter from Father Dalmazzo to Don Bosco, Rome, January 20, 1881. [Author]
12Unita Cattolica, January 15, 1881. The new expedition consisted of twenty-three persons.
This number included not only the six Salesians and eight Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians,
assigned to South America, but also the six Salesians traveling to Utrera, Spain, and Father
Cagliero. It also included Mother Mazzarello and Mother Roncallo, who traveled with some
sisters as far as Marseille. [Author]

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6
THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
financial backing and donations of charitable persons, we positively commend
this noble undertaking of his to the generosity of Catholics. Helping Don
Bosco is today more than ever before a sign not just of Catholic faith, but of
our country's sense of charity and genuine brotherhood [. . .] for this aid turns
to the advantage of thousands of Italians living in [South] America. It will also
help reshape and restore society through the sound moral education of youth
and will help evangelize vast tribes who still live in ignorance of Christianity's
exceptional temporal and eternal blessings.
Since the departure date was close, Don Bosco anticipated the reg-
ular Conference of St. Francis de Sales for the Salesian cooperators to
have it coincide with the leave-taking ceremony scheduled for January
20. In a talk marked by Gospel simplicity and that dear charm which
was entirely his own, Don Bosco held his vast congregation spellbound
for some thirty minutes. He opened by telling them of the Holy Fa-
ther's special blessing to all the cooperators and missionaries. He then
spoke of the Salesians and of the Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians
who had left for the missions in previous years, narrating all the good
work they had done, which should comfort so many of his listeners and
the generous benefactors who had contributed to that work. He went on
to explain his plans for the salvation of the pagan tribes who lived like
nomads in the vast wilderness of the Pampas, of Patagonia and of Tierra
del Fuego. Hence the need to keep sending new reinforcements of
evangelical workers. The conclusion of his sermon was reserved for the
departing missionaries, emphasizing the sacrifice they were making in
leaving everything for love of Jesus Christ and the souls He had re-
deemed. Then, again addressing the congregation, he stated: "If they
are ready to risk their lives, how can we refuse to make some sacrifice
ourselves? Let us pray that God may help and strengthen them, yes, but
let those who can do so also support them with donations. You will
cooperate with them in giving God glory and in benefiting souls, thus
entitling yourselves to that hundredfold on earth which God promises
to those who give for His name's sake. What is much more, you will
also be sure to save your own souls!" On January 23 Unita Cattolica
wrote: "We know that Don Bosco's words did not fall on sterile soil,
for Turin's generous citizens proved themselves ·instruments of God's
compassion for him and his mission.''
The missionaries left immediately for Sampierdarena but did not
board ship until February 3. At Sampierdarena a very intimate cere-

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Missions, Missionaries and Two Expeditions
7
mony was held for them in the school's chapel. In his sermon, Don
Bosco bade them remember three things:
1. They would have to deal with sullen and unruly individuals to
whom they were to show love, love, love!
2. Each was to do his share of work, lest it happen that one would do
the work of three, while another did nothing at all.
3. They were to overlook the others' faults, for all have their own
and, on detecting their superiors' shortcomings, to act like Noah's two
good sons, not like Ham.
The expedition departed in two groups: those leaving for Uruguay
and Spain taking the ship Umberto I of the Rocco and Piaggio Line,
those going to Buenos Aires boarding the Sud America of the Lavarello
Line.
At this point Father [John] Cagliero, who was with the first group,
takes up our narrative. 13
We said our farewells on the pier, since the first group was sailing two hours
before us that same evening, and bade each other a pleasant journey. We met a
calm sea and a bright moon, so that when we arrived the next day, Friday, at
Marseille, we were in good spirits and not seasick.
We rode at anchor for three days; in fact the ship was put into dry dock to
have the propeller replaced while we all went ashore on Saturday morning,
February 5, and said Mass at our own house in Rue Beaujour.
Don Bosco arrived from Nice that evening, having left by train one day
before us. A small man physically, Father Bologna14 was certainly huge in
kindness, generosity and brotherly love during the two days he hosted us.
What a joy for us Salesians! 1rue, we left dear brothers in Italy, but we have
found brothers no less dear in France. We left them too, of course, but
brothers just as dear are awaiting us in [South] America!
We returned to our ship on Sunday evening. Our beloved father, who always
waxes courageous when he wants to show his love to his sons, braved the most
violent of mistrals that shake trees, ships and people in order to escort us to the
dockyard, some three quarters of an hour from town.
There the owner of Umberto/, Mr. Evasio Piaggio, its captain and officers
wannly welcomed him with uncommon signs of esteem and reverence. We
had a lively conversation over coffee and champagne. Mr. Piaggio, a very
gracious person and devout Christian, was so taken by the reports of Salesian
13Letter to Father Rua, Gibraltar, February 14, 1881. [Author]
t4See Appendix 1. [Editor]

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8
THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
work in Italy, France, and [South] America that he gratefully accepted being
enrolled as a Salesian cooperator, and, warming up to Don Bosco, wished to
escort him to our quarters, accompanied by the captain. Here all the Sales-
ians, Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians, and many passengers were
assembled. We listened to his final admonitions and received his holy, fatherly
blessing. Indeed it was a holy blessing, for it moved us all deeply, and it was
fatherly because it touched the hearts of all his children, many of whom were
resigned to the thought of never seeing him again until they met in heaven!
Since the hour was late and the wind was kicking up a storm, we walked
with him as far as the shipyard, Mr. Piaggio on one side and we on the other.
Luckily a coach arrived just then to discharge some ladies. I say luckily
because it would have been impossible to walk that long distance at that late
hour, buffeted by a most fierce wind. 15
The following day (Monday the 7th) we spent in dry dock. That night, as
soon as the propeller was repaired, four valves were opened and the sea water
rushed in with such turbulence that it vividly brought to mind the flood waters
released by God at the time of the deluge!
At four o'clock on February 8, as dawn was beginning to break, we steamed
out of Marseille en route to Barcelona. Till then we had not had the slightest
taste of Neptune's fury, but it was waiting for us as we entered the Gulf of
Lions! Mountainous seas and wind, wind and mountainous seas!
Huge crests and gaping hollows of sea, towering waves crashing upon angry
seas and smashing against the sturdy flanks of the ship mightier than they.
Breakers hammering against the prow, and lifting the ship's stem clear out of
the water! Endless clanging of the spars added to the shrill whine of the
rigging, and in a flash the whole deck was suddenly awash and we had to retire
151n a letter to Father Rua from Marseille on February 9, Father Bologna described the same
evening as follows: "At six on Sunday evening the missionaries, with the sisters, Don Bosco and
I, set out for Umberto I in two buses. Night had fallen and the mistral was raging. The ship lay in
dry dock streaming with the violent downpour of rain. Clutching our hats and clinging to Don
Bosco, we managed to get up to the deck. Despite the dangerous situation and our caution, Don
Bosco kept us in good humor with his funny remarks. On board we were welcomed by Mr. Evasio
Piaggio, owner of Umberto/, who asked for Don Bosco and escorted him to his own study, where
he entertained his guest for three quarters of an hour with exquisite courtesy and cordiality. The
ship's officers too welcomed him, vying to show him their good will and respect. The captain was
pleased to learn that Don Bosco had sixty thousand subjects and therefore ranked higher than he.
Afterward, Mr. Piaggio, the captain, chief steward and officers escorted Don Bosco through the
ship, and all knelt when he blessed the missionaries and addressed a few words to all. We walked
out into patches of moonlight, the wind blasting us with full force. Mr. Piaggio took Don Bosco's
arm and told him to lean on him. The captain led the way, followed by a member of the line's
board of directors and the ship's officers. They stayed with us for twenty minutes, guiding us
among girders and drawbridges and not leaving us until we reached the road and could board a
carriage. The missionaries had come with us and were milling about Don Bosco. We were all so
worried about the weather, the darkness and the wind that we were spared the emotion of the
moment." [Author]

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Missions, Missionaries and Two Expeditions
9
to our cabins and curl up in our bunks. . . . Later, nearly all of us, hit in
varying degrees by seasickness, paid partial or total tribute to the sea.
I say "nearly all of us," because on this single occasion among all my sea
voyages, I managed to come through as a much envied and very lucky
exception.
That same Tuesday evening, we cast anchor in Barcelona's harbor, our ship
having maintained fourteen knots an hour. The crew spent the whole night and
all Wednesday loading cargo, while we-that is, Father Piccono, Father
Branda, Father Pane and 1'6-decided to go ashore, where we saw the city's
truly marvelous, ancient cathedral, St. Eulalia's torture rack, and the crucifix
salvaged from the battle of Lepanto. Then we returned on board.
We set sail (without sails, however) for Gibraltar in bright moonlight on
Wednesday evening, but again ran into a blustering wind in the Gulf of
Valencia. We were tossed about all night long, and forced to fast all the next
day. Thursday night to Friday morning (the 11th) we were shrouded in fog,
which slowed our course, and our foghorns bellowed warnings to other ships
in the area to prevent tragic collisions.
Throughout this leg of our journey we managed to celebrate Mass every
morning and administer Holy Communion to the sisters and the coadjutor
brothers. The rest of the day we spent in prayer, some reading, a lot of
walking, and eating whenever we could.... It was an easy, carefree life,
eating, drinking, and strolling about. You really cannot get any work done on
board ship, so you resort to childish pranks and relax and take turns in
laughing at one another's bouts with seasickness.
Forty-eight hours after leaving Barcelona we reached Gibraltar and had
dinner on Friday evening while at anchor. Later that night, we said our good-
byes and called upon our merciful Lady, Star of the Sea, to protect our dear
confreres who were continuing their journey across the mighty ocean, and to
be with us as we made our way along the coast in a small boat as far as Cadiz.
This was the fourth and last parting we had to go through.
The rest of the expedition, led by Father Angelo Piccono, 17 sailed on
to Montevideo, Uruguay. The other group, consisting of two Salesians
and four Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians, was already on the
high seas. Both groups had a hard time for about three days when they
ran into a fierce gale.
While our hapless travelers feared for their lives, a notorious peri-
odical we have already met, La Cronaca dei Tribunali, 18 chose to sink
16For all these, see Appendix 1. [Editor]
17See Vol. XII, p. 442. [Editor]
18See Vol. XIV, pp. 69, 207, 226-230. [Editor]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
its venemous fangs into our beloved Don Bosco. Incensed mostly by an
article in Unita Cattolica19 [entitled The Power of a Catholic Priest and
a Touching Ceremony in Turin], the newspaper, under the glaring
headline "DON BOSCO AND FATHER MARGOTTI," spewed forth
an ugly diatribe against both priests in a double columned article. After
insulting the editor of the Catholic paper, it mocked Don Bosco in a
nasty mishmash of accusation and insinuation, thus exposing him hid-
eously to suspicions on the part of civil authorities. The periodical in
fact charged him with snatching boys and girls from their parents and
citizens from their fatherland, insinuating that among the departing
missionaries there could be some who were subject to the military draft
and were being forced against their will to desert their homeland clan-
destinely. Then, flagrantly falsifying facts, it resurrected the ~'Foglino
incident," whose outcome we have already described. 20 Such under-
handedness was all the more vicious because in those very days the
Superior Council for Public Education was debating the enforced shut-
down of the Oratory's secondary school. 21 Fiery Father Margotti was
doubtless itching to respond in kind, but not a word appeared in his
periodical, most probably because Don Bosco, always averse to po-
lemics, had thought it better to let the whole matter die quietly. 22
Don Bosco gave the departing missionaries letters for their confreres
overseas. It was his custom to send a personal note every year to each
Salesian priest, cleric and coadjutor in South America. He continued
this custom as long as he could until 1884. We have precious samples
of this correspondence in nine letters which we have managed to trace,
all dated January 31, 1881, and we give them here with a line or two or
introduction.
To Father [James] Costamagna,23 recently appointed provincial to
19January 23, 1881 issue. An article about this ceremony also appeared in No. 17 of the
Emporio Popolare. [Author]
WSee Vol. XIV, pp. 227-233. [Editor]
21/bid. pp. 108-155. [Editor]
22An indirect form of reply may have appeared in an article dated January 30 which quoted
from Atti ufficiali della Camera Subalpina [Official Acts of the Sub-Alpine Assembly] and from
speeches made by Cavour and La Marmora in 1853 against a proposal to include all clerics in the
military draft, speeches which La Marmora reiterated in 1869 and 1871, when Italy was already a
kingdom. No national events took place in 1881 which might have led Margotti to dig out these
documents. It was probably his intent to make it clear once again that any law which forced clerics
to leave the seminary for army camps was not fit to be called a law. [Author]
23See Appendix 1. [Editor]

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Missions, Missionaries and Two Expeditions
11
replace the deceased Father [Francis] Bodrato, 24 he sends instructions
on immediately setting up church organizational structures in Pa-
tagonia so as to preclude complications during the expansion of the
work of the missions; he also traces out for him some guidelines he is
to follow in his new office.
My dear Father Costamagna,
Turin, January 31, 1881
I have received the memos and letters you have been sending me. All is
well. Clear skies with a bit of clouds here and there. That's the way life is here
on earth. I am sending you some materials, aids, and letters. Take care of the
distribution.
We shall do our utmost to liquidate our outstanding debts; do the same
yourself. I trust that finances will take a tum for the better this year.
The matter of a prefecture or vicariate apostolic in Patagonia is of top
importance. The Holy Father wishes and recommends it, and it is to our
advantage. Without it we cannot get support from the Propaganda Fide in
Rome, nor from the Society for the Propagation of the Faith in Lyons, nor
from the Association of the Holy Childhood. It appears that neither you nor
Father Bodrato has grasped its importance.
News about us here you will hear from the others. I only say to you: "Be
vigilant; labor in all things as a good soldier of Christ."
But never forget that we are Salesians: Sal et lux; "salt," i.e., kindness,
patience, charity; "light" in all our activities so that all may see our good
works and glorify our Father who is in heaven.
Give my sincerest regards to Mr. [Felix] Frias, to Dr. [Edward] Carranza
and to Mr. [John Baptist] Gazzolo, should you happen to see them.
God bless you and all our dear confreres and all our works, so that all may
always and solely be for God's glory.
Pray for me. With all my heart in Jesus Christ, I am,
Yours affectionately,
Fr. John Bosco
P.S. Interpret my mind and in my name give our sisters a brief conference.
The Superior Chapter has definitely chosen you to be provincial in Amer-
ica, and the written appointment will be sent to you soon. This is so that you
may become holy and lead others to holiness too.
24/bid. [Editor]

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12
THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
To Father [Joseph] Vespignani25 who was novice master and acting
director of the Salesian house at San Carlos in Almagro, he sends best
wishes, words of counsel, and news of his family.
My dear Father Joseph,
Turin, January 31, 1881
I have enjoyed receiving several letters from you. I bless the Lord, who has
granted you enough health to work in this general state of need. May He
enable you to rally about me a large host of aspirants, who will in tum become
novices, professional members, and very fervent Salesians.
Tell your dear pupils and mine that this friend of theirs in Europe sends
them this word of advice which will guarantee their happiness: "Flee from sin
and receive Holy Communion frequently." Explain this to them.
I have heard from your relatives, and they are well. Your cleric brother,
Ernest,26 is enthusiastic and wants to become a good Salesian.
God bless you, my dear Father Joseph. May He keep you in good health.
Pray for me, always in Jesus Christ,
Yours affectionately,
Fr. John Bosco
For Father [Dominic] Tomatis,27 who had succeeded Father Fagnano
as director at the house at San Nicolas de los Arroyos, he had a fatherly
scolding because he had to wait so long for a letter from him. Don
Bosco felt very strongly about letter writing, particularly from [local]
superiors, for it enabled him to exercise a thoughtful influence over
their respective houses. The uncle to whom he refers here was a Jesuit.
My dearest Father Dominic,
Turin, January 31, 1881
Now and then I have had a letter from you which always brought me much
pleasure, but all too rarely. Your uncle, Father Tomatis, has the same com-
plaint. Please let me hear from you once a month, and tell me about the
confreres with you. If you plead being busy as an excuse, I shall accept it, but
my love for you makes me very anxious to be up to date on whatever concerns
you.
25/bid. [Editor]
26father Ernest Vespignani, architect. [Author]
21see Appendix 1. [Editor]

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Missions, Missionaries and Two Expeditions
13
I have been told that you are straightening out the financial situation at San
Nicolas. Excellent! When God will call you to heaven we shall ask Him to
give you a crown of glory!
We all love you here and often recall you and your poetic masterpieces. I
personally never forget you at Holy Mass and believe that you have not
forgotten this old friend of your soul either.
I urge you in your position to look after the observance of the rules by which
we have dedicated ourselves to the Lord and especially the monthly Exercise
for a Happy Death.
Tell your boys I am praying for them and ask them always to remember that
time is a precious treasure of which they must never waste a fragment!
God bless you, my dear Father Tomatis! May He keep you in good health
and in His holy grace! Pray for me.
Yours affectionately in Jesus Christ,
Fr. John Bosco
P.S. The Superior Chapter has definitely appointed Father Costamagna as
provincial of [South] America. Please inform those whom it may concern.
Words of heartening encouragement which only he could write were
addressed to Father [Thaddeus] Remotti, sole priest at the Church of
Our Lady of Mercy in Buenos Aires, who was certainly overwhelmed
with work.
My dear Father Remotti,
Turin, January 31, 1881
I have received your several letters with deep pleasure as always, but,
please, write more often and more at length. However, I know how hard you
are working and excuse you. While laboring for the souls of others, do not
forget your own soul. Never omit the monthly Exercise for a Happy Death.
We are moving forward with giant strides. No sooner do we have a capable
Salesian than immediately two houses contend for him, and sometimes we can
only provide very tender shoots. Pray fervently to God, therefore, that they
bear fruit.
God bless you, my dear Father Remotti! You are always the apple of my
eye! Keep working. The reward is all ready; heaven awaits us. Let our hearts
be where true joys await us.
Pray for me.
Yours affectionately in Jesus Christ,
Fr. John Bosco

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14
THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
To the cleric, Joseph Joachim Quaranta,28 of the house of San Nic-
olas he sent what amounts to a questionnaire for a spiritual self-
appraisal, introduced and concluded with such expressions as to make
the young man feel for a fleeting moment that he was once again
enjoying a filial colloquy with his spiritual father, as in days past.
My dear Quaranta,
Turin, January 31, 1881
I hear that you are in good health and doing your best. This pleases me no
end. Study and piety will make you a true Salesian. Never forget that you must
first ensure the salvation of your own soul; then give yourself to saving the
souls of others.
The Exercise for a Happy Death and frequent Communion are the key. Are
you in good health now? Are you really being good? Is your vocation being
safeguarded? Do you feel you are ready for ordination? Give me your answers
in your next letter.
God bless you, my dear Quaranta. Take heart! Pray for me.
Yours affectionately in Jesus Christ,
Fr. John Bosco
My dear Paseri,
Turin, January 31, 1881
You have always been the joy of my heart, and I love you even more now
that you have given yourself completely to the [foreign] missions. You have
left all things to dedicate yourself entirely to winning souls.
Take heart, then, my dear Paseri. Get yourself ready to be a good priest, a
holy Salesian. I shall pray much for you, but please don't forget this friend of
your soul.
May the grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ be with us always, strengthening us
against temptation and keeping us on our way to heaven.
Pray for me. Ever yours in the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary,
Fr. John Bosco
28We give him both first names because they are used interchangeably in the Salesian Direc-
tory. At the time of writing (October 1932) he is still active at the parish of St. John the Evangelist
in La Boca, Buenos Aires. [Author]

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Missions, Missionaries and Two Expeditions
15
My dear Peretto,
Turin, January 31, 1881
I have no doubt that you will always be the same cleric Peretto, my friend
always so anxious to help me win many souls for God. Now that you have
totally devoted yourself to this task, show yourself in all things an example of
good works. Bear up with tribulations patiently, work as a preacher of the
Gospel, and the Lord will bless what you plant and make it bear fruit.
God bless you, my dear Peretto! May He keep you in His holy grace. Pray
for me.
Yours affectionately in Jesus Christ,
Fr. John Bosco
He punned with brother Sappa, an orchardman, about his sur-
name-turning it into useful advice-to relieve his occasional
hypertension.
My dear Sappa:
Turin, January 31, 1881
Make sure that your name derives from sapera [to be wise] and not from
zappere [to hoe] and then all will be right. I have received your several letters.
Keep sending me good news as you have done in the past. Work and obe-
dience will be your salvation.
May God assist you in giving good example at all times. Pray for me, and I
will pray for you, for I wish to be always in Jesus Christ.
Yours affectionately in Jesus Christ,
Fr. John Bosco
For Charles Audisio, a hard-working coadjutor brother who, as a
boy, had attended the Valdocco Festive Oratory in its beginnings, he
had words of well-known advice.
My dear Charles,
Turin, January 31, 1881
This old friend of your soul sends you best wishes and urges you never to
forget your eternal salvation. Work, but work for heaven.
Exactness in your practices of piety is everything; obedience, too, opens the
door to all the virtues.

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16
THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
God bless you, dear Audisio! May He keep you always in His holy grace.
Pray for me.
Yours affectionately in Jesus Christ,
Fr. John Bosco
Fatherly love is the tone of the following note to the cleric Bar-
tholomew Panaro, who was teaching in our school at San Nicolas de
los Arroyos. He was to become a great missionary, an apostolic worker
from his year of ordination, 1884, to his death in 1918, first as a
dauntless assistant of Father [Joseph] Fagnano29 in evangelizing innu-
merable Indians along the shores of Rio Negro, and later as an assistant
of Father [Dominic] Milanesio30 in establishing the first settlement in
the Patagonian Andes at Chosmalal.
My dear Panaro,
Turin, January 31, 1881
How are you doing? Are you making progress in studies and in piety? I
hope so. I urge you to persevere at the price of any and every sacrifice. Do not
lose sight of the great reward that God keeps in store for us in heaven.
Constant obedience and the Exercise for a Happy Death are essentials.
God bless you, my dear Panaro! Be a model Salesian, and pray for me.
Yours affectionately in Jesus Christ,
Fr. John Bosco
Graciousness marks this last brief letter to the cleric Peter Calcagno,
who was then at the Villa Colon school in Montevideo. He was later to
head the last [missionary] expedition which Don Bosco would send on
December 6, 1887 to Ecuador.
My dear Calcagno,
Turin, January 31, 1881
Are you still a good fellow, my dear friend? I hope you are. Never look
back. Rather, let's look ahead to heaven which awaits us. There is our great
reward! Work, save many souls, and also save your own. Temperance and
'29See Appendix 1. [Editor]
'30/bid. [Editor]

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Missions, Missionaries and Two Expeditions
17
obedience are everything for you. Write to me often. God bless you! May He
keep you in His holy grace. Pray for me.
Yours affectionately in Jesus Christ,
Fr. John Bosco
Father [Joseph] Vespignani's comments on these letters are con-
tained in a typed memo: "At the beginning of this year [1881] each
Salesian in [South] America received a precious gift: a personal letter
from Don Bosco, who addressed a word of encouragement and counsel
to each one. For all, this was a powerful incitement to perseverance, all
the more so because, with our spiritual retreats and recent achieve-
ments, we might well call that period one of rebirth of the Salesian
spirit in our province, and all hearts were prepared to accept grace and
counsel from heaven." The letters arrived during the carnival season.
Father [James] Costamagna wrote that the confreres "read and reread
them even during the entertainment in the auditorium, totally oblivious
of the performances on the stage. " 31 Father [Angelo] Piccono, who
delivered the letters to the Salesians in Uruguay, informed us that there
too those precious notes in the hand of our holy founder brought
overwhelming joy and were tearfully kissed again and again. 32
Shortly before the new missionary contingent got to Montevideo,
Bishop Hyacinth Vera had insisted that the Salesians should accept at
all costs the parish at Paysandu, an old city on the left bank of the great
Uruguay River. The parish-the only one-served twenty-five people.
Corruption and loose morals went unchallenged. To please the bishop,
the new arrivals, who were supposed to ease the workload of their
confreres in Urµguay, would instead have to go to Paysandu. To make
matters worse, Father [Louis] Lasagna,33 their director, fell sick and, to
ease his pains, had to take his physicians' advice and return to Italy for
a painful, delicate operation. He left on May 1, 1881. On July 21 Don
Bosco wrote to Countess [Charlotte] Callori to inform her of Father
Lasagna's arrival.
31Letter to Don Bosco, Buenos Aires, March 6, 1881. [Author]
32Letter to Don Bosco, Villa Col6n, March 7, 1881. [Author]
33See Appendix 1. [Editor]

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18
THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
My dear Mama in Jesus Christ,
Turin, July 24, 1881
I have had no more news of your health and don't even know if you are at
Vignale. If you cannot write yourself, ask someone to write for you, and you
will indeed be doing me a great favor, all the more so because I know how
exhausting was your ride from Turin to Vignale.
I don't know what to say. Often enough God hears a single brief prayer and
grants exceptional favors at once. Yet we have offered prayers for you, our
eighty thousand boys remember you every morning and evening, and so far I
can't see that we have gotten anywhere. Poor Don Bosco! I must have lost all
my credit with the Lord!
Father Lasagna has arrived from Uruguay to regain his health and to find
co-workers who will go back with him to his apostolic mission, where the
harvest is most plentiful and the workers very few. He immediately asked
about you and your family and said he would like to visit you at Montemagno,
where he will be going about the middle of this week.
I hope your entire family is well and that you are feeling better. May God
grant all of you full health and keep you in His holy grace.
Thank you for the generous contribution you sent me through Father
Cagliero.34 I trust that you will receive at least a hundredfold [here on earth].
Father Cagliero also told me that you would not forget the Church of the
Sacred Heart in Rome.
Would you willingly accept an appointment from the Pope as solicitor of
funds? Do you think I can offer the same appointment to Count Rainero in his
position as Knight of Cape and Sword? I would appreciate your letting me
know your feelings on this.
God bless you. Pray for this poor soul who is always
Yours devotedly in Jesus Christ,
Fr. John Bosco
Father Lasagna was not strong enough for surgery until the end of
September, when he entered St. Maurice Hospital [in Turin]. There he
was pleasantly surprised to meet a grateful pupil of his from Lanzo
among the team of surgeons operating on him. He felt quite encour-
aged, though not to the point of full reassurance. Aware of his fears,
Don Bosco sent him a message, clearly telling him that he had to return
soon to [South] America, where another very important mission
'34/bid. [Editor]

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Missions, Missionaries and Two Expeditions
19
awaited him. The operation was very successful, as we gather from the
following two letters of Don Bosco to Father Costamagna.
My dear Father Costamagna,
San Benigno, October 1, 1881
A few words of cordial greeting in the Lord to you and all our dear Salesian
sons and daughters.
Father Lasagna is regaining his strength, but is still far from his usual robust
self. Nevertheless, his concern to be of use to the Congregation drives him to
want to return to his field of activity. He is really a good man. He has kind
words for everyone, especially for you, and this pleases me no end. Father
Cagliero has written to ask you your opinion on changes which seem advis-
able for the province in South America, especially now that we are going into
Brazil. In all matters, however, I want to follow your opinion.
The Holy Father is rather concerned and somewhat impatient to see this
matter of an apostolic prefecture or vicariate in Patagonia settled. He wants me
to send him a formal report on the stand taken by both the government and the
archbishop. Have we made any progress in this or is it bogged down?
Give me positive data which I can submit to the Holy Father, for he intends
to handle the matter directly.
I cannot understand the attitude of Father Tomatis. He is supposed to write
to his superior and have others send reports of his school's personnel. Tell me
about the moral and physical condition of the school, our hopes and fears for
the future. Without this knowledge we can move forward only with uncer-
tainty. I myself am totally in the dark.
May God bless all of us and make saints of the Salesians, as He makes a
great saint out of you. Pray for me.
Ever yours affectionately in Jesus Christ,
Fr. John Bosco
P. S. Father Bonetti and Father Bertello35 are preaching the retreat for our
one hundred and seventy novices preparing to take vows on the 3rd of this
month. What a goodly number of missionaries!
My dear Father Costamagna,
Turin, October 10, 1881
I am entrusting to you a task to be done by you or by someone else. Please
let me know the outcome so that I can inform a person who has been of no
small help to our missionaries in [South] America.
35For both see Appendix I. [Editor]

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20
THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
Last Thursday our dear Father Lasagna underwent a very serious operation.
For two days we all lived in great apprehension. He is doing better now, and
the physicians have declared him out of danger.
Thank God, all our confreres here in Europe are in good health.
Please extend my heartfelt greetings to all my sons in [South] America and
to all their pupils. Pray much for me because I am engaged in some very
complex, serious matters which need particular heavenly guidance.
God bless us all! May He keep us in His holy grace. Amen.
Yours affectionately,
Fr. John Bosco
While the industrious Father Lasagna was awaiting surgery, he did
not sit idly by, but busied himself looking for means and personnel,
and also mulling over a plan he had long cherished. For some time he
had nurtured the idea of setting up a weather station at the Pius IX
School in Villa Colon. Broad-minded as he was, he saw how such a
station could benefit his mission by advancing the cause of the physical
sciences. The school's site was ideal for an observatory to study atmo-
spheric phenomena and report to weather stations in Europe and Amer-
ica which sought to advance meteorology.
In Italy, quite near Turin, lived a man with a worldwide reputation in
this science, Father Francis Denza, a Barnabite, director of the obser-
vatory at the Charles Albert boarding school in Moncalieri. Father
Lasagna went to see him and, as usually happens when two scholars
exchange ideas, his plan vastly broadened in scope. They discussed the
setting up of a network of weather stations t~oughout South America
which would be run by the Salesians with headquarters in Montevideo.
Father Denza proposed this project at the third Geographic Convention
held shortly afterward in Venice, and it was favorably received. After
this first step, Father Denza conferred with Don Bosco, who gladly
consented, as was to be expected. He then drew up a report of the
views held by the group who had discussed meteorological problems at
the convention and forwarded it to the executive committee of the
Meteorological Association. This, in turn, on learning of Don Bosco's
"generous interest," expressed its own "deepest and grateful satisfac-
tion'' and offered '' sincerest congratulations for the courageous ini-
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Missions, Missionaries and Two Expeditions
21
to the physical sciences throughout the world. " 36 This was the begin-
ning of the meteorological observatory at Montevideo, of which we
shall have further occasion to speak in the course of our narrative.
In June, Father Lasagna received the sad news of the sudden death of
his close friend, Bishop Vera,37 who had been a good father to the
Salesians in Uruguay. Then, shortly before returning to [South] Amer-
ica, as we have narrated elsewhere, he was happy to learn that Leo XIII
had appointed a worthy successor, Bishop Innocent Yeregui, who was
a warm friend of the Salesians, as we have already narrated. It was
therefore with increased enthusiasm that he hurried his preparations for
departure.
Whether before or after his surgery-we are not sure-Father
Lasagna accompanied Don Bosco to Liguria where he witnessed some-
thing that only saints have the strength to do. Bishop Boraggfni of
Savona had had a falling out with the director of the Varazze boarding
school, Father Monateri,38 who had decided not to comply with the
bishop's expressed wish to send a Salesian priest for some regular
religious services to a church located in a mountain beyond the town
limits. Added to that was some misunderstanding about parish rights.
Father Monateri had acted rightfully. Now, no sooner did Don Bosco,
with Father Lasagna, pay a courtesy call on the bishop than he fell to
his knees, clasped his hands and begged, "Your Excellency, I ask your
pardon for the displeasure given you by Father Monateri, director of
our school at Varazze."
"Don Bosco, stand up! What are you doing?" the bishop immedi-
ately exclaimed.
"Not until you have assured me that I am forgiven," Don Bosco
replied.
"Certainly, certainly, I forgive you! Please stand up!"
Don Bosco arose and they both embraced. 39
36Letter from the Board of Directors to Don Bosco, Turin, November 30, 1881. [Author]
37Bishop Hyacinth Vera, born at Santa Catarina, diocese of St. Sebastian, Rio de Janeiro, on
July 3, 1813, was appointed bishop of Megara and apostolic vicar of Montevideo by Pius IX on
September 23, 1864. When the vicariate was made a diocese, he was named its bishop by Leo
XIII on July 15, 1878. He died of a stroke while on a pastoral visit to Pan de Azucar. [Author]
3SSee Appendix 1. [Editor]
39Diocesan process, Summarium, No. XVI-98, p. 756. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
That same October brought Don Bosco ineffable joy. A pilgrimage,
headed by Monsignor Anthony Espinosa of Buenos Aires, came to
Italy from Argentina to pay their respects to the Vicar of Jesus Christ.
After commending the zeal of the Argentine bishops, Pope Leo ad-
dressed them publicly as follows: "Neither are they slow to show their
solicitude to bring Christian civilization to the wild tribes of Patagonia,
among whom, thanks to the efforts of zealous religious, new missions
are being set up for this purpose. " 40 In the personal interview that
ensued Monsignor Espinosa told the Pope what the Salesians were
doing in Argentina, particularly in Patagonia, and His Holiness re-
plied, "When we were told that the sons of Don Bosco were taking on
the mission of Patagonia, our heart was filled with joyous hope for the
future of those poor Indians. " 41 These highly placed affirmations gave
Don Bosco moments of great rejoicing.
To be sure, the missions in Patagonia were making great strides.
Father Joseph Fagnano, their enterprising and undaunted superior,
forged ahead in evangelizing the Indians. But getting to them was a
very difficult task, for their loathing of the white man made them either
flee or brandish their weapons at their very approach. In April the
Argentine government, in favor of the overwhelming number of
Chilean Indians in Argentina, had sent General [Conrado] Villegas
with an army of two thousand soldiers against the warrior tribes of the
Sayueques, who terrorized the area with raids and pillage. Father Fag-
nano joined the expedition, traversing on horseback those endless
plains in search of peace-abiding, frightened Indian tribes to give them
reassurance, protection, instruction and baptism. It is a long story of
strenuous, extraordinary adventures in and around the area of Lake
Nahuel-Huapi, source of the Limay River, main tributary of the Rio
Negro.
Another mission trip, which took place between October and
November, located two more Indian tribes who had pitched camp some
one hundred and twenty-five miles from Patagonia. It was a successful
mission to some extent, but unfortunately its closeness to a military
post proved to be a serious obstacle, what with its free flow of liquor
40Civilta Cattolica, Issue 753, November 5, 1881, p. 358. [Author]
41Bollettino Salesiano, November 1881, p. 9. [Author]

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Missions, Missionaries and Two Expeditions
23
and resultant intoxication and violence. While scouting the banks of
the Rio Negro, Father Fagnano came across several Christian settlers
whom he was able to help. "Ah, my dear Don Bosco," he wrote on
November 10, "if only there were more of us here, how much more
could we accomplish!"
We now return to Father Lasagna. During his stay in Italy Don
Bosco was able to form an accurate picture of the condition and needs
of our houses in Uruguay, and he could also ascertain at close range the
virtues, prudence and tact of his beloved disciple. Consequently, he
judged it wise to create an independent province in Uruguay under
Father Lasagna as provincial, especially since he intended to open a
house in Brazil the next year and Father Lasagna was the man to start
that Salesian work and extend it throughout that vast empire. Don
Bosco did not let him return alone but at the head of a squad of
missionaries for both Uruguay and Argentina.
Don Bosco did not send them out unobtrusively, as though he feared
a repetition of the vicious slander that marked the previous departure.42
Some wondered whether this solemn departure ceremony followed too
soon on the heels of the former, but the facts showed that all their
qualms were unjustified. The departure ceremony was held on De-
cember 10 [1881], a bitterly cold, windy and snowy day. Still, the
church was full. After the reading of the papal encyclical Sancta Dei
civitas cited at the beginning of this chapter, Don Bosco briefly ac-
quainted the Salesian cooperators on the Congregation's work of the
past year, its mission achievements, and the current progress on the
construction of the Church of St. John the Evangelist in Turin and that
of the Sacred Heart in Rome. Then he introduced Father Lasagna, who
spoke to the audience about the Salesian missionaries present there.
The departing missionaries were eight, two of whom were already
waiting for their companions at Marseille, where they were to board
ship. To bolster their spirits for the journey and to reaffirm his fatherly
concern for Father Lasagna, Don Bosco asked Father Lemoyne, who
had been the latter's director, to accompany them as far as Marseille.
There, on January 15, they embarked on La France of the Maritime
Transport Line. The voyage was without incident. Father Lasagna
42See Vol. XIV, pp. 226-230. [Editor]

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24
THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
found all the confreres united for their spiritual retreat at Villa Colon,
since it was summer vacation time. He preached the retreat with all the
fervor, piety and genuine Salesian spirit which his recent intimate
contact with the great heart of Don Bosco had renewed within him.
Just before the year ended, Don Bosco joyfully welcomed a visit
from Monsignor Espinosa, who arrived at the Oratory on Christmas
Eve with two traveling companions. Thrilled to personally meet this
true friend of his sons in Argentina, Don Bosco spared no effort to
make his stay in Turin as delightful as possible. The guests also visited
San Benigno, where an entertaining welcome was staged for them. On
January 4 [1882], they resumed their journey to France.
Monsignor Espinosa brought two letters from his archbishop for·
Don Bosco, one in Spanish, the other in Italian, both dated from
Buenos Aires, August 24 [1881]. In Spanish the good archbishop
wrote: "Ask your boys, some of whom I probably remember, to keep
me in their prayers, especially as they give my pilgrims a joyful wel-
come. Remind your priests to pray often for their confreres here; their
numbers are on the rise, and they are achieving great good. The na-
tional legislature is considering authorizing the government to consult
with the Holy Father about redoing diocesan lines. This will set the
stage to establish an apostolic vicariate in Patagonia which will be
entrusted to your zealous missionaries. I sincerely hope that this will
happen, but I have my doubts. Your good sons' prayers can obtain this
grace which will be rich also in temporal benefits, I shall keep you
informed on the matter. The Salesian missionaries and the Daughters of
Mary, Help of Christians in my archdiocese are a great help and com-
fort. I praise the Lord for them, as I thank you and rejoice with you!"
The second letter stated: "One more priest has recently joined the three
who are now in Patagonia because of the vast and fruitful work being
accomplished there. I still recall with deep pleasure the time I spent in
your delightful company in 1877."
A third letter, which Father Costamagna had forwarded, arrived in
Turin at Christmas. It was from Bishop [Innocent] Yerequi, who, even
before assuming charge of his diocese of Montevideo, felt that he had
to open his heart to the superior of the Salesians in South America.
"You should know," he wrote,43 "that the Salesians will always hold a
43Letter to Father Costamagna, Montevideo, November 29, 1881. [Author]

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Missions, Missionaries and Two Expeditions
25
very special place in my heart, and I shall always do all I can for them
so that the number of such excellent workers and the fruit of their
labors may be multiplied. Please be open and confide in me, and let me
know whatever I can do to help them; within my own limitations, they
can always count on me as a staunch friend. It was but an involuntary
oversight on my part that I did not thank you for having enrolled me as
a Salesian cooperator. I make amends by now expressing my deepest
gratitude."
Such warm-hearted, authentic testimonials served to underscore
what the Holy Father had asserted in the above-mentioned encyclical. 44
The turmoil of 1881 ended on this note of tender comfort for Don
Bosco. With a few drops of sweetness Divine Providence was easing
the bitterness of the cup he would still have to drink.
44See pp. If. [Editor]

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CHAPTER 2
A Month and a Half in France
THE Salesians were very anxiously awaiting Don Bosco at
Marseille not only because of the turmoil of the previous year, 1 but also
because the new buildings under construction entailed ever mounting
debts and arrangements had to be finalized without delay. Several times
before, his plans to go to Marseille had been thwarted by unforeseen
circumstances, but finally in his Christmas greetings to the community
he was able to write that he would visit them at the beginning of
February. Of course, that did not mean that the government authorities
could not pull a quick surprise, for the anticlerical newspapers had by
no means called a truce to their attacks against religious congregations.
However, his friends kept reassuring each other, "Don Bosco is on his
way with the powerful support of His Holiness for St. Leo's Oratory. '' 2
Leaving Genoa overland a day before his missionaries sailed from
port, he arrived in Marseille the evening of February 5 after a short rest
at Nice. He brought with him the prefect general of studies, Father
Celestine Durando,3 to check out and finalize the school curriculum,
and a cleric from San Benigno, Jules Reimbeau, a relative of the
Harmels,4 to be his secretary.
The very evening of his arrival he wished to do a work of mercy. We
have already mentioned the well-known Regular of the Lateran, Father
Pio Mortara. 5 The government's decrees closing down religious orders,
which went into effect on October 31, 1880, had surprised him as he
1The religious persecution. See Vol. XN, pp. 475-493. [Editor]
2Minutes of the Ladies' Committee, January 27, 1881. [Author]
3See Appendix 1. [Editor]
4Salesian benefactors. [Editor]
5See Vol. XIV, p. 202. At baptism his first name "Edgar" had been changed to "Pio." See
also Vol. VIII, pp. 268f. [Editor]
26

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A Month and a Half in France
27
was seriously ill in Marseille at the College of St. Louis, which was run
by the Brothers Hospitallers of St. John of God. The canon had no
place to hide, since his presence in their house might jeopardize the
brothers. Providence inspired the deeply religious Madame Mar-
coselles, whom he had known in Rome back in 1869, to offer him
asylum in her own home in Rue de Rome. While staying there, his
condition worsened and he had to keep to his bed. In the interest of his
safety, it was felt necessary to keep his presence a secret, lest he suffer
harassment in those sinister days, and also because, as we have stated,
he had been accused of evading military service in Italy. Father
Bologna, the Salesian director, secretly visited him; nobody in the
Salesian house knew about this.
Told that the sick man had asked to see him, Don Bosco immediately
set out to satisfy his request, since it was evening and this helped make
it all the easier to avoid detection. Postponing the visit might have
prevented Don Bosco from going at all or from going without attracting
attention. Father Mortara describes the visit as follows: 6
Father Bologna, my dear friend and director of St. Leo's Oratory, who used
to bring me in generous measure the spiritual comfort I so badly needed, told
me that Don Bosco was in Marseille. I voiced my eagerness to see him,
hoping that he might obtain my recovery. Well, one day, February 5 to be
exact, the revered priest came. I requested his blessing and begged him to
intercede for me to God, that I might obtain the grace of health I desired and,
working for His greater glory, might convert my dear mother (who sadly
passed away on October 17, 1896). In reply he exhorted me to be patiently
resigned and to offer God the sacrifice of my life, should He so wish. As for
my mother, he said my prayers would be more efficacious in heaven. He again
blessed me and left. I never saw Don Bosco again and some years later heard
that he had died in the reputation of holiness. A well-founded hope assures me
that this man of God who so helped me in life will continue to bless and pray
for me in that heavenly glory which certainly awaited him.
Referring to this visit, in a letter he wrote to Don Bosco in 1884, he
stated:
When you honored me by your visit at the home of the Marcoselles family
in Marseille, you told me that Our Lord might suspend the death sentence
6Letter to Father Lemoyne, 1898. We have no further information, since we were unable to
trace the original and have only this copy, made by Father Lemoyne himself. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
which had already been pronounced upon me. It was indeed suspended,
thanks to you. Now heaven help me if I do not dedicate whatever life still
remains to me to building up, defending and spreading the mystical kingdom
of God.
St. Leo's Oratory, Don Bosco found, had been entirely transformed
and expanded four times its size. To avoid any kind of dangerous
publicity, his coming was not publicized in any way; yet just two days
after his arrival, people of every walk of life started flocking at all
hours to the house. It was obvious that such a routine would exhaust
him, and so the director asked Father Rua to have the boys pray for him
lest the impending exertion prove too much for him. Many people
asked for his picture. One well-deserving gentleman, who had invited
him to dinner, managed to persuade him to sit for a photograph in the
usual French clerical sash and rabat. Knowing how rarely one suc-
ceeded in faithfully capturing his mien, he took photos of him in five
different poses. 7 Don Bosco himself gave some information about his
daily activities in a short letter to his regular secretary, Father Berto,8
who had stayed behind at the Oratory.
My dear Father Berto:
Marseille, February 10, 1881
If you can get a copy of Father Pirro's dispensation from vows, please send
it to me because I need it.
Our matters are getting on well, but I badly need prayers; tell that to
Caroglio9 and his bandits. I have received no further news of the Oratory.
My health is good, but I am very, very tired.
May God make you as good as Job. Love me in Jesus Christ.
Yours affectionately,
Fr. John Bosco
From a letter to Father Bonetti on the same date, we learn that
throughout his journey his thoughts were with the Church of the Sacred
Heart; in fact, he enclosed the draft of three circulars, to which we
7Letter from Father Bologna to Father Rua, Marseille, February 9, 1881. [Author]
8See Appendix 1. [Editor]
9Father Martin Caroglio, now [1934] at Caracas in Venezuela, was then a student at the
Oratory. His "bandits" were his good friends, the altar boys. [Author]

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29
shall refer later, copies of which he was to send to the newspapers, the
bishops and the team captains of the fund drive.
My dear Father Bonetti:
Marseille, February 10, 1881
I don't know if you received a report on our missionaries' stopover and
departure from Marseille; it would make excellent material for our Bollettino
[Salesiano].
I enclose a letter for the newspapers and one for the bishops, both in the
Italian original and in a French translation by Reimbeau. Read, correct and
mail it; have it translated also in other languages. It might be well to insert a
phrase in the letter to be sent to the team captains, something like: "They are
requested to send in all money they have collected from the faithful every
three-shall we say weeks-or months?"
Things are moving along nicely; prayers are badly needed.
God bless us all. Believe me to be
Yours affectionately in Jesus Christ,
Fr. John Bosco
Father Guiol was most cordial toward Don Bosco; indeed, we might
say that he completely forgot the unfortunate episode which we nar-
rated in the previous volume. 10 But we must not forget that Don Bosco
had made a very fortunate decision in choosing the cleric [John Bap-
tist] Grosso11 as choirmaster for the parish church. Though still quite
young, he had won Canon Guiol's unlimited support.
The ladies' sodality, which longed to have Don Bosco preside at one
of their meetings, was delighted to welcome him on February 12. Two
of the members could not share this rare pleasure, but the minutes
assure us: "They will certainly receive the benefits of Don Bosco's
prayers and blessings to compensate for their sacrifice."
First the minutes of the sodality's activities in 1880 were read; the
money they had collected amounted to twenty thousand francs. Then
they drew up the program for the feast of St. Francis de Sales which
was to be celebrated on February 16. Finally Don Bosco spoke in his
own inimitable French which had a charm of its own. The minutes give
us the following extended summary of his speech:
10See Vol. XIV, pp. 311-314. [Editor]
nsee Appendix 1. [Editor]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
I have come with gratitude to recommend my poor boys to you, but above
all to thank you dear ladies for your charity. It is so good to meet women who
put aside their own comfort to solicit donations from door to door for a worthy
cause. I do not even venture to praise you, lest I offend your modesty, but I
give thanks to God whose instruments we all are and in whose work we are all
engaged.
I cannot help but say with joy that what you have done in these past two
years is truly providential. The right wing of our building in now completed,
and the house accommodates one hundred and fifty boarders and sixty day
students; unfortunately, we still have to tum down many boys, some five
thousand since the oratory first began. This tells us how badly needed this
institute is. There are not many boys' boarding schools, and their strict en-
trance regulations close the door to many. But here at St. Leo's, the sole
requirement is that a boy be at either material or spiritual risk, and he is
immediately admitted. Once the new left wing has been completed we shall be
able to increase the enrollment to three hundred.
We should expand and buy a neighboring house whose windows open out
upon the playground with some annoyance to me. We could make it the
residence of the Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians, whom we scheduled
to come. Their only contact with the school then would be a doorway to the
linen room, the laundry and the wardrobe. It would be easy to adapt the house
to this purpose and thus eliminate a nuisance. But we need money to purchase
the house. It would seem that Divine Providence wants us to have it, since the
asking price has gradually been dropping, so much so that now we can buy it
for forty-five thousand francs.
Divine Providence wants this work and will provide what we need. When I
say Divine Providence, I mean God. Since God wants it, He will give us what
we need to do it. Anyone doing a particular job is entitled to means, and we
know that they will come. We are the instruments of Divine Providence, and
this year Divine Providence and Mary, Help of Christians have manifestly
protected us.
We would also like to make another purchase, a parcel of land of four or
five acres in this part of the town, which would be excellent for a Sunday
oratory for the religious instructions and moral protection of boys who work at
different jobs during the week. This would keep them apart from lads who
daily attend the oratory. This setup would be similar to that in Turin, which has
proved very beneficial, drawing some three thousand boys.
This project would cost about the same. I request your prayers rather than
direct donations, since your charity is not unlimited, but I urge you to contrib-
ute information and recommendations which might help us raise the money.
There will also be the cost of furnishing the house, providing for linen and

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A Month and a Half in France
31
things the boys will need, but we shall do this little by little, 12 as Father Guiol
would say!
We still have a debt of almost twelve thousand francs for housekeeping but
this is not so pressing. The real problem is that the building contractors have
presented their bills to me and are demanding payment of one hundred and
twenty thousand francs, which we still owe on the recent construction.
But let us face all these obstacles and crushing debts undismayed. Of course
we need money, but I trust in Divine Providence and have no doubt that God
will help us, though just now where that help will come from, I cannot really
say.
Let me tell you something I have never said before: our faith is solid as long
as we do not prove unworthy. I hope this will never happen. We shall be doing
God's work if we maintain piety and morality in our school. Once these are
neglected, we shall no longer be engaged in God's work. But this will not
happen, nor shall we become unworthy of Divine Providence's help.
Don Bosco went on to tell them about the origin, aim and develop-
ment of the Sons of Mary Program for late vocations. He mentioned the
exceptional interest shown in it by the Holy Father, and then went on to
say:
When I went to Rome last year, the Supreme Pontiff, deeply hurt by the
confiscation of properties of the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith,
was concerned about making up for it by transferring the missionary semi-
naries elsewhere. Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego, an area pretty much the size
of all Europe, have never heard of the Gospel; Franciscans, Jesuits and Do-
minicans were never able to penetrate those lands or, if they did, had to give
up their efforts. But now the hour of mercy has sounded for those peoples;
they are accepting God's word, and it works wonders. Our Holy Father has
also decided to set up an apostolic vicariate and prefecture there. However,
what would really be more effective is the sending of many missionaries there.
Precisely to achieve that, the Pope expressed his wish of founding a seminary
for the training of evangelical laborers. Seville is a possible choice for a
missionary novitiate, since Spanish is the language of the nations where the
missionaries would work.
We also tried to establish a similar seminary in France, but the problem was
that none of the possible locations were as centrally located and as feasible as
12Don Bosco knew that his ungrammatical peu pur Joie, "little by little," was jokingly and
congenially received by the ladies. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
this your city. "I have faith in Marseille," the Holy Father said, "for piety and
charity reign there. See if you can find people willing to sponsor this project,
and tell them that they will be helping neither you nor me, but the Church."
The apprehension arose that bishops, who are themselves facing the prob-
lem of scarcity of priests, might object to see vocations, so few and far
between, snatched from them for the missions. The Pope considered that and
so did Don Bosco. However, the Sons of Mary Program does not raise this
problem. Young men with a calling to the priesthood do their preliminary
studies and after that are entirely free to choose between entering a religious
order or returning to their respective dioceses. There are now thirty-two such
seminaries here in Marseille, but we have prudently scattered them through
our different houses, like La Navarre and elsewhere. We cherish good hopes
of vocations in some three hundred French young men, without counting the
five hundred boys at the Oratory in Turin. To all appearances and for public
knowledge, the Sons of Mary Program fosters the education of poor boys and
the training of young artisans in well-equipped workshops. However, its chief
aim is to discover the seeds of priestly vocations among the boys and cultivate
them.
These matters will not be brought up at the general meeting, so as not to
divulge before a large audience projects which the sad times we live in counsel
that we had better keep secret. But they should, by all means, stimulate your
zeal, since they bring out the grandeur and importance of our goals.
These good ladies were quite enchanted by Don Bosco's simple
trusting faith and pledged their best efforts to help raise funds to
further his pious designs. The meeting made a deep and lasting impres-
sion on all. Before closing, Father Guiol prevailed upon Don Bosco to
give them his blessing, assuring him how much they would appreciate
it. With his unalterable kindness, Don Bosco blessed them, but stated
clearly that this was the blessing which the Holy Father had expressly
asked him to give them.
Events show that Don Bosco's trust in Divine Providence was not in
vain, for, as we learn from the minutes of the March meeting, enough
donations came in to reduce the more weighty debt considerably, first
by twenty thousand francs, then by another contribution, and, two
months later, by another donation equal to the first one. The outstand-
ing debt was cut by half. But the committee was so anxious to free Don
Bosco from this nightmare of contractors pressing him for payment,
which, they imagined, robbed him of his sleep, that they planned an

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33
extraordinary fund drive directed to industrialists who employed a
sizable number of Piedmontese workers and to the workers' families
themselves. To help out with their first drive they appealed to the men's
committee, headed by Monsieur Rostand.
Morning and evening Don Bosco gave himself no respite from au-
diences; he was practically voiceless, and fatigue threatened to pros-
trate him entirely. Finally, on the morning of February 14 he had to
state that he could not receive anybody. However, there were always
exceptions even then-a sickly nun, the chairman of some agency or
other, some distinguished gentleman who had a previous appointment,
a neurotic woman crouched in a comer who suddenly sprang toward
him with shrieks. They were all received in tum and kept him going till
noon. By then he had reached the limit of his strength, and he felt that a
heavy weight was pressing upon his chest, drawing the bystanders'
compassion. To avoid further exertion that afternoon, he locked him-
self in his room and emerged only toward evening because he had an
out-of-town engagement. An hour's tortuous coach ride brought him to
his destination, where he was again obliged to speak, and he got back
home at ten that night, completely drained of all strength, with the
prospect of having to face another day, with its tide of disappointed
visitors renewing their insistence with greater vigor. Some people kept
coming back for three days in succession to get an audience. Worse
still, a mountain of mail waiting to be answered was piling up on his
desk.
Predictably, the morning of February 15 saw not just a series of
visits, but a veritable avalanche as no less than sixty people clamored
for an audience. Pleading Don Bosco's indisposition and saying he
could not have visitors was useless; no one budged. Weary of waiting,
the more daring ones seized the first opportunity when no one was
watching to dash up to the next floor and knock on his door. He had
locked himself in, and, not knowing who it might be, opened the door.
It was an unfortunate move. They all burst into his room! Realizing his
blunder, he snatched up his pen and the notebook in which he had been
writing and slipped into the adjoining room, Father Durando's, but they
pursued him even there. When finally the director and other confreres
came to his rescue, they had an indescribable time clearing the area.
Exhausted, ill, and practically voiceless, he saw no other way to escape
than to take refuge with the parish priest of St. Joseph's, Father Guiol.

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
There he rested until five that afternoon, recuperating enough strength
to face the next two hectic days awaiting him.
The feast of St. Francis de Sales had been postponed to February 16
so that he might be present. The bishop, wishing publicly to show his
good will to St. Leo's Oratory, 13 chose to celebrate the community
Mass and deliver a brief eulogy of its patron saint, giving Holy Com-
munion to a large congregation consisting also of townspeople. Father
Guerin, an outstanding speaker, pronounced the panegyric. There was
much ado that day at St. Leo's to the late hours of the night and much
joy, but not a moment of peace for Don Bosco.
February 17 was Salesian Cooperators' Day; Marseille had an enroll-
ment of nine hundred. Others came from neighboring areas, a few even
from as far as Toulon. Archbishop [Theodore] Forcade of Aix presided
at the meeting. Father Mendre gave a report on the situation of St.
Leo's Oratory and then Don Bosco took the floor. At times, his simple,
tender manner of speaking moved his listeners to tears. Father [Louis]
Mendre writes: "Don Bosco speaks French haltingly but, even in this,
Divine Providence, whose adorable name he pronounces with such
reverence that all hearts are instantly touched, comes most wondrously
to his aid. It is a rare occurrence with a French audience, but his
listeners forget to smile instinctively at his faulty expressions, so intent
are they on listening to him, quite enthralled by the charm of his
speech, which obviously draws its power from heaven. " 14
Finally, the archbishop of Aix, graciously accepting Don Bosco's
invitation, closed the meeting with a few fatherly words, climaxing his
talk with: "The Salesians, whose peaceful conquests have excelled
those of Alexander, Caesar and Napoleon, have abundantly confirmed
the truth that the Church alone is the mother of the poor and of the
young. The gentle figure of Don Bosco has none of the traits of a
conqueror, and his priestly ranks do not at all inspire the fear aroused
by those great leaders' armies; yet God is with Don Bosco, and this is
the secret of his success. ''
At the chapel door alone, where Don Bosco stood with plate in
hand, he received two thousand francs, but more contributions came
later. The animating spirit behind the whole occasion was Canon
Guiol, and on the following Sunday Don Bosco publicly expressed his
13Minutes of the Ladies' Committee, February 12, 1881. [Author]
14This was written by Father Mend.re in a publication to which we shall soon refer. [Author]

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deep gratitude to him. Requested to preside at a pious devotion held
every third Sunday of the month in honor of the Most Holy Trinity, he
agreed and at the proper time began his sermon by saying, "Even were
I bold enough to refuse a king's request, gratitude would never allow
me to say no to the parish priest of St. Joseph's."
The spacious church presented a magnificent scene that evening,
with a full congregation who used to flock to hear the renowned orators
that succeeded each other in the pulpit of St. Joseph's. Don Bosco's
topic was the "manna," symbol of the Eucharist, and our obligations
[to this august mystery]. Concerning this sermon too Father Mendre
wrote, ''His listeners gave no thought to eloquence, but paid full atten-
tion to the word of God. Indeed, certain language slips even seemed to
enhance that thoroughly apostolic sermon. I wish the same success to
all who have the honor of stepping into that sacred pulpit."
Father Mendre's report to the Salesian cooperators, published along
with other writings of his about St. Leo's Oratory, constitutes an inter-
esting monograph, 15 in three parts.
The first part gives a concise account of the feast of St. Francis de
Sales; the second is a detailed report on the meeting with introductory
and concluding comments. After a thorough narration of the two com-
mittees' admirable work, Father Mendre continues: "While these peo-
ple work outside, what is going on inside St. Leo's? ... Let us cross
the threshold of that blessed home and most respectfully greet the one
who in our midst is Don Bosco's envoy, his representative. He came
here among us, a worker from the first hour, a humble, tireless man,
ready for every sacrifice demanded by the unexpected and speedy
growth of this work of ours, always up to his duties, a model of
unselfishness to all. Consider the exceptional achievements reached in
but a few months and most of all give praise to God." Then, after
running through the oratory's current history and gazing into the fu-
ture, he reflected: "We will not dare indiscreetly to peek into the
intimacy existing between Divine Providence and our revered Don
Bosco. Wonderful successes we have already seen and doubtless shall
see again." Launch out into the deep was his concluding exhortation.
150ratoire Saint-Leon, Fete de Saint-Franfois de Sales et compte tendu de l' annee 1880,
Marseille. The above quotations were taken from this anonymous publication. Other information
was gathered from letters written by the cleric Reimbeau and by Father Bologna, as well as from
the April issue of the Bulletin Salesien. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
The third part of Father Mendre's publication was a defense of St.
Leo's Oratory; it was addressed to the Italian consul general [Hannibal]
Strambio, though directed at the department's prefect to refute certain
accusations aimed against the house by prejudicial Marseille news-
papers at the end of 1880. 16 Basing himself on a voluminous, slan-
derous report, the prefect had filed very serious complaints against the
Salesians with the consul. Had there been any truth in them, they
would most certainly deserve the severest penalties of the law against
foreigners who proved unworthy of French hospitality. Strambio confi-
dentially informed the Salesians of the charges. Though the Salesians
had deemed it beneath their dignity to heed such base accusations, they
realized that they could no longer ignore them, not only because they
had to counteract the influence these malicious rumors might exert but
also out of regard for the consul himself. This gentleman, both because
he was very fond of Don Bosco ever since their school days and
because he felt a legitimate national pride in viewing the progress and
great promise that St. Leo's Oratory offered, held it particularly dear
and did his best to support it. He therefore felt terribly embarrassed
before the French authorities at that storm of accusations against the
oratory, and this was an added reason for the Salesians to put matters
straight. It was Father Mendre who therefore took on the task himself,
and he did it masterfully. Don Bosco had read his manuscript back in
November, as we see from the following letter which came to our
attention after the publication of Volume XIV of these memoirs.
My dear Father Mendre:
Turin, November 25, 1880
You could not have better expressed my thoughts than in the statement you
so kindly let me read. Yes, ask Consul Strambio to publish it if he judges it
advisable.
I blundered! Instead of jotting down a few additional items on a separate
sheet of paper for possible publication, I wrote them in the margin of your own
copy. Do what you think is best.
You might also add that our schools in Italy, especially in Turin, very often
took in poor, homeless French lads who were sent to us and that we were asked
to set up similar homes in France to obviate traveling costs and the need to
change customs and manners of living.
16See Vol. XIV, p. 489. [Editor]

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I am most pleased to know that peace and harmony still hold between the
parish and St. Leo's Hospice and Oratory. I have good reason to hope that
these bonds of love will continue to strengthen. If charity is always needed, it
is much more so now.
If you think I can do something from here, just let me know, and I shall
comply faithfully with your suggestions.
God reward you for the assistance and help you give our Congregation.
Once the storm has passed, what a rousing hymn of thanksgiving we shall
raise! God bless you, my ever dear and worthy Father Mendre, and may He
keep you in good health. Please offer my humble respects to our parish priest
and to Father Bologna. Pray for me, who am always in deepest esteem and
gratitude,
Yours affectionately in Jesus Christ,
Fr. John Bosco
P. S. It might also be wise to point out that we are not more than a pious non-
profit organization caring for poor, endangered youth. My concern to get your
statement off to you by return mail does not give me time to make a copy.
Father Bologna may make one for me. The three letters already sent to the
consul are also quite to the point.
I shall write to our good Father Guiol very soon.
During his stay in Marseille Don Bosco told Father Guiol, half in
earnest and half in jest, what he had seen in a dream shortly before
coming to France, perhaps toward the end of 1880. 17 Father Guiol was
firmly convinced of the need to have a summer house where St. Leo's
boys could go during the hot season. Don Bosco agreed and even
added that it should be furnished so as to serve as a novitiate as well.
"As for the house itself," he stated, "I already have one in mind. It is a
spacious building in a wholesome locality, surrounded by a pine grove,
its access road lined on both sides with gorgeous plane-trees. The
entire property is crossed by a teeming brook. '' Father Guiol, knowing
full well that Don Bosco owned nothing in Marseille and leased noth-
ing more than the school building, could not help fearing that he was
suddenly losing his mind and, with a certain tremor in his voice, asked
him where this estate of his might be.
"I have no idea where it is," Don Bosco answered, "but I am sure it
is there and that it is in the neighborhood of Marseille."
111n a letter to Canon Guiol in October 1883 Don Bosco wrote: "Three years ago." [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
"How odd!" the parish priest replied. "How can you know such a
house exists and that it is meant for you?"
"I know, because I dreamed about it."
"What did you dream?"
"I saw the house, the trees, the farm, and brook just as I told you,
and moreover I also saw boys running about and playing along the
access roads. ''
Whenever Canon Guiol heard Don Bosco speak of dreams, he did
not regard him at all as a visionary, and so he took his words seriously
and bore them well in mind. He waited to see what would happen. Not
long after, some benefactors offered Don Bosco a house to suit the
above purpose, but Don Bosco declined it, thanking them yet saying
that it was not the one he was looking for. Some years went by with no
sign that his words would come true. Each time Don Bosco and Father
Guiol met, they resumed their discussion of the famous summer home
which was to be converted into a novitiate and Father Guiol would
begin to joke about it amicably.
But Don Bosco was talking about it also to others. In fact, he spoke
of it to the cleric [Louis] Cartier18 in September 1882. While traveling
from Marseille to San Benigno to be ordained a sub-deacon, the cleric
stopped off at Nice, where Don Bosco was directing the Salesians'
spiritual retreat, and in the course of a long chat they had, Don Bosco
told him, "We shall have a large house somewhere around Marseille,
and there we shall set up a novitiate and a house of philosophy. You
will be sent there, but not in the first year, because you will be needed
as a teacher at St. Leo's. However, you will commute to teach until you
will be permanently assigned there."
It was common belief in Marseille that the dream house might well
be the summer home of Madame Broquier, not far from Aubagne. In
fact, Don Bosco himself, misled by inaccurate descriptions, was in-
clined to believe so himself and wrote to the good lady, asking her to let
him either buy it or rent it. He sent the letter to Father Bologna to bring
to her, but since the letter described the villa that Don Bosco had in
mind, the good lady could make no sense of his request, and Father
Bologna realized that Don Bosco had been mistaken.
A second offer was made in 1883 by Madame Pastre, a rich Parisian
issee Appendix 1. [Editor]

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39
widow whose daughter had been cured by Don Bosco. She spoke of
renting a villa she owned near Sainte-Marguerite, not far from Mar-
seille. But, for reasons of his own, without even inquiring about the
condition of the house, Don Bosco declined the offer. Some months
later, Father Bologna wrote that the woman was still pressing her offer
and begging him to accept. Don Bosco replied by asking if it had a
pine grove, plane-trees and a brook; if it had, all well and good,
otherwise, no. Father Bologna went to see it and reported that there
were hundreds of pines and avenues of plane-trees with a stream run-
ning through the estate. So he consented to lease the house at Sainte-
Marguerite for a period of fifteen years, establishing a novitiate there in
1888 under the name of La Providence. Father Guiol, who saw it for
the first time with Don Bosco in 1884, was astonished to realize that
everything corresponded exactly to what Don Bosco had repeatedly
told him he had seen in his dream.
In 1921, Father [Paul] Albera, 19 superior general, was told by a
doctor at Allevard-les-Bains the following account of an extraordinary
event which most probably took place that same year [1881]. He imme-
diately passed it on to his fellow Salesians at Marseille on February 7.
A gentleman of that city, a certain Guerin, was suffering from tuber-
culosis of the bone in one leg. Scraping the bone had brought no relief,
and the physicians, judging his case incurable, told him to keep the
sore always open for proper drainage. A devout Christian, the patient
had but one desire-to do always and everywhere God's will. An
acquaintance of his, who was living in Rue St. Jacques, suggested that
he visit Don Bosco, not so much to ask for a miraculous cure as to seek
some spiritual comfort from his words. He agreed, was granted an
audience, and voiced his holy desire of bearing his cross patiently for
God's love. Don Bosco gave him encouragement and a blessing.
The sick man lived on Avenue de Meilhan, too long a walk from St.
Leo's for him in his condition, and so he decided to take the trolley at
the comer of Rue Paradis and Rue St. Jacques. Since the car was late,
he began to walk slowly toward the Exchange, meaning to take the first
car passing that way, but none came. After a futile wait, he very slowly
began to head toward La Canebiere, hoping to find a trolley, but even
19/bid. [Editor]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
there he found none, nor did he on Rue Noailles. Step by step, almost
imperceptibly he arrived home.
Usually he was obliged to retire early and have his supper in bed, but
that evening, paying no heed to the family's protests, he began to attend
to some business matters and stayed up until it was time for supper.
Since he felt no pain on finishing his work, he sat at table with his
family and later went to bed. As he removed the bandage to put on a
new one, he noticed that the sore had completely disappeared, with not
even a trace of a scar. Although Don Bosco had not been asked for a
cure, he had worked the miracle.
A house close to St. Leo's had been readied as a residence for the
Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians, but their arrival had to be
postponed because of the house's dampness and other problems. Mean-
while Don Bosco blessed the residence in a very private ceremony to
which not even the ladies' committee had been invited. They felt rather
slighted because at several of their meetings they had given serious
thought to providing for the new community. At their meeting of
March 3, Father Guiol explained that two reasons had dictated that
course of action. First, it would have been unwise to draw public
attention just then to a second religious community; furthermore, in
those last few days of his stay at St. Leo's Don Bosco could not be
reached because of the crowds of visitors, so that Father Guiol had
been unable to set a day and hour and make arrangements with him for
the ceremony. His explanation put them at ease.
Certainly one could never be too prudent in the face of the events
related in Volume XIV; on the other hand, it was a fact that St. Leo's
was steadily gaining more support among the good people of Mar-
seille. Hence the men's committee felt that it had everything to gain by
publicizing the institute, and so, even during Don Bosco's stay, they
approved of the publishing of Father Mendre's statement, to which we
have already referred.
We have no further details of interest to tell of this visit of Don
Bosco to Marseille. It was probably sometime in this period that a
generous benefactress, Madame Prat-Noilly, expressed her disappoint-
ment to him. She had two married sons and a daughter, and their life-
style deeply grieved her; she had asked him to pray that they might
change their lives. Don Bosco had promised to remember them and
had held out good hopes for their conversion. However, seeing no

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41
improvement, the mother complained to Don Bosco, who very humbly
replied, "Yes, the fault is mine, because I have not prayed enough."
The following episode, even if it does not belong to this particular
year, but to another in this period, shows the importance Don Bosco
attached to music in the festive oratories. While in Marseille he was
visited by a religious who had opened a festive oratory in a town of
France and who asked whether he approved of music as an attraction
for the boys. His visitor believed that it could be beneficial and he
mentioned advantages that could .stem from it. Don Bosco listened
with evident approval and commented, "An oratory without music is a
body without a soul. '' However, his visitor feared some serious draw-
backs: dissipation, and the danger that the boys might perform in
theaters, restaurants, dance halls or during demonstrations. Don Bosco
listened silently and then determinedly repeated his words, "Which is
better, to be or not to be? A Sunday oratory without music is a body
without a soul."
An extraordinary healing marked his departure from Marseille. The
account is preserved in a testimony drawn up by the person who both
happened to bring it about and witnessed it.
Mademoiselle Flandrin, seriously ill for a long time, seemed to be at
the point of death. Her mother went daily to St. Leo's to try to get Don
Bosco to visit the young lady, but, for reasons we do not know, Father
Bologna thought that he should not go, and so he spoke of it to Don
Bosco so unenthusiastically that the latter made no move.
Then came the day of his departure. To keep him away from the
crowds who would obviously jam the railroad station in Marseille to
see him off, arrangements were made, as had been done the year
before, to drive him to Aubagne by carriage. Madame Flandrin made a
last-minute effort, going to Father Mendre this time and imploring him
to use all his influence in persuading Don Bosco to visit her daughter.
Father Mendre, who knew the woman only by sight from having seen
her so many times at St. Leo's, could not refuse her tearful plea and
promised that, since it was his good fortune to accompany Don Bosco
to Aubagne, he would make sure that the coach would make a detour to
her home, where her daughter lay sick, and he would beg Don Bosco's
pardon for his boldness and ask him to see the young woman.
It was dusk when they left. Father Mendre, positive that Don Bosco
did not know the road, was startled to hear him exclaim, "I think we

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
are going the wrong way," just as the coachman took the detour which
Father Mendre had secretly told him to take. Only Father Mendre knew
the reason for this change of direction. Avoiding a direct response to
the comment, he merely remarked, "You are in my care now, Father.
Just leave it to me, and I shall certainly get you to your destination."
Don Bosco kept quiet. When the coach stopped at Madame
Flandrin's door, he did not refuse Father Mendre's request. While the
latter waited in an adjacent room, Don Bosco was escorted to the sick
girl's room by her mother.
For two weeks the poor young woman's throat had been so inflamed
that she had not been able to swallow anything and had been fed
intravenously; furthermore, she was burning with thirst. Her father, a
government worker, had gone to the office that morning, leaving the
house in the certainty that his daughter would be dead on his return;
just a few days earlier she had been anointed.
As he approached her bedside, Don Bosco asked her, "Would you
like a little water to drink?"
"She cannot swallow," the mother promptly replied.
"Let us pray," Don Bosco said.
They knelt in prayer for a few moments, and then Don Bosco
blessed the girl, saying, "And now drink." With no discomfort she
began to sip some water, and as she did so, she felt new life flowing
through her body. Finally, putting down the glass, she exclaimed, "I
am healed!''
Bedlam broke loose, with people shouting, weeping, running madly
here and there. Father Mendre, dashing into the bedroom, bumped into
Don Bosco who was on his way out, calm and smiling. He went
straight to the coach, followed by his dumbfounded traveling
companion.
The dying girl got up, dressed herself, and walked out to the porch to
await her father's return from work. On hearing his footsteps, she
rushed toward him, flinging her arms about his neck. "I am cured,
papa!" she cried. "Don Bosco cured me!" Stunned, the poor man
staggered and collapsed. The doctor, who was called in haste, had a
hard time rousing him to consciousness, while the daughter helped her
mother in giving whatever assistance they could offer.
Meanwhile the two travelers were well on their way. Back in the
coach, Father Mendre merely squeezed Don Bosco's arm and told him,
"Now, Father, you certainly can't say that it is not Don Bosco who

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43
performs miracles!" Very simply and calmly Don Bosco replied,
"Blessed be God! Blessed be God!" Realizing it would be indiscreet
on his part to press the point, Father Mendre said nothing more until
they reached Aubagne.
The girl's recovery was so complete that on March 4 she wrote a
letter to Don Bosco and, not knowing his address, sent it to Father
Bologna with a note: "Let us all give thanks to Mary, Help of Chris-
tians for the miraculous healing granted me, a poor, undeserving sin-
ner. Pray that I may grow in virtue and in devotion to Her. I wish to
have a Mass of thanksgiving celebrated in honor of our gracious
Mother. Please set a day this coming week for this Mass, but not too
early, please, because we live pretty far from you. Please let me know a
day or so in advance, that I may prepare to receive Holy Communion
and notify several girlfriends of mine. "
We have not been able to ascertain just what day Don Bosco left
Marseille, probably February 25, for on Sunday, February 27, he was
already at Count Villeneuve's chateau at Roquefort after a brief stay at
Aubagne. From Roquefort he wrote to Father Bologna in French:
My dear Father Bologna,
Roquefort, February 27, 1881
I have left. We got many things done in Aubagne; now I am at Roquefort,
where I shall rest for a day. Tomorrow, God willing, I go on to Saint-Cyr.
1. Meanwhile tell the boys I was much impressed by their good will and
piety and hope that they will keep making further progress. Let them strive to
break the devil's horns with the twin hammers of confession and Holy
Communion.
2. I took leave of our confreres with real satisfaction, for I could see in their
faces genuine good will to be true Salesians: with wisdom in their speech and
light in their deeds. God be blessed! Courage and perseverance.
3. In the midst of my papers I found six hundred francs; if you are in
desperate straits I shall add to them and send you a thousand. However, if you
can manage without it, I shall give the money to Father Ghivarello,20 who is as
anxious for it as were the Hebrews for the manna in the desert.
For your information, I am writing to Madame Jacques. In case of an
emergency, you may ask her to advance you about five thousand francs. She
will shortly make them available to you in her charity.
20Director at Saint-Cyr. See Appendix 1. [Editor]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
Offer my apologies to Madame Brouquier, from whom I had to take leave
abruptly to go to Aubagne, where I found everyone waiting in church for me
to speak to the cooperators.
All went well, praised be God.
4. Slip the enclosed notes into envelopes and forward them to the
addressees.
May God bless us and keep us in His holy grace! Pray for me.
Always your friend in Jesus Christ,
Fr. John Bosco
On the same day he wrote an account of his journey to Cardinal Nina
hoping that it would strengthen his repeated requests for the usual
privileges granted to approved religious congregations.
Your Eminence:
Roquefort, February 27, 1881
I spent three weeks in Marseille and managed to raise the funds needed to
stabilize our St. Leo's Oratory. Over two hundred and fifty boys attend, a
hundred of whom are seminary students for our missions in South America,
Patagonia in particular. I am now taking stock and paying off the debts of the
other houses; hopefully I shall also be able to bring the Holy Father a dona-
tion. God willing, I expect to be in Rome by the end of this coming March. It
is essential, however, that the Holy Father restore the privileges he took from
us,21 for they are indispensable and are the prerogatives of all other congrega-
tions definitely approved by the Holy See.
We are already holding services in our new school's church in Marseille.
The diocesan bishop celebrated the Mass on the feast of St. Francis de Sales,
while the archbishop of Aix presided at the cooperators' meeting. There was a
great turnout. The collection brought in more than three thousand francs.
Saint-Cyr, Toulon, Frejus, Cannes and Nice will all have similar gatherings.
We shall see what God's grace can do.
I commend all our houses to your kind prayers and to your patronage.
Yours most gratefully,
Fr. John Bosco
Canon Bremond, parish priest at La Loubiere in the diocese of
Toulon, passed on to us a striking personal recollection. As an altar boy
21See Chapter 14. [Author]

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45
at the church in Roquefort, he was very lucky to serve Don Bosco's
Mass, one he had never seen anyone celebrate in that fashion. The
priest's demeanor as he stood at the altar so impressed him that he
could not take his gaze from him, so much so that all through that
Mass, he totally forgot to play marbles on the sanctuary carpet as he
and his partner usually did.
From Roquefort Don Bosco went on to Toulon, where a gathering of
faithful was anxiously waiting for him in the parish church of St.
Mary's. He spoke to an eager congregation. A late news item sent from
Toulon to the province's Catholic daily read:22 "He stepped up to the
pulpit after the Gospel, and his very first words captured his audience.
He is not imposing in stature, and has some problems in expressing
himself in our language. However, his whole appearance is endearing.
He is a miracle worker and, more, he is an apostle of charity, a man
according to God's own heart, a saint."
Apologizing for not speaking French with the elegance of [Jean
Baptist] Massillon or the eloquence of [Jacques-Benigne] Bossuet, he
spoke of the humble beginnings and development of his work, detail-
ing the account of the two nearby houses of Saint-Cyr and La Navarre,
which stood in special need of assistance. "His sermon was delivered
in vibrant language," the above-cited newspaper related, "which was
both forceful and picturesque; even its errors made it more effective."
After his talk, Don Bosco made the rounds of the church to take up a
collection. As he did so, something out of the ordinary occurred.
When he held out the plate to a workman, the latter rudely turned away.
Don Bosco passed him by and softly said, "God bless you." The man
then thrust his hand into his pocket and dropped the equivalent of five
cents in the plate. Looking into his eyes, Don Bosco said, "May God
reward you.'' The man repeated his gesture, this time giving ten cents.
Thereupon Don Bosco told him, "My friend, God reward you even
more!" On hearing this, the man took out his purse and donated a
franc. With a telling glance of tenderness Don Bosco moved on. As
though drawn by a magnet, the man followed him through the church
into the sacristy, and later even into the town, keeping after him until
Don Bosco disappeared from view.
At Toulon also, Mary, Help of Christians glorified Her servant. A
221.a Sentinelle du Midi, March 5, 1881. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
young woman of eighteen who lived on the outskirts of the town was
suffering from a painful liver ailment which did not respond to medica-
tion and treatment. A zealous Salesian cooperator, she had tried to
attend Don Bosco's conference, but her illness, which had worsened
from the beginning of March, forced her to keep to her bed. If I could
at least see Don Bosco, she said to herself, his mere presence might do
me some good! When told of her desire, Don Bosco felt that he should
oblige. Standing by her bedside, he urged her to put all her trust in
Mary, Help of Christians, and gave her a blessing. On leaving he said,
"God grant you good health ... " abruptly leaving his words sus-
pended in the sentence. The mother, fearing that his reticence meant
that her daughter would die, burst into tears but he went on to finish his
words, "... and holiness." He left the house with a reminder to
mother and daughter to place full trust in Mary, Help of Christians.
Their faith was not in vain. A week later, as Don Bosco was holding
another conference in St. Isidore's Church at Sauvebonne, in whose
parish our school at La Navarre was located, the young woman, com-
pletely healed, sat in the congregation, listening to him. 23
Toulon was on the road route to Saint-Cyr and La Navarre. Don
Bosco visited both houses, but we have no account of his visit to Saint-
Cyr and very little information on his visit to La Navarre. Every bit of
space in the house of La Navarre was being used, with the inescapable
result that countless needy boys' requests to be admitted were con-
tinually being turned down. His charity, which looked to Divine Provi-
dence for everything, moved him to think of putting up a building
accommodating at least three hundred boys. He asked for a personal
interview with the architect. The latter came in from Toulon, and Don
Bosco sketched out his overall concept, pressing him to fill in the
details. Three months later Father [Peter] Perrot,24 the director, brought
the plans to Turin for his approval. Don Bosco handed them over to
Father [Anthony] Sala,25 his economer general, and to two eminent city
architects. He approved the plans after receiving their favorable report on
June 26, but not before introducing in his own hand minor modifications
which were followed to the last detail. Work began on December 16.
23Bulletin Salesien, July 1881, p. 12. [Author]
24See Appendix 1. [Editor]
25/bid. [Editor]

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We now follow Don Bosco along the Cote d'Azur. He got to Nice no
later than March 8 or 9, for on March 10, at a meeting of the ladies'
committee, Canon Guiol stated that he had received a very important
letter from him postmarked from that area. We do not possess the
original, but the minutes of that meeting include a French translation
which we offer in English:
I have a moment of respite-Don Bosco wrote-and am using it to do what
I should have done sooner.
First, let nie say that I was somewhat unhappy on leaving Marseille without
having had time to speak with you at length as I wanted to about St. Leo's.
However, it seems that Father Durando left the school in fairly good condition,
thus making it possible for me to give you any needed norms and explanations
by mail. The same apparently holds for discipline and behavior. Everyone
seems to be full of good will.
God continues to bless us everywhere: at Aubagne, Roquefort, Saint-Cyr,
Toulon, Hyeres, and we have every reason to thank Him for His spiritual and
material blessings.
Father Bologna tells me that all the funds I collected while in Marseille have
been used up to pay the contractors, and so he is now penniless and faces
outstanding debts. I have raised fifteen hundred francs which I meant to leave
at La Navarre but am now sending to him to meet his current need. I hope that
the fund drive among the industrialists and working families will balance
matters. Father Bologna also tells me that you loaned him five thousand francs
for the contractors. I hope this too can be adjusted.
How can I thank you and the ladies' and men's committees who are the
mainstay of St. Leo's? Tell them we are indebted to them and that we pray with
all our heart that God may reward them generously in this world and in
eternity.
There is another matter I have never managed to clear up. Many people
maintain that poor Don Bosco obtains special graces from God by his prayers.
This is not true. God blesses our undertakings, favors them and protects them.
However, since we do not have the means to maintain them, He comes to our
aid by granting even extraordinary graces and favors to those who help us
financially. Tell our benefactors this, especially Mademoiselle Rocca, so that
little by little she can put it in the minutes.
I hope to send you more news very soon. Just now I warmly commend
myself to the charity of your prayers. God bless us all and keep us in His holy
grace! Keep poor little me in your prayers.
Always yours in Jesus Christ,
Fr. John Bosco

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
The Salesian cooperators' conference was scheduled for Friday,
March 12. Father Ronchail, overwhelmed by debts, had carefully or-
ganized the day; he owed thirty-six thousand francs just to the firms
supplying the workshops, apart from other obligations, so much so that
Brother Moro, 26 the bookstore manager and purchaser for the house,
dared put in no further orders for anything. One evening Don Bosco
told him as the two were strolling in the courtyard, "Debts are made
and Don Bosco is expected to pay them, but he has no money.'' Then,
clasping his hands as in prayer for a few moments, he went on, "Well!
I shall pray to Our Lady and ask Her to do what She can."
The conference netted Father Ronchail fourteen thousand six hun-
dred francs. Even two Protestant English ladies named Dandas had
helped take up the collection in church. Some days later a French
gentleman came to see Don Bosco and told him that he would like to
do something for St. Pierre's Hospice and that he had sixteen thousand
francs available. Don Bosco thought that the man was offering a loan
and replied that really he was so deeply in debt that he could not refuse
the offer, only he could not foresee when he would ever be able to pay
it back. The gentleman explained that he was not making a loan but a
donation for the hospital. Don Bosco thanked him and suggested,
"Rather than give it to me, give it to Father Ronchail to help him pay
off some of his creditors." The man did so. Within a short time,
according to Brother Moro, other donations poured in, raising the
amount to forty-two thousand francs, though he did not know how
much more came in later.
A few days after Don Bosco's arrival in .Nice the usual surging flood
of visitors began. "Don Bosco!" exclaimed Father Ronchail in a letter
to Father Rua. 27 "It is really impossible to describe the flood of enthu-
siasm his very presence produces. In an endless stream people keep
pouring in from morning to night to see him. . . . Let this suffice to
give you an idea of the high esteem in which our dearly beloved father
is held here and elsewhere."
The following week he stayed four days in Cannes, the guest of an
English Protestant family named Monteiths, which considered itself
highly honored to host him. It was still the resort season in Cannes, a
26Letter from Father Charles Moro to Father Lemoyne. See Vol. XIV, p. 319. [Author]
27Letter to Father Rua, Nice, March 22, 1881. [Author]

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favorite vacation spot in winter for wealthy French and English fruni-
lies, with its delightful beaches. Charity drives were directed to the
seasonal cosmopolitan population for philanthropic causes. That was
why Don Bosco chose to go there. ''Ifhe could have stayed a bit longer
in Cannes," Father Ronchail wrote28 in jest in 1881, "he would have
completely emptied the coffers of those kind, thoughtful people who
came to him every day with their generous offerings. " He returned to
Nice on March 19, a Saturday, to celebrate the feast of St. Joseph,
which was also the name day of Father Ronchail [director of St.
Pierre's Hospice] .
Having still a few frunilies to visit in Cannes, he went back for
another day on May 21. A flock of people attended his Mass. While he
was dining with the Monteiths, a cousin of Mrs. Monteiths, a Protes-
tant, asked him for a blessing and a medal of Our Lady. Throughout
that five-day visit he had the family coach and horses at his disposal at
all times.
His stay in Cannes had been interrupted on the evening of Wednes-
day, March 16, because his friends in Nice had organized a charity
concert for the benefit of Don Bosco's hospice. It was held in the
spacious Paulliani Hall of the Catholic Club; artists of repute gave an
excellent program in exquisite taste before a very select audience, such
as only Nice can assemble during the tourist season. The performance
netted a substantial amount.
The evening's principal organizer was Dr. [Charles] D'Espiney, a
staunch friend of Don Bosco who had praised his works in a charming
piece of poetry addressed to the ladies present and closing with the
reminder that, while Don Bosco had exhausted his funds to achieve so
much good, the purses of the good ladies were at his disposal. His
easy-flowing verses, masterfully recited by Monsieur Harmel, proved
quite effective. 29
On March 22, a third meeting, open to the general public, was held
in Nice. It was a "Sermon de Charite" and featured a fund-raising
address. Don Bosco spoke briefly after the speaker and received sev-
eral very substantial donations.
Throughout all these fund-raising activities, Don Bosco did not lose
28/bid. [Author]
29Bulletin Salesien, April 1881, p. 11. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
himself in matters of local interest; his mind reached out also to per-
sons and matters distant. For example, he remembered the name day of
his Roman benefactress, Mrs. Matilde Sigismondi, as this gracious
note of his tells us.
Marseille, Toulon and Nice, March 13, 1881
To our good Mamma in Jesus Christ:
This year I cannot honor St. Matilda in the company of our good mamma,
but I remember you and shall celebrate holy Mass tomorrow and pray that God
may keep you in good health for many years to come, so that you may witness
the fruits of your charity and attain heaven. You may be sure heaven is yours,
but please don't go until you have lived as long as did Methuselah- 969!
I am still in France but on my way toward Rome, where I hope presently to
pay you my filial respects at the beginning of April.
God bless you and Alexander. Have a good name day and pray for me, who
will always remain in Jesus Christ,
Yours gratefully,
Fr. John Bosco
He also gave direct attention to collecting funds for the Church of the
Sacred Heart [in Rome], as we shall see, and to organizing the Asso-
ciation of Salesian Cooperators in France, as the following letter to the
editor of the Bollettino Salesiano tells us.
My dear Father Bonetti,
Nice, March 20, 1881
I have received the circular you sent to reporters and its covering letter.
Without realizing it, I also sent out a few of them. Please don't have any more
sent to me. Mail me a few forms for the appointment of team captains and
some Italian circulars. Address them to Father Cibrario;30 I shall be with him
next Sunday. Next Tuesday I will preach in the Church of Notre Dame here in
Nice to raise money for Father Ronchail; Wednesday I shall be in Cannes,
Friday in Grasse, and then I shall head for Italy.
30Director at Vallecrosia in Liguria. [Editor]

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A Month and a Half in France
51
Thanks be to God! I could never have hoped for the abundant blessings
poured upon us these past few days. May God be praised! Keep on praying.
Regards to all.
Yours affectionately in Jesus Christ,
Fr. John Bosco
P. S. I was able to set up quite a few team captains.
The letter mentions a trip to Grasse, a fairly large suburb of Cannes,
some twenty-five miles from Nice. In his French biography, Dom
Bosco, Dr. D'Espiney tells us that our founder spent several days at
Grasse, receiving many visitors and healing an elderly working
woman. When she asked for his blessing, Don Bosco told her.
"Gladly, but you must kneel down." She could not, she protested, for
after a fracture sustained eight years before, one knee had stiffened and
had developed a running sore. Still Don Bosco urged her to try. She
obeyed, knelt, received his blessing, and rose to her feet with ease. She
then asked him to complete his deed of mercy and grant her a brief
audience. He agreed and they went into the next room. While the good
woman was speaking two cats began to fight, running madly through
the room and leaping across the furniture. She jumped to her feet and
began chasing them. Don Bosco smiled at her agility and remarked, "I
believe you are not as lame as you were trying to make me believe."
"Odd!" the woman exclaimed. "My leg is so much better!"
"You will recover, but not right away. It is better for both of us if
Mary, Help of Christians does not grant you this grace immediately. "
One day the parish priest at Grasse, Father Mistre, a fond admirer of
Don Bosco, introduced some young ladies to him who were known as
committee almoners because their duty was to provide for the needs of
the parish poor. They were some of the very first Salesian cooperators.
Their president spoke briefly on their behalf and was introducing them,
when Don Bosco graciously commented, "I am very glad to meet your
almoners, but isn't the treasurer here too?" She had been standing with
the others and was introduced. Coming forward, she handed him an
offering they had put together from their private funds.
During his few days' stay in Grasse, Don Bosco said Mass in the
convent of the Sisters of St. Thomas of Villanova, who ran a boarding
school. One day the superior, Mother Saint-Ferreol, a talented, dy-

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
namic woman, told him: "Father, how long your hair is! It needs a
trimming.''
"I have no time to bother about my hair," he answered.
"Well, if you like, we have a barber nearby who would gladly come
and give you a trim," she returned.
"If it will make you happy, I am quite willing."
Of course, she had planned her little trick the day before. The barber
appeared instantly and was instructed to save all the hair clippings for
her. She kept them as relics and gave a tuft of hair to each of the
almoners who worked with her at the convent, saying, "Those of you
who intend to grow old will attend Don Bosco's canonization, for he is
a saint." One only of their number, their president, lived to see the
day.31
We have already cited D'Espiney's Dom Bosco. Published in Nice in
1881, it is the first actual biography ever written of our saintly founder.
A small book written in a flowing style, it was rich in anecdotes and
bore all the promise of a best seller.32 The author worked on it for about
a year and then asked Count Cays to review, correct and edit the
manuscript and suggest further additions. Convinced that the book
would be a blessing for France, he rightly commented, "People every-
where are asking about Don Bosco's congregation; each inquirer is a
potential Salesian or cooperator. A letter would not suffice to tell the
whole story, and Father Mendre's leaflet is somewhat inadequate. '' 33
Father Rua also saw the original manuscript and generally had words
of praise for its author, though he pointed out a few errors in dates and
cited some passages which might wisely be deleted because of the
times. He also suggested that the Congregation not be called a religious
organization, but merely a charitable association of priests and
laymen. 34 Father Rua, however, did not go over the manuscript thor-
oughly but only spot-checked it in a cursory reading, else he would
have noticed that an anecdote narrated on page 136 about the count of
31Her name was Teresa Chauve. She sent this account to Father [Louis] Cartier in a letter dated
January 20, 1934, and we were able to insert this while correcting our galley proofs. It seems that
Mademoiselle Chauve thought that Don Bosco's visit occurred in 1875, but it is improbable that
he was ever there prior to 1881. [Author]
320r. Charles D'Espiney, Dom Bosco, Nice, Malvano-Mignon, 1881, p. 180. [Author]
33Letter to Count Cays from Dr. D'Espiney, Nice, June 21, 1880. [Author]
34Father Rua's notes to a letter from D'Espiney to Count Cays, July 15, 1880. [Author]

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53
Viancino was not befitting and the name was misspelled Vianichino.
When the count read the book, he took issue with Don Bosco, who
replied good-humoredly:
My dear Count:
Turin, December 18, 1881
Dr. D'Espiney is a good Catholic, but his book aims at telling some tall
tales at Don Bosco's expense. So do not be surprised if you find that it has
certain inaccuracies and downright errors.
However, since I shall be meeting the author in Nice mext month, I shall not
forget to ask him to delete or at least amend some of the stories the book
contains.
Still, I am glad that this gave you a reason to write to me. I would be
happier had I been able to see you once more in person.
At any rate, I pray God to keep you and your wife, the countess, in good
health and in His holy grace. While asking a remembrance in your prayers, I
am honored to be,
Yours gratefully,
Fr. John Bosco
The author's amendments appeared in the second edition, which was
very soon issued. Several French editions followed in rapid succession.
The Italian translation, which appeared after the eleventh French edi-
tion, was done by Salesian Father [Dominic] Ercolini of Tuscany; it
was also very popular, and even today [1934] the book makes for
popular reading.
Biographies of Don Bosco appeared after that in several languages.
They were a true godsend, for the time was drawing near when age and
overwhelming concerns would make it impossible for Don Bosco to
make the fund-raising trips he had made in the past. Biographies did
his begging for him. It is to be noted too that their influence was
particularly felt in the first few years after his death, for they kept Don
Bosco's memory alive and prevented a decline in financial help from
the many people who had previously contributed to his undertakings.
As for himself, he used to say, "Talk well or badly about Don
Bosco, as you wish, so long as what you say helps to save souls." He
said this because he was fully aware of two things: that talk about his
works smoothed the way to saving souls, and that no one could speak
of his works without speaking of him, so intertwined were they. And so

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
he let people talk, intervening only when they were encroaching upon
the truth. For example, on learning that Albert Du Boys had described
his parents as "fairly well-to-do, " 35 he promptly had it corrected, as
Father Barberis told us. "No, no, they were poor," he objected. He
spoke the same way during a conversation at the Valsalice College [in
Turin] at which the present writer was lucky to be present in September
1887. A Salesian from a region of Poland then under Austrian rule
happened to mention a biography in German-whether an original or
translation I am not sure-which said that Don Bosco came from a
middle-class background. Energetically, he replied, "Write and tell
them to correct this! You must write and tell them!"
But the enemy of good was not idle. The Radical, a fanatic anti-
clerical paper, again attacked him in its issue of June 9 with a blistering
article slandering the Salesians in France and urging the government to
close down their houses and expel them from the country. That Con-
gregation's founder, it rambled, was a trickster, a self-styled miracle-
worker, and the whole aim of his schools was to convince young men to
enter the priesthood despite family opposition and then ship these draft
dodgers off to America. It styled the Salesians a motley crew of poor
devils who had pounced upon France like leeches, no better than a
horde of friars escaping from their impoverished Italy-some of them
fake priests ordained in defiance of canon law, the others tramp clerics
and laymen, army deserters, who made a show of piety to ensnare the
simple while privately they were a hotbed of vice. They started by
giving a few boys free shelter so that later on they could beat their
drums and solicit alms, the boys being later expelled under the pretext
of bad conduct and their places taken by others who paid tuition. It
claimed that the pupils were cruelly abused, even struck with ham-
mers, made to starve and forced to shout "Long live the Pope" and
"Down with the Republic!" The director, the paper continued, was in
touch with the pretender to France's throne. The government's tolerant
attitude toward such child-abusing friars was truly unexplainable, es-
pecially in the face of the reports and protests sent in by the people.
The vicious journalist signed his diatribe and concluded, "Today they
completed the building they have put up on Rue Beaujour. The staff is
35Albert Du Boys, Dom Bosco et la pieuse Societe des Salesiens, Pdris, Gervais, 1884. He
wrote: "His father and mother were fairly well-to-do peasants." [Author]

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A Month and a Half in France
55
entirely Italian and lives at the expense of France, an insult to our
country. We are confident of our readers' thanks for disclosing the real
nature of this unsavory breed of men who put up a front to conceal their
true identity as intruding religious that they may have a free hand to
carry out their depraved designs. Again we demand that the authorities
tell us what they are waiting for before they deport these despicable
friars unworthy of our pity. Nor shall we stop raising questions as long
as they stay. We demand their immediate expulsion, and in this we are
in accord with the great radical party. "
How timely was D'Espiney's biography! It sold as fast as it ap-
peared. Many people had met Don Bosco in Marseille, and had experi-
enced what the author had written on the first page of his book: ''It is
impossible for anyone to see Don Bosco without feeling drawn to him
with all one's heart!"

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CHAPTER 3
Count Louis Anthony Colle
(JouNT Louis Anthony Colle, a distinguished Salesian co-
operator, deserves a chapter all his own, for his entire relationship with
Don Bosco forms an extremely interesting period in the latter's life. On
July 5, 1882, after a visit from Count Colle and his wife to Turin, Don
Bosco wrote to say, "You and Madame Colle have been the constant
topic of conversation at the Oratory and at our Valsalice College here in
Turin, and also at Lanzo, and San Benigno. We have all been im-
pressed by your gracious manner and down-to-earth piety. You have
benefited us all spiritually and materially. Everywhere they keep assur-
ing me of the many prayers they are saying for both of you." Although
the long list of substantial donations received from Count Colle was
then just beginning, his name was already a household word in Sale-
sian houses, and as we ourselves have witnessed, it became ever more
cherished every year. The most outstanding benefactors in this account
of ours are [Count] Louis Anthony Fleury1 Colle and his noble consort,
[Baroness] Marie Sophie Buchet. They deeply loved Don Bosco and
went beyond the boundaries of nationality in their love for his work in
France, Italy and South America. They expressed it by a charity which
knew no limits when it was a question of assisting Don Bosco and
ineffably comforting him in the afflictions of his last years.
Divine Providence introduced Don Bosco to the Colle family just
before it was stricken with a grievous family loss. When Don Bosco
was in Marseille in February 1881, the parish priest at St. Mary's in
Toulon came to him, begging that he go there and bless the Colles' only
1The count's name is converted into Fleury in Latin epigraphs and in Italian letters, this being
a straight translation of Fiorito, or Floritus, without much regard for ancient spelling, but this was
really part of his surname. His Christian name was Louis, his middle name being Anthony, like
his son. [Author]
56

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Count Louis Anthony Colle
57
child, who lay dying at the young age of seventeen. The priest pleaded
the parents' utter desolation and praised their virtue, assuring him that
they were convinced the boy would recover with his blessing.
Don Bosco replied that he could not go to Toulon but would most
certainly pray for the young man, and, regardless of relentless pres-
sure, he refused to change his decision. A week later the parish priest
returned, this time determined not to budge until his plea had been
answered. Don Bosco yielded, but since he did not want to give the
impression that he was going to Toulon solely for that purpose, he told
him that he would go there to hold a Salesian cooperators' conference.
The date was set for March 1.
On arriving in Toulon, Don Bosco immediately called on the Colle
boy, who received him with open arms yet with no show of impatience.
Consumption had taken its toll of the victim. Once they were alone,
Don Bosco was amazed at the utter candor of the boy's soul, truly a
[Saint] Aloysius in name and in fact. Realizing that the youth was
ready for heaven, Don Bosco prepared him to offer his life gladly to the
Lord and was touched to see how docile he was to the inspirations of
grace, readily accepting Don Bosco's promptings and placing himself
wholeheartedly into God's hands. However, Don Bosco did not think it
wise to dissuade him from praying for recovery, if only out of
thoughtfulness for his anguished parents; but he suggested that he pray
for healing only if it should be for the good of his soul. God called the
young man to Himself on April 3. After receiving the Last Rites, he
said to his parents, "I am going to heaven. Don Bosco told me so."
The memories left by this much loved young man made such a
lasting impression on Don Bosco that almost immediately he planned
to write his biography and most promptly did so. 2 One who reads this
little book with careful attention to the wording and style may well
2We have three sources of information: this biography, its relevant correspondence, and lastly
some handwritten notes of Countess Colle. We shall first consider the correspondence which
consists of eighty-two letters, seventy-five written by Don Bosco, one by Father Barberis, three
by the cleric De Barruel [later a priest] and three by Father Rua. All are written in French, save for
one from Don Bosco and Father Barberis' letter. Don Bosco's French is mediocre and hastily
jotted down as anyone can see. The letters cover some six and a half years, from May 4, 1881 to
October 17, 1887. The countess' notes refer to her conversations with Don Bosco about her son's
appearance. After her death two notes were found among her papers and correspondence, one
dated June 3, 1886, the other April 7, 1889. In them she strongly asks her heirs to send all her
papers to Father Perrot or to some other Salesian. We had copies of forty-six letters and these
notes for several years but came into possession of eighty-two originals only in 1931, thanks to the
French provincial, Father Hippolytus Faure. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
question whether it is really Don Bosco's work. The fact is that Don
Bosco only sketched a first draft of the book and left the actual writing
and final form to Salesian cleric [Camillus] De Barruel.3 Indeed in a
letter dated October 4, 1881, he told Count Colle that he would write it
directly in French to save time and later would have a friend of his go
over it. That friend was the above cleric De Barruel [an adult vocation].
As to the veracity of the biography, Don Bosco's preface assures the
reader that the information had come from people who shared the boy's
life and so were in a position really to know his piety, charity and
fervor. Of Don Bosco's diligence to obtain positive facts we have
evidence in three letters addressed to the young man's father. 4 In the
first he thanks the count for what he had sent him and for his patience,
and then he asks him to complete his task by collecting the boy's
conversations and thoughts which he might have expressed to his par-
ents when giving alms to the poor or when doing his tasks; also, all
edifying acts of mortification and patience in dealing with his family,
friends, or the poor; particulars of his visit to the Holy Father in April
1878: his words and, more especially, those of the Pope; similar details
of his visits to churches or shrines and attendance at special religious
services. "Every word, every act of virtue will have its place," Don
Bosco wrote. "Please help me in gathering all this material, and I will
put it in proper order. "
The information he requested arrived. In thanking the count, Don
Bosco wrote: "Everything, no matter how trivial, will help enhance
the value of this work, which is well under way and just about seventy-
five percent finished. I hope to bring it with me when I call on you this
January." In his last letter, informing the count that the biography was
complete, he added, "Now all I have to do is to read it over and have it
copied, so I can bring you the manuscript on my next stopover in
Toulon. We must read it through together." In his first letter he had
3Don Bosco knew enough French to make himself understood and spoke and wrote it with an
aplomb and easy manner that blithely glossed over vocabulary and grammar. The story is still told
about Father Mendre, curate and later parish priest of St. Joseph's in Marseille, who loved Don
Bosco with tender filial affection. He was sitting beside Don Bosco during a performance at
St.Leo's Oratory one day. Every so often the musicians would play a flat note ·or two. The French
priest, who had an ear for music, winced each time, until, finally, Don Bosco whispered in his ear
in his own inimitable manner and pronunciation: "Moussieur Mendre, la mousique de les enfants
elle s'ecoute avec le coeur et non avec les oreilles." [Father Mendre, the music of children must
be listened to with the heart, not with the ears.] Time and time again Father Mendre would
recount this advice with keenest pleasure, affectionately mimicking Don Bosco's accent. [Author]
4San Benigno Canavese, October 4; Turin, November 29 and December 30, 1881. [Author]

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Count Louis Anthony Colle
59
already assured him, "Before we send it to the printers, you must see it
and freely make any comments or corrections you wish.'' 5
How much he valued historic accuracy! The second chapter contains
a long digression on educational psychology which many readers
might regard as someone else's work incorporated into the biography to
enhance its value and scope. Running through about eight pages, it
deals with the home training of children and is primarily based on the
education of the will-an education which is generally neglected in
favor of any early discipline of the mind and which is badly stymied by
the child's whims and desires that only produce self-love and sen-
suality. Certainly, as elsewhere in the book, the style of this passage is
not Don Bosco's, but we must say that substantially these pages, like
the entire book, belong to him. It is obvious that the ghostwriter could
not shed his own personality so completely as to preclude subjective
elements, and his own bent toward philosophy is most evident here; yet
we cannot help but see Don Bosco's own ideas recently formulated in
his principles of the preventive system. Don Bosco most likely
sketched out the book's general outline, which was then developed by
the ghostwriter and submitted to him for review and approval. We may
go a step further and say that we can find the nub of this short biogra-
phy in the one letter which he wrote in ltalian6 when the book was still
but an embryonic idea. In writing to Countess Colle,7 Don Bosco had
said that he did not care to entrust some things to print. This reticence
bothered her motherly sensitivities, and so Don Bosco explained his
thought to her husband in Italian, perhaps so that, not understanding it,
she would be given a suitably softened translation.
My dearly esteemed Monsieur Colle:
Turin, May 22, 1881
I realize that your wife is somewhat hurt to know that certain things I do not
wish to entrust to print. Let me briefly explain why. As parents you were
5The book, Biographie du jeune Louis Fleury Antoine Colle by Fr. John Bosco, was published
in 1882. It was printed at the Oratory and is so dedicated: A Monsieur et a Madame Colle
Hommage Respectueu.x. [Author]
6Young Louis had an Italian tutor, but the count himself must have had only a scant knowledge
of Italian. Otherwise, why did both Don Bosco and Father Rua write to him in French? Father
Barberis, in writing to the count (S. Benigno Canavese, September 6, 1882), apologized for
writing in Italian, saying he did not know much French but understood that the count had some
acquaintance with Italian. Such acquaintance, to be sure, does not exclude some struggle to
understand the language. [Author]
7Rome, May 4, 1881. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
overly fond of your only child-too much caressing and too much fuss.
However, he always retained his goodness. Had he lived, though, he would
have run into serious problems which might indeed have proved disastrous
after his parents' death. God therefore chose to rescue him from such danger
by calling him to Himself in heaven, where he might soon become the advo-
cate of his parents and of all who have prayed or are praying for him.
As for myself, I have remembered Louis in my prayers and have asked all
our houses to pray in suffrage for his soul.
Since you are now in Nice, I think you may enjoy taking a trip to Turin. I
shall be waiting for you there with deep pleasure. Nor will Mary, Help of
Christians fail to comfort you both.
God bless you, my dear friend, and may He keep you and your wife in good
health. Pray for me too.
Always yours in Jesus Christ,
Fr. John Bosco
P.S. Upon arriving in Turin, please go directly to the Dogana Vecchia Hotel
where you will be welcome. Anyone can then direct you to our house.
A trip to Turin to see Don Bosco and pray at the Church of Mary,
Help of Christians was just what the afflicted couple needed to uplift
their spirits after their painful loss, and so they accepted his invitation.
Don Bosco refers to this visit in his letter to Madame Colle dated July
3: "My manner must have led you to think I forgot all about your visit,
your kindly concern and your generous charity. But please forgive the
circumstances I was in. I have been swamped with work and have had
no time to call my own. Still, notwithstanding my delay in getting to
you, be assured I make a special memento of you and your husband
every morning, and I have prayed for Louis, who left us to go to
heaven."
This is precisely what the mother wanted to know: what had become
of her Louis after death? She kept harping on this with Don Bosco,
who wrote to her about it several times and discussed it with her in their
mutual visits. Here we enter upon phenomena which lie beyond our
human ken and which we shall endeavor to investigate with the help of
available documents.
Don Bosco first introduced the topic to Countess Colle in his letter
of May 4, 1881. "Be reassured," he wrote. "Our beloved Louis is most
certainly saved and asks two things of you: that you earnestly prepare
yourself to join him in heaven when it shall so please God, and that you

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Count Louis Anthony Colle
61
pray intensely for him, as he in tum will obtain special graces for you."
He felt it unwise to say more in writing, but later told her in person
what he had not put down on paper. While he was hearing confessions
on April 3, he revealed that he suddenly had a distraction, as he called
it. He saw Louis happily playing with some friends in a garden. The
vision lasted but a flash. Louis did not speak. However, his appearance
convinced Don Bosco that he was certainly in heaven. Nevertheless, he
kept praying for him, asking God to reveal more to him and hoping for
this grace from His infinite mercy, because, as far as might be possible,
he wanted to comfort the parents so distraught by the loss of their only
child.
God heard his prayer and granted it far beyond anything he might
have hoped for. On May 27, one day after the feast of the Ascension,
while offering Mass for the intentions of Louis' parents, who were
present, he saw the boy at the moment of the Elevation bathed in a
flood of light, very lovely in appearance, bright with joy, cheeks
fleshed out and rosy. He was dressed in rose-tinted white garments with
golden embroidery on the chest.
"Why did you come, dear Louis?"
"I did not have to come," was the reply. "In my present state, I do
not need to move anywhere.''
"Are you happy, Louis?"
''Completely!''
"Do you miss anything?"
"All I miss are my mom and dad."
"Why don't you let them see you?"
"It would cause them too much pain."
With this the youth disappeared. However, at the final prayer he
reappeared and did so again when Don Bosco was in the sacristy. This
time he was with several Oratory boys who had died during Don
Bosco's absence; this greatly comforted Don Bosco.
"Louis," he asked, "what shall I say to your parents to ease their
pain?"
''Tell them to follow the light and to win friends for themselves in
heaven."
Don Bosco related this account to the Colle parents when they went
to Turin. Hardly a month later, he received another vision described in
his letter to the dead youth's mother on July 3. He had continued
begging God to reveal something more definite to him, and between

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
May and July he had had the comfort of seeing Louis and once again
hearing him speak.
On June 21, while celebrating Mass, just before the consecration-he
wrote-I saw him. He was unchanged, ruddy and brilliant in beauty, his skin
resplendent as the sun. I immediately asked if he had a message for us, and he
replied quite simply, "St. Aloysius has considerably helped and protected
me." I repeated my question: "Is there anything we can do for you?" He gave
me the same answer and disappeared. Since then I have neither seen nor heard
anything more. Should God in His infinite mercy kindly give us another
revelation, I shall promptly inform you.
Some two months later, he again had an apparition and narrated it to
Madame Colle on August 30:
Throughout the octave of the Blessed Virgin Mary's Assumption and more
particularly on August 25 I prayed and asked that prayers be offered for our
dear Louis. On the 25th, at the consecration of the Sacred Host, I was given
the great joy of seeing him, clad more magnificently than before. He seemed
to be in some sort of a garden, walking with a few friends. All were singing
Jesu, corona virginum [0 Jesus, the crown of virgins] in such harmony and
accord that I can never possibly attempt to express or describe it. In their midst
rose a lofty pavilion or tent. I was hoping that I might see more and hear more
of their marvelous singing, but just then a flash of dazzling light forced me to
shut my eyes. Then I found myself saying Mass at the altar. Louis' face was
brilliant with beauty; he looked happy-rather, ecstatic. During that Mass I
prayed for you and asked God for the singular grace that we may all one day
be reunited in heaven.
This letter was written at San Benigno, where he was again given a
vision of Louis, as he later explained in Toulon. One day, while prepar-
ing a sermon in his room, he had the feeling that someone was standing
beside him. He turned to look, and the instant he did so the person
immediately switched to his other side. As he was wondering what had
happened, he heard a voice asking, "Don't you know me?"
"Louis!" he exclaimed. "How did you get here to San Benigno?"
''It is just as easy for me to come to San Benigno as to La Farlede8 or
Turin, or anywhere else I choose."
"Why don't you appear to your parents who love you so dearly?"
8Summer estate of the Colle family. [Author]

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"I know they love me, but God's permission is needed for them to
see me. Even if I were to speak to them, they could not hear my words.
They must go through you."
Don Bosco referred to Louis Colle's apparitions twice more in his
letters of 1882. On July 30 he wrote to Madame Colle:
I have the consolation of telling you that once again I had the consolation of
seeing our ever beloved Louis. Many details I hope I can relate to you person-
ally. On one occasion I saw him enjoying himself with friends in a garden. He
was richly attired, defying all description. On another occasion I saw him
again picking flowers in a garden and then bringing them into a great hall and
placing them on a gorgeous table: "Whom are these flowers for?" I asked
him. He replied: "I was told to pick them and weave them into a garland for
my father and mother, who went through so much trouble for my happiness."
I will write more on some other occasion.
On December 4, in a letter to Madame Colle, he declared: "I have
seen our dearly beloved Louis several times, always resplendent in
glory, bathed in light, garbed in splendor which defies all power of
description. I shall say more to you orally when, as I hope, I shall see
you at Toulon next February and spend some time with you and your
dear husband, who is so generous to our Salesian houses."
He did visit them as he said, but it was in March, when he went into
further details. On that occasion he told them of an apparition he was
granted while in Rome on April 30, 1882, on the feast of the Patronage
of St. Joseph, the third Sunday after Easter. He was standing in the
sacristy of the chapel adjoining the new Church of the Sacred Heart,
then being built, when he saw Louis drawing water from a well.
"Why all that water?" he asked.
"It's for me and my parents."
"Why so much?"
"Don't you understand? Can't you see that it is the Sacred Heart of
Our Lord Jesus Christ? The more abundant the flow of grace and
mercy, the more the treasury is full. "
"Why are you here?"
"I came to visit you and tell you I am ever so happy. "
While in Toulon from March 5 to March 14, he related many other
details which were not put in writing. He said that in the various
apparitions Louis always appeared dressed differently and, when asked
why, replied, "Just for your own delight." His countenance, however,

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
was the same as in his earthly life, though his cheeks were filled out,
his facial expression happy, his person glowing, his garments flecked
with gold and outdoing in splendor the lilies and roses they resembled,
and his face was sparkling with such increasing brilliance as to dazzle
the eye. As for the appearance which came to him while celebrating
Mass, he said that they lasted but a minute or a minute and a half at
most, and that, had they lasted any longer, he would have collapsed
under the strain of the supernatural.
The countess, an enlightened woman, gave much thought to the
value of these apparitions and questioned Don Bosco on the subject.
As she personally recorded later, he expressed himself as follows:
''After due reflection on these apparitions and looking into their nature,
I am convinced that they are neither a deception nor an illusion, but
very real. All that I observe in them is characteristic of and conforming
to the Spirit of God. Without a doubt, Louis enjoys the happiness of
heaven. As for their frequency, I do not know the hidden reasons of
Divine Providence; I do particularly realize that Louis comes to teach
me, telling me matters of earthly knowledge and theology I have never
known before.''
Let us now look at Don Bosco's description of those appearances.
On one occasion Louis handed him a rose, saying: "Do you want to
know the difference between the natural and the supernatural? Look at
this rose. Watch it." Quickly the rose grew in splendor until it attained
the sparkle of a diamond struck by the rays of the sun. "Now look at
that mountain," he told him. And Don Bosco saw a mountain, a mass
of rock and pockets of muddy soil, a very unsightly view. Soon enough
it took on a magnificence of its own, precious gems replacing the
muddy puddles.
One day, while at a splendid banquet in Hyeres, Don Bosco found
himself no longer at table but in a spacious hallway of some kind.
Louis came toward him, saying: "Look at this sumptuous banquet.
What choice food there is! Too much! So many people are dying of
hunger. What a waste of money! Such costly excesses must be cut
down." While this was going on, the guests were talking to Don Bosco
and, thinking he was lost in a reverie, they called his name, "Don
Bosco! Don Bosco!"
On another occasion this strange conversation took place between
Don Bosco and Louis:
"Are you happy, my dear Louis?"

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65
"Very happy."
"Are you dead or alive?"
"I am alive."
"Yet you are dead. "
"My body was buried, but I am living."
''Am I not seeing your body?"
"No, it is not my body."
"Is it your spirit?"
"It is not my spirit."
"Is it your soul?"
"It is not my soul. "
"Then what am I seeing?"
"My semblance."
"How can a semblance speak?"
"By God's permission."
"Then where is your soul?"
"My soul is with God. It is in God, and you cannot see it."
"Then how do you see us?"
"All things are seen in God: the past, present and future are all seen
as reflected in a mirror. ''
"What do you do in heaven?"
"In heaven I forever say: 'Glory to God! To God be thanks! Thanks
to Him who created us, to Him the Lord of life and of death, to Him in
whom all things have their source. Thanks, praise, alleluia, alleluia.'"
"How about your parents? What message do you have for them?"
"Tell them I constantly pray for them and thus repay them. I await
them here in heaven.''
In a later apparition, Don Bosco again asked Louis about his re-
flected image. "You told me that I see but your semblance because
your soul is with God. How can a semblance look just like a living
human body?"
"You will very soon see," Louis answered. "You will be given a
proof.''
Don Bosco waited for it. Some time aferward, as he himself related,
the deceased parish priest of Castelnuovo appeared to him strolling
through the Oratory porticoes. He seemed to be in excellent health and
quite happy.
"Ah! Father, here you are!" Don Bosco exclaimed. "How are you?"
"Happy, very happy. Come, walk with me."

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
"Is there anything you wish?"
"In heaven we have all we desire. But let's walk and chat together.
Do you really recognize me?"
"Of course!"
"Look at me carefully. Don't you see me in the flower of youth and
perfectly happy?"
"Yes, Father, it is truly you. I have no doubt of that."
They paced together for a while as they had often done before, and
then the priest said, "Well, do you understand now?" With these
words he disappeared. Then Don Bosco realized that Louis and the
parish priest had arranged the visit. When he told the Calles about it,
he remarked: "Favors of this kind are so extraordinary that they are
really frightening in the responsibility they bring to the recipient."
During Don Bosco's trip to France in 1883 ,. these apparitions kept
coming. On Sunday, March 4, Louis sat by him in the train all the way
from Cannes to Toulon, from four in the afternoon till seven that
evening. He spoke in Latin, magnifying the splendor of God's works.
Among other things he called Don Bosco's attention to the nebulae and
taught him things truly in the field of astrophysics. "To travel from
earth to sun by express train," he said, "it would take no less than
three hundred and fifty years and the same amount of time to cross to
the far side of the sun; in all, seven hundred years. Now, a nebula is
fifty million times larger than the sun, and its light travels for ten
million years before reaching the earth. The sun's light travels three
hundred and fifty thousand kilometers per second." At this point, Don
Bosco, realizing that Louis was warming up to this subject, exclaimed,
"That's enough! My brain can't keep up with you. It's too much of an
effort, and I cannot stand it."
"But that is just a sample of the greatness of God's works!"
''How can you be in heaven and here at the same time?''
"I move faster than light, with the speed of thought, whether it be to
come here, to my parents' home, or anywhere else."
Some days later, while saying Mass at Hyeres, Don Bosco again saw
Louis. "What's up?" he asked. In reply Louis told him about a region
in South America which was in dire need of missionaries, and showed
the source of the Chubut River in the Cordillera de los Andes.
"Now let me say Mass," Don Bosco told him. "You are making it
difficult for me to continue."
"Children should go to Communion often," Louis went on to say.

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Count Louis Anthony Colle
67
"They should be admitted to Holy Communion early; God wants them
to nourish themselves with the Eucharist."
"But how can we admit them when they are too young?"
"Start by showing them the Sacred Host when they are four and five
years old, and teach them to pray as they look at Jesus. This will be like
a Holy Communion. Children must fully realize the importance of
these three things: God's love, frequent Communion, and love for the
Sacred Heart of Jesus. But love for Jesus' Sacred Heart sums up the
other two. "
In a previous vision Louis had shown him a well in the midst of the
ocean. "Look at that abyss," he said. "The sea continuously flows into
it yet never subsides. So too is it with the graces contained in the
Sacred Heart of Jesus. They are easy to obtain; all we need do is pray."
In April of that year [1883] he was celebrating Mass in the Church of
Our Lady of Victories in Paris when Louis appeared to him while he
was administering Communion. As always, he was framed in an aura
of glory; about his neck hung a multi-colored necklace-white, black,
red and countless other colors indescribably blended together. The
shock immobilized his arm, preventing him from giving Communion.
The other priests, thinking he was exhausted, began to administer the
Holy Eucharist for him. Don Bosco asked Louis, "Why are you here?
Why come as I am giving out Communion? See how embarrassed I
am?"
"Here," Louis answered, "is the dwelling of all graces and
blessings. "
"But where am I? I no longer see anybody. What am I to do?"
"Give out Holy Communion."
"But where are the people who were here before?"
"Give out Holy Communion," Louis repeated. "The people are
right here!''
So saying, he vanished and Don Bosco found himself at the altar,
ready to end the Mass.
Not long afterward, Louis again appeared in the Church of St.
Clotilda in Paris. After Mass, Don Bosco was vainly trying to dismiss
the crowd from the sacristy in order to say his thanksgiving prayers,
but they kept pressing him on all sides.
"Give me a moment to myself," he pleaded. "Let me at least say
one Our Father!" But no one heeded him. The parish priest then pulled
him into a small adjoining room, which, the moment he entered, was

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
filled with heavenly light. There was Louis, slowly and intently pacing
the floor.
"Oh, it's you, Louis!" Don Bosco exclaimed. "Why are you pacing
up and down without saying a word to me?"
"This is not the time to talk, but to pray," was the answer.
"Please speak to me! Say something, as you have always done
before.''
"Really, I do have something important to tell you, but this is not yet
the time."
''Still, do speak to me. I shall be seeing your parents. What consola-
tion can I bring them?"
"Consolation? They will have it. Tell them to keep on praying and
serving God and the Virgin Mary while I am beginning to prepare their
happiness. ''
"Pray? There is no further need to pray for you! We know that you
are happy. Why do you want your parents to wear themselves out with
prayer?''
"Prayer gives glory to God."
"Why don't you visit your parents, who love you so much?'
''Why do you want to know what God has reserved to Himself?''
With that, he disappeared. Don Bosco noticed that all that time
Louis had stood with head uncovered.
On the night of August 30, 1883, Don Bosco had an amazing dream
which we shall recount in due course [in our next volume]. He dreamed
he was in a spacious hall in the company of many friends who had
already gone into eternity. A lad, apparently fifteen, resplendent with a
heavenly beauty surpassing the sun's brilliance, approached him. It was
Louis Colle. In a tour, as fast as lightning, he showed Don Bosco the
spiritual heritage reserved for the Salesians in [South] America and the
hardships and blood which would be needed to make it fruitful, as well
as the future material prosperity of those lands. On October 15, writing
to Father Lemoyne9 in Turin, he asked him to draw up a copy of this
dream so he could send it to Louis' parents in Toulon. "Please, hurry
the dream about America," he wrote, "and send it to me without
delay. Count Colle is anxious to have it translated into French. I'll
speed that up." Then, writing to the count on February 11, 1884, he
9See Appendix 1. [Editor]

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Count Louis Anthony Colle
69
stated: "The meaning of the journey I made with our dear Louis is
becoming ever clearer. Just now it seems to be the very focal point of
all our efforts. Much is being said, written and made public to adver-
tise and actuate our plans. God willing, when we get together we will
have much to talk about. "
An interesting episode took place at Orte in 1884. On his return from
Rome on May 14 Don Bosco had a stopover of some four hours at that
station. It was late, about 10 P.M., and Don Bosco tried without suc-
cess to doze on a waiting room bench. Suddenly Louis appeared before
him, and all else vanished from sight. Don Bosco walked up to him.
"Are you Louis?" he asked.
"Don't you recognize me? Have you forgotten our trip together?"
"Not at all! But how can we accomplish all we talked about? I am
tired and in poor health."
"Are you? No ... you will give me your answer tomorrow."
The vision lasted until it was time for departure. The following day
marked the start of the novena to Mary, Help of Christians. Don
Bosco, whose health had been deteriorating ever since his return from
France, suddenly felt better and continued to improve as the days went
by.
When he left the station to board the train, it was two in the morning.
Father Lemoyne, his traveling companion, was very surprised to see
him do something so unusual. On meeting the conductor, who invited
him to board the train, Don Bosco asked, "Do you know me?"
"No, I do not," the man answered.
"I am Don Bosco."
"So?"
"I am Don Bosco of Turin. "
That was all they could say because the train was pulling out. In-
deed, there was something singular in Don Bosco's words and manner
of speaking, which Father Lemoyne, who was accompanying him, had
never noticed before. Unable to make head or tail of it, he even the-
orized that Don Bosco had meant to teach him, his secretary, a
lesson-namely that he did not sufficiently appreciate who Don Bosco
was. Don Bosco told Count and Countess Colle about this apparition
on June 1, 1885 in Turin.
A second dream, occurring the night between January 31 and Febru-
ary 1, 1885, showed Don Bosco the future of his foreign missions. He
wrote to Count Colle about it on August 10: "Our friend Louis took me

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
on a trip to the heart of America, 10 the land ofHam, as he called it, and
to the regions of Arpachshad11 or China. God willing, we shall talk
about it when we get together." From this we learn who it was that
appeared by his side when he instantly found himself transported from
America to Africa and of whom he said, when relating the dream, "I
recognized him as my guide." We find another reference to the same
dream in a letter of January 15, 1886: "You will be receiving an
account of a trip to China in the company of our good Louis. When by
God's grace we meet again, we shall have much to talk about." From
the foregoing it appears that as of June 1885 he had still said nothing of
the dream to Count and Countess Colle.
The last apparition we know of came to Don Bosco on the night of
March 10, 1885. He was pressing Louis to say something, and Louis
replied, "You prayed for me in the sacristy of the Toulon cathedral that
I might recover my health."
"Yes, I did."
"Well it was better that I did not recover."
"Why? You might have done a lot of good, made your parents very
happy and would have done many things to help people glorify God."
"Are you sure of that? You yourself conveyed the sentence, a bitter
one both for me and my parents; still, it was for my own good. When
you prayed for my recovery the Blessed Virgin told Our Lord Jesus
Christ, "Now he is My son and I wish to have him now that he is
Mine."
"When must I start getting ready for heaven?"
"The time is near at hand when I will give you the answer."
Don Bosco told this to Count and Countess Colle in the hallway
running alongside his room on June 1, 1885, the eve of the feast of
Mary, Help of Christians. As he finished telling them, he remarked:
''The beauty of the finery adorning our dear Louis was beyond descrip-
tion. The crown alone encircling his brow would have required not
days but months and years for a close study, so varied was its splendor;
the more one looked at it, the larger and more brilliant it became."
10Most likely this is a typographical error. In Volume XVII of the Memorie Biografiche di San
Giovanni Bosco, p. 646, Don Bosco is quoted in the same letter as follows: "Our friend Louis
took me on a trip to the heart of Africa, the land of Ham." [Editor]
11As explained in Volume XVII of the Memorie Biografiche di San Giovanni Bosco, pp. 646f,
Arpachshad is mentioned in Genesis 11:10-13 as a descendant of Shem. According to Rene
Fran<;ois Rohrbacher, the Chinese are the descendants of Arpachshad and the region they popu-
lated derived its name from him. [Editor]

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71
Before learning of the events taking place after March 1883-which
they were apprised of only in 1885-Louis' parents were never quite at
peace concerning his eternal destiny, and so they kept asking Don
Bosco for special prayers for the repose of his soul. On one occasion
Don Bosco replied: 12 "I have already begun a novena of Masses, Com-
munions and special prayers for Louis, who, I feel, must be smiling at
our efforts, because we are praying for the repose of his soul, when, as
a matter of fact, he is now our heavenly patron and will remain such
until he joyfully welcomes us into everlasting happiness!"
Countess Colle closed her own notes with the comment: "While
comforting two lonely hearts by these communications from the super-
natural world, Don Bosco appeared to be so overjoyed that he seemed
to be looking into the heavenly Jerusalem. He was overcome by emo-
tion, and his eyes glistened with tears, as he repeated Louis' praises of
God in heaven."
We will narrate an episode recounted by Countess Colle after her
son's death to the sisters at La Navarre. Don Bosco had suggested that
she tum to her son in prayer in moments of strain. One day a man came
begging to her door and arrogantly demanded money. Overlooking his
rudeness, she gave him what she regularly gave to the poor. However,
he assumed a threatening manner and tone of voice which frightened
her. No one else-not even the maid-was in the house. Then she
remembered Don Bosco's words and prayed for her son to come to her
aid. As soon as she called upon him in her heart, the burly fellow, as
though suddenly overcome by terror, turned on his heels and in two
broad strides reached the bottom of the staircase in hurried flight.
Now to return to the apparitions. Was it only to console the grieving
parents that Don Bosco was granted the supernatural visions which he
confided to the count and countess? Can't we think instead that God's
main intent was that these visions should encourage this devout Chris-
tian couple gladly to commit a goodly portion of their wealth to help
Don Bosco, who had been called to initiate within the Church so many
good works in meeting the needs of his time? This is the way Don
Bosco must have seen it. In fact, with the boldness of the saints, he had
told the desolated parents after their son's death, "God has taken your
only son from you that you may adopt all my orphans as your chil-
dren." And thus did this fervent couple see it too. Count Colle himself
12Letter from Turin, August 23, 1884. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
explicitly told Don Bosco that he was putting his entire wealth at his
disposal. 13 These were neither idle words nor short-lived pious senti-
ments. For over six years, that same purse poured out substantial sums
for the new house at La Navarre, the Sacred Heart Church and the
adjacent hospice in Rome, the hospice adjoining the Church of St.
John the Evangelist in Turin, the house of the Sons of Mary at Mathi,
the foreign missions, and occasional emergencies at the Oratory and at
San Benigno Canavese. At the risk of wearying our readers, we wish to
emphasize to the utmost this extraordinary generosity by looking into
the correspondence, which, though it does not tell everything, still
does much to satisfy our healthy curiosity.
Don Bosco's first request for help dates to July 3, 1881. He wrote to
Countess Colle: "So far I have managed to struggle along, but I fore-
see that, within months, I shall have to call upon the charity of the
Colle family-though only in an emergency and within your means."
The emergency concerned the Church of the Sacred Heart in Rome,
but, later, similar situations increased in number and range. His
vaguely worded appeal received an encouraging reply. In fact, on
August 20 he wrote to Count Colle: "Thank you for the priceless news
that you are pledging twenty thousand francs for the Church of the
Sacred Heart in Rome. This is a real boost for our holy Catholic
Church and for its impoverished head. While God will reward you a
hundredfold now and ever so much more in the next life, our Supreme
Pontiff, joined by all Christians and people of good will, will bless
your kindness.'' The count's letter pledging the money so pleased Don
Bosco that he wrote in acknowledgment of its elegance and gen-
tlemanliness: "I have read it over and over and feel I am right in
honoring you and the city of Toulon by sending it on to the Holy Father.
He may tell people how lawyers can skillfully blend learning with
piety. God be blessed in everything!" It should come as no surprise
that he sent this personal correspondence to the Pope, because it was
the Holy Father who had entrusted the project of the Church of the
Sacred Heart to him and took a personal interest in it. Furthermore Don
Bosco was even then probably eyeing a specific goal which we shall
bring up later.
On July 7, 1882 he wrote to thank the count for the donation in the
letter sent to him with greetings for his name day: "On this occasion,"
13Letter to Countess Colle, Turin, July 3, 1881. [Author]

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Don Bosco wrote, "I wish to thank you most sincerely for all the help
you have sent us to open, maintain and enlarge our houses. The souls
whom the Salesians, with God's grace, will save through your kindness
will be credited to both of you. When you and your wife will enter
heaven, those saved through your charity will most assuredly welcome
you. Animam salvasti, animam tuam praedestinasti. '' [By saving a
soul, you assured your own salvation.] He stressed this thought on
December 4, 1883, writing in regard to the missions: "First and fore-
most let me thank you, dear count, for the generosity you have lavished
upon us on countless occasions. If we have been successful in our work
in South America, particularly Patagonia, we owe it to you and to your
charity. You and your wife have good reason to rejoice. The souls
whom our missionaries will save will be accounted to you and your
spouse; they will be your key to heaven. And now you are reaching out
to other houses of ours and other natives who, through your goodness,
will come to the light of faith, and thus swell the ranks of souls who
will pray for you. ''
In that same letter he told Count Colle of two other projects to which
he had applied the count's donation, the house at Mathi and that of St.
John the Evangelist, both of which successively became the residence
of the Sons of Mary. "I have good news for you. We bought the house
at Mathi on October 10. It is now furnished and occupied by some fifty
young men who could not be accommodated at our house in San
Benigno. They are now living there, as they stoutheartedly study for
the priesthood. Last Thursday the house was blessed and dedicated to
God in the name of St. Aloysius, as a sort of memorial to Louis and his
family. This is our first house to be named after St. Aloysius. Blessed
be God." Referring to the house of St. John the Evangelist in Turin, he
said, "Despite all our efforts, the house going up alongside the Church
of St. John the Evangelist is still without a roof. Construction has
reached the third floor, and work continues steadily." Finally, on Oc-
tober 22, 1884, he penned the last details: "I am very happy to tell you
that the house your money has built for the Sons of Mary is finished,
and we have scheduled November 10 for occupancy by approximately a
hundred and fifty young men. " The date of the formal opening was set
at a later date, as Don Bosco informed the count on February 20, 1885,
so that the count could be present. "Though we are already living at St.
John's, the house has not yet been officially dedicated. We must pre-
pare a good meal and all together drink a cordial toast to you and to

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
Countess Colle. Is that all right with you, dear countess, our good
mother in the Lord Jesus Christ?" As noted before, the count and
countess did go to Turin for the feast of Mary, Help of Christians.
At the beginning of 1884, it seemed that Don Bosco's shaky health
would not allow him to make his usual seasonal trip to France, where
Count Colle was awaiting him impatiently. On February 11 Don Bosco
wrote to him, "Every day, sometimes several times a day, I pay you
both a visit in spirit, but as yet I have not been able to come in person,
dear count and countess. Presently, our works are progressing nicely,
thank God; there are more houses, more boys than ever, and as always
our work enjoys God's blessing. Praised be God! For some time now
my health has not been good, and I don't know whether I can make my
usual visit to you. I may be able to tell you soon, but it is agreed, in any
case, that we shall meet in Rome."
True, he had hoped to anticipate this visit and arrive at La Farlede, as
a "thief in the night" on or about September 20, 1883,14 but circum-
stances did not permit it. Still, the count put aside for him the object of
Don Bosco's visit as a "thief," as we can clearly see from his letter to
the count, dated October 15: "Thank you for your kind information.
The work has gone forward these past few days, and the contractors are
clamoring for payment. Praise to God, and a thousand thanks to you,
my dear count and countess! You truly are our providence, God's
chosen instruments for coming to our aid." Father Rua was sent to
collect the bounty of Divine Providence, and to arrange a trip to Rome
with the count and countess, which they had long wished for. He
himself, on his arrival in the Eternal City in April 1884, wrote to them
on April 16 about the progress of construction and reminded them of
this trip. "I am in Rome. I had a pleasant trip, and, thank God, my
health is better. I have given much attention to the work in progress on
both the church and the hospice of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The
foundations of the latter are causing very serious problems because of
their depth, and there is still much work to be done before the huge
piles of stone brought in for the building can be laid into place. Now,
since you told me that you would like to come to Rome for the laying of
the cornerstone and stay but a few days, I feel it would be wiser for the
sake of your health and that of the countess that we postpone the date. "
On April 24 he notified them of the arrival of Father Rua who had gone
14Letter from San Benigno Canavese, August 25, 1883. [Author]

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Count Louis Anthony Colle
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to Toulon to pick up the count's donation of one hundred and fifty
thousand francs, part of which he had immediately forwarded to
Rome. "I received your welcome letter which came quite promptly and
all is fine," he wrote. "Father Rua joins me in blessing God and
thanking both of you for helping us so much in promoting God's glory.
Father Rua promptly sent me all I needed to get the work going, and
now we are moving along well.''
But the progress was so slow that the ceremony for the laying of the
cornerstone was held in May 1885. On May 10 Don Bosco wrote to the
count and countess: "All is ready here in Rome for the laying of the
cornerstone. We could ask a member of the noble Borghese family to
preside. Father Dalmazzo will see to that and guide us along. But one
thing is our responsibility. The cornerstone must contain mementos
and some data on the family and the sponsors of this building. Kindly
take it upon yourselves to have some friend jot down for me some data,
such as name, date of birth and any details you may wish to add. Please
bear with me. This is history we must pass down to posterity. On
receiving this information, I shall complete the task."
It was in 1884 that Don Bosco appealed to Count Colle concerning a
purchase which involved a considerable sum of money, but which he
still was anxious to make regardless of the cost. He mentioned it to him
in a letter dated February 20: "One day, you recall, we spotted a little
house from my balcony. 'We should buy that little house,' you re-
marked, 'to rid ourselves of a nuisance. I shall give you thirty thousand
francs for that purpose.' Then and there we could not enter into a sale,
because the owner was not willing to sell. Now she is anxious to sell us
not only the house but the adjoining land as well. Any way we look at
it, this is an excellent buy. The Salesians and all our friends are keen on
it and push us to buy, but the cost has risen much higher: one hundred
thousand francs for land, landscaping and house. Now, while I don't
intend to be indiscreet, I still don't want to hide the fact that this
purchase would ease our situation at the residence, the festive oratory,
the school and the workshops. Therefore, dear count, in the near or
distant future, could you help us out in this matter? I speak un-
abashedly, for in your boundless charity you have assured me that your
purse is at my disposal for whatever may redound to God's greater
glory. Give this matter some thought and then reply with the same
frankness with which I have appealed to you."
The house up for sale was owned by Mrs. [Theresa] Bellezza, whom

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
Father Lemoyne often mentions in his volume. 15 It was located to the
west of St. Francis de Sales Church and separated from the Oratory by
a single wall of the playground. 16 Count Colle paid for the entire
package. In pledging the money the count must have proposed some-
thing hardly compatible with Don Bosco's lowly opinion of himself or
of his purity of intention. We are not sure, but, be that as it may, Don
Bosco's answer on February 27 was: "I received your welcome letter,
but I wish you would not tell me why you are doing this or that. Just let
me voice my needs, and I shall always be equally pleased whether you
answer 'yes' or 'no.' My concern is to pray each day for you and the
countess, and I do so at holy Mass every morning with a special
memento for your intention. My doctors have assured me I can travel to
our houses in southern France. On Saturday, God willing, I shall leave
for Nice with Father Barberis.17 While there I hope to pay you a visit
and formally dedicate and bless our, or I should say your, church at La
Navarre. We shall then have time to talk, and I shall better explain my
plans for benefiting you, but always in whatever may bring you joy on
earth and finally in heaven."
During that same year of 1884 another pressing need forced Don
Bosco to appeal to his generous benefactor's charity. A cholera epi-
demic broke out during the summer, whose consequences for Don
Bosco he thus described to the count in his letter of September 10:
"Cholera has ravaged several towns in France and is now terrorizing
Italy. So far our houses and boys have been spared, but contributions
have fallen sharply and we find it very hard to meet our expenses of
building and maintaining our works. Therefore, if you could come to
our aid at this time, you will, as ever, be our mainstay. However, should
it be burdensome to you to return home from your villa at La Farlede
because of the cholera, do not worry. Please stay there and we shall
find a way of getting out of our predicament. I repeat: give no further
thought if circumstances keep you from doing good." Though we have
no direct evidence, we believe that this kindly gentleman found some
way of reconciling his ease of mind with his pressing desire to do good.
The close of the year gave Don Bosco a chance to thank Count Colle
adequately for all the kindnesses he had performed. On December 29
15See Vol. II, p. 421; Vol. IV, pp. 424f. [Editor]
16See L'Oratorio di Don Bosco by F. Giraudi, Plate VIII. [Author]
11see Appendix 1. [Editor]

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Count Louis Anthony Colle
77
he wrote: "I would like to visit you and thank you personally. Since I
cannot do so, let me thank you by mail at the close of this year, my dear
generous count and countess. God be praised and thanked for having
kept us in good health and, I hope, in His grace! Amid so many other
good works, you paid Father Perrot's debts at La Navarre, and the Lord
will not fail to reward you generously, while our poor orphan boys will
keep praying for your intention. Lucky Father Perrot to have such
paymasters! Why can't we have such benefactors in Italy? If Italy has
any such paymaster, let him come forth and pay the seventy-five thou-
sand francs Father Rua must shell out for our missionaries in [South]
America, besides a nearly equal amount for the outfitting and travel
expenses of those who will soon depart. And why does such a benefac-
tor not step forth and pay the debts of our houses in Turin and of our
church and hospice in Rome? The reason is clear: in all France and
Italy there is but one Count Colle! And we bless our good God thou-
sands of times for the fact that you are here on earth to aid us, sustain
and support us in our crises. May God keep you both in good health for
many a year and grant you a long, happy life in reward for your charity
here on earth, and may He finally give you your great reward in your
heavenly home, where I have full trust we will all meet with Jesus,
Mary, and our beloved Louis, there to sing God's praises throughout
eternity."
In April 1885, accompanied by Father [Charles] Viglietti,18 he saw
the count again at Toulon and, before leaving, received from him the
sum of one hundred thousand francs for the church and hospice in
Rome and the missions. He intended to repeat his visit in September
during the Salesians' retreat. On August 18 he wrote to the count from
Mathi, where he had gone for a month to recuperate from his intense
weakness, or, as he put it, if possible to slow down his getting old. 19
"Our retreats nearly always start about August 1 and end about October
10. But I will not go to Nice or Toulon before the middle of September;
just when, I shall let you know. I am most anxious to see you, but I am
not sure I shall, because for this past month all my trips at Mathi have
been limited to going from my room to the garden, which is very close
to the paper mill. All I can tell you now is that my health is holding, but
I think I shall feel better when the weather cools down. Should my
issee Appendix 1. [Editor]
191..etter to Count Colle, Turin, July 14, 1885. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
condition keep me from traveling, I will keep you posted on our works.
Within this week you will have the papers for our hospice in Rome, and
Father Rua is completely at your service, ready to carry out your holy
desires in this matter. ''
The overall public health situation advised against holding the spir-
itual retreats at Nice. Don Bosco chose to stay for a month at the
Valsalice College [on the hills overlooking Turin]. From there he wrote
to Count Colle on September 27: "As you can see, I am half-blind and
you may find it hard to make out my writing. Forgive me and please
bear with me. I shall not fail to remember you and the countess every
morning during Holy Mass. 0 Mary, be our guide along the way to
heaven!" In December Father Rua went to Toulon and returned with a
precious packet from the count and a pretty little package from the
countess for Don Bosco. He answered the countess on December 24:
"Father Rua has given me the packet you know about and the little
canister of jujubes20 you so kindly sent me from your garden. I accept it
as a remembrance from my most loving and thoughtful Mamma. The
tea from the jujubes was excellent and helped ease my cough. Please
accept my sincere gratitude."
We would very much like to know how much money Father Rua
brought Don Bosco. Once again, from a letter dated January 15, we
can gauge the far-seeing providence of God in having Don Bosco forge
such a cordial relationship with Count Colle. "I speak of both of you
every day," Don Bosco wrote. "I might say every moment, but my
poor befuddled head allows me to write but a few words, so little
indeed in comparison to all I should be doing to thank you for so much
kindness and charity you show us. At this time you are not only the
mainstay of our houses and of the Salesians, but in these days prac-
tically our sole benefactors. Recently donations have dropped alarm-
ingly, especially for our houses in France and for our South American
missions. But our bountiful fundraiser, Mary, Help of Christians, is
beginning to come to our aid through extraordinary favors She grants in
Russia, Prussia and, most particularly, Poland. Father Rua will write
you about our hospice in Rome. Rome is an eternal city. Lots of talk,
lots of red tape and a penchant for doing things the slowest possible
way! Patience!''
In March 1886 Don Bosco went to Spain, passing through Nice and
20An edible fruit of any of several trees of the buckthorn family. [Editor]

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Count Louis Anthony Colle
79
Marseille. On March 26 he informed the count and the countess that he
would be calling on them. "Monday evening, please God, I shall be
with you," he wrote, "and we shall then discuss our affairs to our
hearts' content. If you could set up an altar, I would be very happy to
say Holy Mass in your home; otherwise I'll abide by your arrange-
ments." As something for the road, the count gave him eighty thou-
sand francs.
Correspondence resumed on July 25 when, far from well, Don
Bosco was being hosted by Bishop [Philip] Chiesa of Pinerolo at his
villa. From July on we have no letters until September 9, when Don
Bosco wrote, "I am back at Valsalice for another series of retreats and
a meeting on matters pertaining to our Congregation. Seventy directors
from as many houses were present. We spoke a good deal about you
and our projects." Then on September 23 he wrote: "Next week we go
to San Benigno Canavese where our novices have doubled in number,
obliging us to set up a new house for them in a hurry. " He was alluding
to the house at Foglizzo which had just been opened. In this, as ever, he
was thoughtful about keeping his more generous benefactors well
posted on what was happening, making them feel that they were per-
sonally involved in his undertakings.
We pick up the correspondence again on December 14, when Father
Lasagna, heading a missionary expedition, called on the count and
countess to pay his respects. He did not leave empty-handed. Don
Bosco then wrote to the pious couple: "Father Lasagna has written to
tell me about his visit to you and the kindness which you showered
upon them all with truly fatherly concern. They are now departing,
their hearts deeply touched, assuring me that they will hold you both up
in America as a model of Christian life. They are departing to win
souls for our beloved Jesus, while assuring their own salvation and
yours as well." Then, recalling their hospitality to the missionaries on
their visit, he goes on to say, "This is a dish which they shall offer you
both as you enter paradise: a very tasty dish, a golden dish adorned
with diamonds and filled with good works-among so many others,
your help to the Salesians in their mission of converting Indians and
sinners; it will enrich you both with joy without end." He then speaks
of a precious gift, which he calls "jujube," linking it to the fruit sent
him by the countess: "Your 'jujube' - what has become of it? Well,
being of excellent quality, it was shared as follows: first, fifteen thou-
sand francs to pay a promissory note sent me by Bishop Cagliero from

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
Patagonia; second, thirty-five thousand francs went to the Banca Ti-
berina for the Sacred Heart project; third, the rest was divided among
St. John the Evangelist Church and annex in Turin, San Benigno Ca-
navese and Foglizzo, where we have young men studying for the
priesthood. As you can see, every word in this letter calls for a com-
mentary, but let's put that off until we have time to talk over our affairs
in peace. I would like to write much more in witness to the love and
heartfelt gratitude all the Salesians profess for both of you, but my poor
head can hardly respond and the countess will have to kindly make out
my terrible scrawl."
We have little to go on concerning the count's donations through the
year 1887. On March 23, Don Bosco wrote to him about a recent
earthquake in Liguria: "I am most happy to tell you that in the recent
earthquake, not a single boy or Salesian was hurt. Considerable
damage, however, was done to the buildings; the house, school and
church at Vallecrosia were almost totally destroyed. But Divine Provi-
dence has always been our help and will not forsake us now." Quite
probably, the dispenser of Divine Providence was not unmoved by this
news. Two other sources are more substantial. One is a postscript of
Father Rua to a letter of April 8, in which he thanks the count for his
kindness to Father Perrot, who had gone to see him, most probably
because he was in need. The second concerns a sum of five thousand
francs for San Benigno, as we shall see in due time.
We now close this topic. It is impossible to tally up the sum total of
the count's donations, since we have no records and available docu-
mentary evidence is often vague, with countless gaps. As best as we
can ascertain, the total amount of Count Colle's charitable donations
come up to one hundred and twenty thousand francs a year, a sum that
fifty years ago was undoubtedly considered very outstanding.
Now let us tum to the various ways Don Bosco expressed his grati-
tude to him.
When they first met, the count was a lawyer and a Knight of the
Order of St. Gregory the Great, a title conferred on him by Leo XIII at
the recommendation of his bishop. It was Don Bosco's wish to make
him a Roman Knight, and once he realized that Count Colle would be
pleased with that honor, he renewed his efforts with greater energy. A
French Catholic of the old school, the count treasured this title of
nobility, not so much because it was noble, but because it was papal
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Count Louis Anthony Colle
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Don Bosco began working toward this goal back in June 1881, when he
wrote up a resume for the Holy Father and sent it to the bishop of
Frejus and Toulon, in order that he might certify its truthfulness and
add his personal recommendation. 21 The resume read:
Most Holy Father:
Turin, June 16, 1881
Foremost among the finest men who have distinguished themselves for
professing and prompting the honor and glory of our holy Catholic faith, with
no regard for human opinion in these times of ours, is Attorney Louis An-
thony Colle of Toulon, a scion of one of Toulon's most highly respected
families.
He is also son-in-law of Baron Buchet, army general and former senator of
France; zealous chairman of the Catholic Social Union Board in the Var
province; chairman of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in Toulon; founder of
the political-religious daily La Sentinelle du Midi, the only Catholic news-
paper in the Var province, and the founder and president of the Catholic Club
in Provence.
A man of considerable fortune, he constantly contributes to various char-
ities. In March of last year he generously donated twenty thousand francs for
the continuation of work on the Sacred Heart Church and Hospice on the
Esquiline Hill in Rome. Then, in September of the same year, learning that
construction funds were again running low, he made a second donation of
twenty thousand francs for the same purpose.
When accommodations for poor boys of the Salesian agricultural school at
La Navarre, near Toulon, became inadequate, he donated a further twenty
thousand francs with a pledge of eighty thousand more in the future.
This distinguished benefactor is presently a Knight of St. Gregory the
Great. However, in his keen desire to link himself and his family more closely
to the supreme head of the Catholic Church and more valiantly to prove
himself a defender of the Church, he would truly appreciate and cherish for
himself and his family the glorious title of Count of the Holy Roman Church.
He is prepared to pay all the usual secretarial fees.
Having already benefited from the count's financial support of several
hospices entrusted to us by Divine Providence, I humbly kneel at the feet of
Your Holiness and ask that you grant this favor.
Fr. John Bosco
21Letter to the count, Turin, July 3, 1881. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
Three months later, Don Bosco, seeing no results, enlisted the aid of
the cardinal vicar, who knew of Count Colle's generous donations to
the Sacred Heart Church. 22
"Count Colle of Toulon," Don Bosco wrote, "is very wealthy and
willing to make more generous donations to the Church. However, it is
necessary that Your Eminence ask the Holy Father to grant him the title
of 'Count.' I have already submitted to Your Eminence a formal ap-
plication and the recommendation of his bishop. If you feel it unwise to
approach the Holy Father directly in this matter, you might ask the
cardinal secretary of state to do so. He has already obtained this honor
for Catholics whose credentials were to all appearances less im-
pressive. I believe that the Holy Father will thus gladly encourage a
man who dedicates so much of his wealth to the welfare of the Church
while leading a fervent Catholic life.''
In December, Cardinal [Ludwig] Jacobini, secretary of state, took
the matter in hand and assured Don Bosco that the favor was as good as
granted. But, as Don Bosco wrote, "People say that Rome is eternal,
also in doing business. " 23
He was right. When he went to Rome in April 1881, he discovered
that no one had as yet moved a finger. On May 2 he wrote to his
"dearest, esteemed friend":
I am in Rome. I have already seen the Holy Father and spoken with him at
length about you and your wife. I told him of your contributions to the Sacred
Heart Church and to La Navarre, the laying of the cornerstone and other works
of charity performed by you and your wife. He listened with fatherly concern,
and then told me to inform you that he sends to both of you his apostolic
blessing with the assurance that he will pray for your well-being, and your
perseverance in God's grace. He then added:
"And the papal decoration you asked for?"
"Holy Father, I am still waiting," I answered.
"What? Oh, such negligence, such negligence! Go to Cardinal Jacobini
immediately. He will bring you up to date!"
Cardinal Jacobini, the secretary of state to His Holiness, received me imme-
diately, apologized for the delay and assured me that the papal brief would be
handed to me before my departure from Rome. Hopefully, I'll present it to
22Sampierdarena, September 14, 1881. [Author]
23Letter to the count, Turin, December 30, 1881. [Author]

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Count Louis Anthony Colle
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you in Turin. Head for Turin, then, my dear friends, for the feast of Mary,
Help of Christians. There I hope we shall have time to talk about our
undertakings.
The Calles did not go to Turin but sent their best wishes [for Don
Bosco's name day] on the feast of St. John the Baptist. 24 "It was a good
day," Don Bosco wrote on July 5, "a heartwarming celebration, and
several times I felt the tears well up in my eyes." But had the count and
countess come to Turin, they would have left without the papal brief,
even though it had been received some time earlier. In the same letter
Don Bosco continued: "This Roman brief may truly be called the
'Brief of Setbacks.' It was sent to me in Turin. I checked it and noticed
that it was addressed to: Comes Colle Dioecesis Taurinensis (Count
Colle of the Diocese of Turin). I immediately sent it back to Rome and
am now awaiting an amended brief." Finally, on July 19, a year after
the initial steps were taken, the brief arrived, and Don Bosco wrote,
"After endless waiting, I have this very moment received the Holy
Father's brief. One could not ask for more. However, I'd like it to be
handed over to you in an appropriate manner, and so I am instructing
Father [Peter] Perrot to make suitable plans to present it to you on a
chosen date. He will ask you whether you prefer that such presentation
take place at your villa or in Toulon or, better still, at La Navarre at the
inauguration of the new wing. Do as you and your wife think best."
There was need to point out the legal value of the title. Don Bosco
drew the count's attention to this on July 30. "As you will see," he
wrote, "the brief is a very precious document for you, your family and
the history of the Church. Here in Italy government authorization is
needed for anyone to assume a title or wear badges of honor. Since you
are a lawyer, I am sure you will know how to go about such things in
France. My only concern is that a document of this sort be presented
becomingly to you, with due publicity."
The "Consulta Araldica" [the Heraldry Guide] in Italy, which vali-
dates all titles of nobility, had no problems ratifying papal titles. Titles
of nobility had been abolished in France, but this never kept people
24At his baptism Don Bosco had been named after the apostle John, but in 1846 the Oratory
boys, believing his name to be John the Baptist-a very popular saint in Turin-began to
celebrate his name day on June 24, the feast day of this saint. See Vol. II, p. 381. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
from using them in private life. As a matter of fact, titles of nobility
still retain their value in the eyes of the public.
And yet, would you believe it, the problems plaguing the brief kept
coming back. Whether or not the original sent to Father Perrot got lost
on its way or was damaged somehow, a duplicate copy had to be
ordered from Rome, and that entailed another long wait. In the mean-
time, a strange thing happened. Don Bosco had written in the letter we
have just quoted: "I shall have to contact you for help sometime in
August, but in due time I shall write you quite frankly about it." He
did write to the count from San Benigno on August 28: "Here I am at
San Benigno Canavese, where I often speak of you and your wife with
Father Barberis, Father Rua,25 Father Durando and others who have had
the good fortune to make your acquaintance through us. But as I was
honored to write you some time ago, I am now in dire need of money
for our young men who are preparing themselves for the priesthood and
the foreign missions. If you, my dear count and countess, could help
me provide bread for my young men here and badly needed supplies
for our Salesians and boys at Carmen in Patagonia, you would really be
doing an act of great charity. Formerly, you yourselves offered your
charity; now I am requesting it. But please act quite candidly toward
me as I have acted toward you. If you can or cannot help out just now,
please say 'yes' or 'no' in all frankness. I need twelve thousand francs.
In the goodness of your heart, do what you can without inconvenienc-
ing yourselves. ''
The count sent half the amount. In acknowledging the donation Don
Bosco wrote on September 6: "Our biggest debt was to our baker who
had cut off all deliveries to our community at San Benigno. Our semi-
narians send you their heartfelt thanks and will pray fervently for you
and Countess Colle. Meanwhile we pray that Divine Providence will
come to the aid of our missionaries in Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego.
Father Barberis wishes to thank you personally in the name of his
pupils, all of them students for our foreign missions.'' Father Barberis,
in fact, enclosed in Don Bosco's letter a personal note of his own in
Italian.
All this was linked with the brief which had been relatively costly for
Don Bosco. Since he was already up to his neck in debts, he had tried
25See Appendix 1. [Editor]

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Count Louis Anthony Colle
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to solve this problem without letting anyone know of it. The count,
however, suspected that this was the case and so inquired about the
routine fees for such briefs. Don Bosco delayed answering until he
received the long-awaited second copy from Father Dalmazzo, pro-
curator general. Once it was in his hands, he sent it to the director at La
Navarre, with the following instructions:
My dear Father Perrot:
Turin, December 2, 1882
We have finally received a duplicate of the famous brief. Believe me, this is
a genuine historic document.
Two of you should go together to Toulon, or the Colle couple could make a
trip to La Navarre; this might pose problems right now. See what's best and
then act. But whatever you do, see to it that the brief is translated into French
and then given to the press.
Make it clear that while Attorney Colle will be titled "Count Colle," his
wife will become a countess.
Sincerest regards to the confreres and boys, for whom I wish good health
and holiness.
Pray for me, ever in Jesus Christ,
Yours affectionately,
Fr. John Bosco
Only after this did Don Bosco reply to the count's request about the
briefs fees. Don Bosco's letter is worth reading in its entirety.
My dearest friend:
Turin, December 13, 1882
Blessed be God amid both roses and thorns. After such a lengthy delay,
everything is finally in order and, late though it is, the brief has arrived and
has been sent to you with the Pope's blessing.
You asked me something I'd rather not talk about, but I will obey and
candidly tell you everything. You wrote: "Tell me quite frankly what fees I
owe to the pertinent Vatican office for this document. I do not want you to bear
that expense."
I'll tell you the whole interesting story. For things such as this, the Holy
Father has never in the past asked me for money. Months ago, however, the
Pope, referring to this brief, said to me, "It is all done. All you need do is to
see the secretary of state." He, in tum, kept telling me, "It's all done." But I
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
Finally my procurator general in Rome went to Cardinal Jacobini and
frankly asked what was delaying the delivery of the brief. He was told that the
fee was twelve thousand francs. He remonstrated, tried to see the Holy Father
about it, and at long last the fee was lowered to six thousand. Then the official
in charge wanted his share, too, claiming a registry fee of five hundred francs.
Wishing to act as a real gentleman, I found myself bankrupt and turned to you
for help, and you, surely inspired by God, sent the six thousand francs. So all
is paid up, and you don't owe anyone anything. My apologies for the patience
which I made you exercise in reading this story.
Good day, my dear Count Colle, my friend in the Lord and always! May the
Blessed Virgin protect you and the countess, keeping you both in good health
for a long time and finally granting both you and me the glory of heaven in the
fellowship of our beloved Louis for all eternity. Amen.
Pray for this poor priest who is affectionate as a son in Jesus Christ.
Fr. John Bosco
In reply the count sent him six thousand five hundred and fifty
francs. 26 On December 20 Don Bosco answered, "You sent us this
money as an act of charity. I accept it in the same spirit with deepest
gratitude. It will be used to feed and clothe our orphans and so I shall
ask the boys to pray for you, my most generous and dearest friend, and
for your wife that the Lord may grant you much joy on earth and
eternal happiness in heaven. How can I ever repay you? There is
nothing I can give or do for you to repay you properly. There is but one
thing and I will do it most gladly. God willing, I shall celebrate three
Masses on Christmas night, and our boys and clerics will receive Holy
Communion. They will be offered to Our Lord and to the Most Blessed
Virgin for your intentions and your wife's. "
As the count's donations increased, Don Bosco felt that he had to
show his gratitude ever more. With this in mind, he again sang the
praises of both Count and Countess Colle to Leo XIII in the spring of
1884, and the Pope kindly conferred another papal distinction upon the
count. Without giving the slightest hint, Don Bosco invited them to
Turin for the feast of St. John the Baptist rather than for the feast of
26The explanation for the additional fifty francs is found in Father Dalmazzo's letter and with
the second copy of the brief. "Here is the new copy of the brief for Count Colle. With some
difficulty I managed to get it redone for fifty francs." Since this added fee is usually recorded on
the back of such documents, Count Colle noticed it and sent the payment. [Author]

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Count Louis Anthony Colle
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Mary, Help of Christians, when he would be too busy with visitors. 27
They accepted his invitation, and, at the testimonial dinner, Don Bosco
had the countess sit at his right hand and the count at his left in the very
large dining room Then the surprise was sprung. Climaxing the fes-
tivities, Father Dalmazzo, who had recently come from Rome, read
out the count's citation as Commendatore of the Order of St. Gregory
the Great. It was a well-staged surprise, arousing the highest enthusi-
asm. After reading the citation, Father Dalmazzo embraced and con-
gratulated the count. He then handed the medal to Don Bosco, who
handed it to the countess to place about her husband's neck amid great
applause.
Ever true to himself, the count wrote to Don Bosco after his return to
Toulon, and signed himself as "a commendatore very willing to take
orders from Don Bosco.' '28
"Your words are quite clear," Don Bosco replied, "but you should
know that Don Bosco's pockets are always empty, and Father Rua is
forever looking for money! How will you find a way out? We shall
always do our best to be discreet in our asking and will at all times
happily accept what you so generously give to us to help us save souls.
You understand, dear count, that these last words are said in jest and
that my handwriting is hard to make out. God bless both of you, dear
count and countess! May Mary, Help of Christians keep you both in
good health and ever on the path to heaven. Our entire household-
priests, clerics and boys-sends its fond regards, asks for your prayers
and will receive Holy Communion for your intention tomorrow."
To show his gratitude to his benefactors he would often send them
little gifts which he knew they would like. As tokens of thanks to some
benefactors he would send bottles of choice wines or exquisite liqueurs
given him by patrician families of Turin. Hence he frequently sent
Count Colle some excellent vermouth. Replying to the count's first
note of thanks on August 30, 1881, he wrote: "A little vermouth is such
a trifle, but you were so good in graciously accepting it. I am very glad
that you were pleased with such a little thing." On receiving an ac-
knowledgment of another gift, he wrote on December 4, 1881: "I am
delighted to learn that the vermouth reached you safe and sound. It is a
mere trifle but the only way we can show our thankfulness to you and
27Letter from Father Barruel, Turin, May 21, 1884. [Author]
28Letter from Don Bosco, Turin, July 5, 1884. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
tell you we love you and very fervently pray for you." On January 18,
1885 he re-echoed his sentiments: "Offhand I am going to ask you a
simple question. Please tell me, 'Are you running out of vermouth?' As
you know, I am your supplier.''
But it was from his deep faith that he usually drew the means to
return a favor. No single letter of his omits to mention that prayers have
been said or would be said for his two great benefactors; on solemn
occasions he would stress it more expansively and fervently. Though
we have already seen samples of this, we will consider some which are
more meaningful.
On August 10, 1885, shortly before the feast of the Assumption, he
wrote the count and countess: "I believe that during this novena for the
Blessed Virgin's Assumption, you will not forget your poor Don
Bosco, who unfailingly prays every day for your spiritual and temporal
welfare. Throughout this novena we Salesians insistently ask the
Blessed Virgin to reserve, after a long life, a place for both of you near
Her in paradise."
On September 8, 1886 he began his letter with a reference to the
Nativity of Mary: "O Mary, our good Mother, give a very special
blessing on this day, when Catholics celebrate Your birth, to Your two
children, Count and Countess Colle. With all my heart29 I celebrated
Holy Mass this morning and our boys offered up their Holy Commu-
nions for your spiritual and temporal happiness. Please pray also for
me, for I love you tenderly as a son in Jesus Christ."
On September 21, 1886 he wrote to Countess Sophie Colle on her
name day: "I would truly love to be with you on this, your name day,
but I have to put it off for a while. Today I will limit myself to saying
Holy Mass for you, while our orphans will offer up Holy Communion
for your intention. We will pray that God will keep you and the count
in good health, peace and love to your last moment. Then may the
Blessed Virgin, escorted by a multitude of angels, take you with Her to
paradise along with your relatives and friends and poor Don Bosco who
loves you dearly in the Lord."
On October 22, 1884, the eve of the start of the novena for the feast
of All Saints, he wrote: "Tomorrow we shall begin the novena in honor
of All Saints. I would not have this day go by without presenting you
29'fhese words were underlined in the original French text. [Author]

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and your intentions to God. Among other things we thank God for
having kept you both in good health, and I am fully confident that the
Blessed Virgin will continue to protect you."
On November 29, 1881 as the feast of the Immaculate Conception
was drawing near, he wrote, ''I would not have this novena to the
Immaculate Conception pass without praying for you, dearest count
and countess. On the eve of this solemn feast, I shall say Holy Mass
and our boys will offer up Holy Communion at the altar of Mary, Help
of Christians for your intentions.''
On December 4 of the following year he wrote the countess: "Like a
loving son, who remembers his good Mamma every day in his prayers
to Our Lord, I do not want this novena of the Immaculate Virgin Mary
to pass without saying special prayers for you and Count Colle. On the
feast day itself, Friday, December 8, all the Salesians and their pupils
will offer prayers and Communions for you both. And what will Don
Bosco do? I shall say Mass for your intentions on that day. We shall
pray that the Blessed Virgin may keep you both in good health for
many years, always sheltered by Her grace and holy protection, until
we shall all be reunited with our beloved Louis and the angels in
paradise. "
He wrote again to Count Colle on December 4, 1883: "The entire
Salesian Congregation pays its respects to you. On Saturday we shall
celebrate a Mass at the altar of Mary, Help of Christians for your
intention, and the boys will receive Communion and pray for your
intentions. "
On December 23, 1883, in sending his Christmas greetings, he
wrote: "You know that the Salesians recite special prayers for you
every day, morning and evening, while I remember both of you every
morning during Holy Mass. But today I wish to offer you a present
which will certainly delight you. God willing, on Christmas night, at
midnight, I shall celebrate the customary three Masses for you. All our
Salesians and boys will pray and offer many Communions for your
intention. We shall address our prayers to the child Jesus, imploring
Him to grant you many consolations here on earth. May He keep both
of you in good health for many years, guiding you safely along the road
to paradise. "
On December 17, 1884 he wrote to both husband and wife: "The
Christmas novena has begun and we have no intention of forgetting
you. We are praying for both of you and for your health and safety

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
every morning and evening. Holy Mass will be celebrated for your
intention on Christmas morning that God may grant you a long and
happy life.'' He expressed similar wishes in other years at Christmas,
on New Year's Day and on the feast of St. Francis de Sales.
The correspondence we are running through has interesting side-
lights on the cholera epidemic which swept areas of Italy and France
from 1884 to 1886 and caused the already mentioned financial reper-
cussions. These happenings offered Don Bosco the opportunity to
express his gratefulness to Count Colle. The first cases of cholera were
reported in the summer of 1884. The count and countess had gone to
the Oratory for the feast of St. John the Baptist (Don Bosco's name
day), as we have already mentioned, but nothing was heard from them
after their return home. Don Bosco was worried, but when the news
did come, it was good news, and he replied on July 5: "Your welcome
letter was truly a message of consolation for us. We were all asking
about you and could get no answer. Father Rua, Father Cagliero, Father
Durando, Father Barruel and all the Salesians kept asking about your
trip, your health and where you were staying, but no one knew any-
thing until your welcome letter arrived. Now we know that you are in
good health and staying at La Farlede. Blessed be God. The overall
news of the public health situation is improving, and we are constantly
praying for both of you and all your friends that nothing will imperil
your health or your peace of mind. We shall continue to do so morning
and evening in our personal and community prayers. How fervently
and gladly do I pray for you! I remember you both every day at Holy
Mass."
Yet Don Bosco himself was far from well. The summer heat, which
had always been a drain on his strength, became ever more oppressive
in 1884. The doctors insisted that he should move to a cooler climate.
Bishop [Philip] Chiesa of Pinerolo offered him the hospitality of his
villa, and Don Bosco went there, accompanied by Father Lemoyne.
The bishop showered him with attention. Meanwhile Don Bosco fol-
lowed the spread of the epidemic30 with apprehension because it was
beginning to break out in the neighboring villages and the number of
victims kept increasing. "We trust in the assistance of Mary, Help of
Christians," he wrote to the count on August 11. "Still, our houses
30Don Bosco's letter to Count Colle, July 20, 1884. [Author]

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Caunt Louis Anthony Colle
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have been turned topsy-turvy by the epidemic. Boys who have parents
or relatives have gone home, but the poorer lads remain with us, and
we shall look after them and keep up their spirits. If nothing untoward
happens, we shall see each other toward the end of September; other-
wise, Divine Providence will guide us. All the Salesians and boys are
praying for you, and we have great faith also in the devout prayers of
both of you. "
He returned to the Oratory on August 23, and that very day wrote to
the count: "I have just now returned from Pinerolo in fairly good
health, praised be God. Turin is surrounded by cholera, but the city
itself is totally free of the epidemic so far. Thanks to God and to the
Blessed Virgin, all our houses have been spared this scourge. Our
priests, clerics and boys are praying and offering up Communions for
you and the countess. Thank you for the rosary you say for our inten-
tion. Our Lord and His Divine Mother will not let us repeat in vain:
'Mary, Help of Christians, pray for us.' "
But Don Bosco did more than pray; he mulled over an idea. "While
I was staying at Pinerolo," he wrote, "I seriously thought that if you
and the countess could come to spend the hot summer months at
Pinerolo, it would greatly benefit your health. Couldn't we find a cozy
little place for you through the summer? Let's keep it in mind for next
year."
However, nothing came of it. In fact, on August 10, 1885, Don
Bosco wrote: "I see in the papers that cholera is now threatening
France. I believe that La Farlede will be spared, but should you wish at
any time to come and stay for a while at Lanzo, which is totally free of
cholera, just give me a few days' notice, or even one day, and we will
have a cottage ready for you and your whole family." He more warmly
renewed this offer on August 18: "My dear, generous friend, we trust
that both you and the countess are well. All our Salesians and boys are
constantly praying that you may enjoy long life at La Farlede in health
and holiness. But should anything untoward come up and should you
wish to come and stay with us for a while, please feel free to do so.
You will be given a rousing welcome."
Don Bosco again spent some time with the bishop of Pinerolo in
July 1886, and from there he wrote on July 23: "I constantly think of
you and ask God to keep you both in good health for many years. The
Salesians are well. No cholera or other ills over here. Hence, if we can

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
do something for you, it will be a great comfort for us, and we shall be
unconditionally at your service. '' This oft-repeated invitation once
more showed Don Bosco's gratitude toward his distinguished
benefactors.
The exchange of visits, which we have already reported and which
we now re-emphasize so as to better understand Don Bosco's senti-
ments, resulted in demonstrations of gratitude on one hand and a
largess of charity on the other.
Don Bosco had stopped off in Toulon between March and April of
1883. On April 5 he wrote from Valence on the left bank of the Rhone
River: ''I always fondly remember the gracious kindness, attention and
generosity you have lavished upon me so many times, particularly
during the days I had the honor and pleasure of spending with you at
Toulon. My dear count, please know that in writing to you, I also
include the countess, whom we may now rightly call the 'charitable
mother' of the Salesians. In all their houses and undertakings, the
Salesians will never cease to pray for your health and well-being."
On June 10, he invited both of them to Turin for his name day,
saying, "We are keeping the feast of St. John the Baptist on the 24th of
this month, and if you can, please come to Turin for the occasion; you
will crown the festivities. I think we will have time to chat about our
own concerns and maybe take a little trip or two. However, should you
choose to anticipate or delay your visit, please feel free to do so, for I
have no engagements elsewhere during those days. The celebration of
the feast of Mary, Help of Christians was truly magnificent. I shall tell
you about it in Turin." The invitation was joyfully accepted. When
they left Turin, the count was not feeling too well. Don Bosco hastened
to write to him on July 7: "When you left us, my dearest friend, I was
quite concerned about your health; you had a bad cold and were cough-
ing. I trust in God that you are feeling better by now; still, I would
appreciate hearing from you. So please write a brief note and reassure
me.''
One of the trips Don Bosco had planned for them was to Borgo San
Martino, but that plan fell through, and so he wrote in the same letter:
"The celebration at Borgo San Martino was meant for both of you;
your accommodations, the choir, the band, the boys, the bishop-
everyone awaited you anxiously. I tried to assuage everybody by invit-
ing all to pray for you and your intentions.''

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At the beginning of 1884 Don Bosco eagerly anticipated his next
visit to Toulon. 31 As we have already stated, he went in March with
Father Barberis. The count and countess returned to Turin for Don
Bosco's name day, and on that occasion the title and insignia of Com-
mendatore of St. Gregory the Great were publicly bestowed upon him.
That same year, Don Bosco fervently hoped that they might come back
to attend Father Cagliero's consecration as bishop. "I would like to
make you a proposal,'' he wrote on September 7. ''It may be difficult,
but not impossible. The decision is yours. I believe you were informed
that our Holy Father Leo XIII will officially announce Father Cagliero's
elevation as bishop on the 13th of this month. He will be consecrated a
few days later. He is our first pupil to have attained this lofty office; he
will be the first bishop of Patagonia. He is also one of your proteges and
is quite fond of you. We are organizing a most magnificent tribute, but
there is one big thing we hope for. All of us-and I myself es-
pecially-wish to have you with us that day as godparents at this
solemn rite. Expressing the wishes of all, I now invite you formally.
However, my love for you and my concern for your health prompts me
to say that if you feel you may suffer from the trip, I will, at the cost of
a great personal sacrifice, insist that you both remain at home. This is
my sincere invitation, but feel absolutely free about accepting it or not,
even though we all profoundly desire to have you here with us."
The reply was what had been feared. Bishop Cagliero went to Rome
in December and returned to Turin on the 22nd, bearing the Pope's
special blessing for Count and Countess Colle. 32 He took it to them in
person, and was received with the most refined graciousness;33 in tum
they presented him with a gift of fifteen hundred francs. 34 Before the
end of 1883, Bishop Cagliero baptized a young Indian and named him
Louis Colle; he then sent the young man's photograph to Don Bosco to
pass on to the count. 35
Don Bosco saw the Colles again in April 1885 at Toulon; there he
arranged with them another visit to Turin on the occasion of the feast of
Mary, Help of Christians, transferred that year, for liturgical reasons,
31Letter to Count Colle, Turin, February 11, 1884. [Author]
32Letter from Don Bosco, Turin, December 17, 1884. [Author]
33Letter from Don Bosco to Count Colle, Turin, February 20, 1885. [Author]
34Letter from Father Bonetti to Don Bosco, Marseille, February 11, 1885. [Author]
35Letter from Don Bosco to the count, Turin, September 27, 1885. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
to June 2. 36 In the Colle home Don Bosco always felt much at ease
because of the Christian piety which reigned there. He voiced the
touching memories of his stay with them as follows: 37 "My earthly
paradise is still my room, or, rather, the room you set aside for me
during my stay in Toulon." As the day of their visit drew nearer, he
wrote again on May 26: "All the Salesians are waiting for your arrival
on the morning of the 31st. You have not told me whether you are
coming by way of Savona or Genoa. I do not mean to inconvenience
you in any way, but we shall be ready to welcome you at noon for
dinner or at any other hour. You truly will be the friends of Mary, Help
of Christians and the sponsors of our celebration. . . . Meanwhile I
have made a memento for you each morning at Holy Mass and shall
continue to do so until the day of your welcome arrival in our midst."
Don Bosco returned their visit toward the end of March 1886. It was
the last earthly meeting of these holy souls. Don Bosco was looking
forward to another meeting on a more memorable place and occasion,
as he wrote on March 22, 1887: "The tentative date for the consecra-
tion of the Church of the Sacred Heart in Rome is set for May 14;
afterward we could proceed to Turin for the feast of Mary, Help of
Christians on May 24. Is that agreeable to you? ... If it is, I shall send
you all the details you need to know. We will all await you on that date,
and we are praying for your health and long life; your poor, but most
loving Don Bosco never fails to make a special memento for you every
morning at Holy Mass." He wrote again on April 8: "I don't know
whether you have been receiving news from us of late because I have
been all but forced to stop my letter writing, except for strictly confi-
dential matters. The consecration of the Church of the Sacred Heart has
definitely been scheduled for May 13. I can travel only in brief stages
but hope to be in Rome on that day. I also hope to find you both in good
health, and to tranquilly enjoy being together again. From Rome we
shall return to Turin for the feast of Mary, Help of Christians on the
24th and shall continue talking about our own matters. "
Unfortunately, the count's health was also declining; his heart condi-
tion had again worsened more than ever. On learning this, Don Bosco
wrote him on May 12: "Your letter hit all of us like a thunderbolt,
36Letters from Don Bosco to the Colles, Turin, March 13; Nice, April 25; Turin, May 10, 1885.
[Author]
37Letter to the Colles, Nice, April 25, 1885. [Author]

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upsetting all our plans. But your health and your need to take every
precaution come before all other considerations. We can postpone our
get-togethers to some other time. I desire to go to Rome and pray at
length for you at the tombs of Sts. Peter and Paul, and I trust that Our
Lord will let you join us for the feast of Mary, Help of Christians at
Valdocco. All our prayers are for this intention. We will keep in touch
with you. May God's blessing be with us and may Mary grant us to
meet again in Turin. All our pupils are praying for you and expecting
you without fail, for your visit will bring them the greatest joy."
However, in a postscript, Father Rua gave the count some rather dis-
turbing news of Don Bosco's own health. Deferring the date of the
church's consecration, as Don Bosco had wished, so as to have the
count attend, was not possible, Father Rua stated. It was too late to do
anything about it since it had already been publicly announced that the
consecration would take place on May 14.
Don Bosco took the trip in slow stages. On arriving in Rome he
hastened to write to the count on May 1: "We are here in Rome after a
pleasant journey. My secretary, Father Rua, will let you in on the
details. If you cannot come, we shall pray fervently for your health.
Still, it is my firm belief that we shall see you in Turin, for it is
inconceivable to celebrate the feast of Mary, Help of Christians without
you. I say this only on condition that your health will permit it, because
it is precious to us. My return has been set for May 20 at the latest, but
I shall try to anticipate it by a few days. All our works [in Rome] have
already started; may God help us see them through! May God grant
you and the countess good health and lead you both on the path to
paradise. Amen." He signed himself "humble and loving as a son."
The count's reply was not reassuring, and Don Bosco wrote again on
May 12: "Your letter tells me that your health is far from being as good
as we would all earnestly desire. We, therefore, will continue to pray
and, as it were, do violence to the Lord and the Blessed Virgin. All the
boys in our schools are praying for you. Tomorrow Father Rua and I
will say Mass for you. Friday evening at six we have an audience with
the Holy Father, with whom we shall speak at length about you. . . .
On Saturday we shall have the consecration of the church and the
blessing of the Sacred Heart Hospice which I have so often recom-
mended to your charity. "
The Colle family was officially honored at the consecration cere-
mony; the three major church bells rang out the praises of the count,

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
the countess and their son Louis, whose names were emblazoned on
each of them with Latin eulogies38 composed by Don Bosco. His
handwritten draft is still preserved.
Don Bosco did follow his plan of anticipating his departure from
Rome. On May 18 we find him at Pisa, guest of Archbishop [Ferdi-
nand] Capponi. From there he wrote his last letters to his dear friends,
and we quote them in their entirety. In translating them [into Italian
from French], we have corrected the flaws in syntax which, together
with the painful scrawl, reveal Don Bosco's weariness of hand and of
mind.
Dear Count and Countess Colle:
Pisa, May 18, 1887
I believe you have by now received the Holy Father's commendation which
he added to the apostolic blessing he sent you. Let me just write a few lines to
you from the residence of the archbishop of Pisa, with whom I am staying and
who has asked me to send you his regards.
Tomorrow I leave for Turin, where we shall most assuredly pressure the
Blessed Virgin, Help of Christians, to restore you to your former good health.
All the Salesians pray incessantly for you and your wife.
God bless you both! May the Blessed Virgin guide you always in the path to
paradise. Amen.
With the affection of a son,
Fr John Bosco
P.S. During the lengthy audience which the Holy Father kindly granted me,
I found time to speak of you and your wife and of all the good works which
you are performing and which you help us carry out.
He is deeply grieved to hear that your health is not all we could desire
and he asks that many prayers be offered for you in the Church of the
Sacred Heart, especially during the novena and solemnity of Mary, Help of
Christians.
I have asked him to remember you in his Holy Mass and pray that you may
be in good health for a long time. He assured me he will do so. He has also
asked me to extend to you in his name a special blessing with a plenary
indulgence. Please bear with my scribble!
38Qmitted in this edition. [Editor]

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About a month later he wrote a long letter to the count, but forgot the
salutation. The effort to push his sluggish pen across the paper is only
too apparent.
Turin, June 14, 1887
I am writing from our Valsalice College which you honored by your visit;
this gives us frequent occasion to speak of you and your esteemed countess.
Should your health improve enough to allow you to visit us on the feast of St.
Aloysius and that of St. John the Baptist, your room and place at table are
ready.
A little rest will do you much good since the weather is pleasantly mild. Our
whole household is at your service. But our first concern is always for your
health, and I really don't know how you are feeling.
I honestly wish to spend some time with you and talk about our work in
Rome and San Benigno and about our missionaries. But this demands good
health of both you and the countess. All the Salesians are offering their
prayers for your health, and we are fully confident that they will be listened to.
The news from our missionaries has not been good, especially concerning
Bishop Cagliero. While journeying from Patagonia to Chile, he fell from his
horse and lay half-dead in the wilderness of the Cordilleras. Now he is safe
and sound after a month of living amid dangers, and, with all the others, has
arrived at the town of Concepci6n, where they have begun to labor for the
conversion of the savages.
In their letters our missionaries very often state that they always commend
themselves to your kindly prayers. For their part they assure me that never a
day goes by that they fail to recommend you and the countess to the prayers of
the savages, especially those who have been given your names at their
baptism.
God bless you both! May the Blessed Virgin guide you through all perils
until you reach heaven.
Father Rua and all the Salesians send their fond regards. I myself shall be
for all my days as a loving son.
Yours affectionately
Fr. John Bosco
The count probably asked Don Bosco to have novenas offered for
him, as we gather from his reply. He again omitted the salutation. The
countess was not well either.

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
[No date]
We shall offer a novena of prayers to the Blessed Virgin as you request-
not once but many times until God will grant our request, as your parish priest
at St. Aloysius keeps telling us. God grant it! The whole house is praying for
you.
Count Flayose de Villeneuve and his daughter, Ann Marie, are with us to
offer their thanks to the Blessed Virgin. We spoke a good deal about you, and
he has promised to pray with us for your complete recovery.
Dear St. John the Baptist, let it not be that we shall celebrate your feast day
without having obtained from God the count's complete recovery or at least a
considerable improvement of his health. Amen.
When you will kindly answer my letters, please do me the favor of writing
only these simple words: "I feel better" or "I do not feel better." I do not want
you to tax yourself with much writing.
We are also praying for Countess Colle and are fully confident that her
recovery will be complete.
O Mary, compassionate and loving Mother, pray for us and protect us.
Amen!
Humbly and gratefully as a son,
Fr. John Bosco
Learning from Father [Peter] Perrot that the count 's condition was
not improving, Don Bosco felt that he should send Father Rua to pay
him a visit, particularly since there were also matters he had to look
into at Marseille. "Father Rua," Don Bosco wrote,39 "knows your
intentions, your wife's and my own." On Father Rua's return, Don
Bosco wrote to the countess.
My dear Countess Colle:
Turin, July 26, 1887
Father Rua has told me of a slight improvement in the count's health.
Praised be God! We still keep praying. Let us hope the improvement con-
tinues, though even at a slow pace. My condition is just about the same. I'm
somewhat better but cannot walk unless supported by two people.
But you, my dear countess, are neglecting yourself. Look after our beloved
patient, but do not forget your own health.
My prayers every morning at Holy Mass will be for the count and for your
39Letter from Turin, July 7, 1887. [Author]

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Count Louis Anthony Colle
99
sister. Every day our orphans offer special Communions for your intentions at
the altar of Mary, Help of Christians.
O glorious St. Ann, obtain health, holiness and perseverance for all of us
until we reach paradise, paradise, paradise!
As a loving son,
Fr. John Bosco
A sudden remarkable improvement rebuilt their hopes. Don Bosco
quickly expressed his joy to the countess.
My dear Countess Colle:
Lanzo, August 14, 1887
Praised be God and thanks ever to the Blessed Virgin! This grace of Count
Colle's recovery is truly a marvel! Many times I said or wrote, "Please, God,
summon me to eternity, if this is according to Your will, but give Your son
Count Colle more time to continue helping our missionaries and our fledgling
Congregation." God has chosen to send me such happy news [as a prelude] to
my birthday!40 May the Blessed Virgin be always and ever thanked. This is the
most welcome news! Father Rua is also writing to you. Please be patient with
my awful scrawl!
May Mary protect us forever! Please continue praying for this poor priest,
who loves you as a son.
Fr. John Bosco
Later Father Rua's oral messages of the count's improvement were
corroborated by a letter from the director of La Navarre, and Don
Bosco hastened to congratulate his friend.
My excellent and dear friend:
Turin, September 6, 1887
God knows I hope that your condition will continue steadily to improve and
that both you and the countess will enjoy normal good health. We have always
prayed for this grace and shall particularly do so on the feast of Our Blessed
Lady's Nativity.
I am still at Valsalice. Father Rua is at our school in Este, directing the
spiritual retreat for the Salesians of Lombardy. He will join me on Saturday.
40Don Bosco's birthday occurred on August 16. [Editor]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
Father Perrot spent a few days here with us, and we spoke about your
recovery and the health of the countess and her sister.
God bless us and may the Holy Virgin guide us through all perils until we
reach paradise. My respects to all of you.
Humbly and lovingly as a son,
Fr. John Bosco
On October 20, Don Bosco conducted the clothing day ceremony for
ninety-four novices at Foglizzo. Count Colle paid for the cassocks.
This thank-you letter was the last Don Bosco wrote to the count and
indeed one of the very last he was ever to write.
My dear Count Colle:
Turin, October 17, 1887
Father Perrot has sent us your generous gift of five thousand francs to enable
our young clerics to don the clerical habit. The money went immediately for
this purpose, and their clothing day has been set for next Thursday. On that
day they will pray and offer their Holy Communions for you and the countess
for the continued improvement of your health. We shall also recite special
prayers for the other members of your family, living and dead.
Take heart! We shall continue praying for you! My health is improving.
Praised be God, and may the Blessed Virgin protect us!
I am only too happy to pray for you and your wife, and am always your
grateful, humble servant.
Fr. John Bosco
This distinguished friend and benefactor of Don Bosco preceded his
passing into eternity by only one month. A heart attack took him
almost suddenly on January 1, 1888. He had received Holy Viaticum
twice before during his precarious illness. Father Rua prepared Don
Bosco, who was also very ill, for this bad news. As he did for his other
distinguished benefactors, Don Bosco had already prepared a letter
scrawled in a trembling hand for both the count and the countess, so
that it might be rewritten and mailed to them after his own death. He
had signed himself ''as lovingly as a son'' and had added: ''I will await
you where the Lord has prepared our great reward-everlasting hap-
piness in the company of our beloved Louis. God in His divine mercy
will grant us this favor. Please remain always the mainstay of our

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Count Louis Anthony Colle
101
Salesian Congregation and the help of our missions. May God bless
you!"
The deceased count's charity did not die with his last breath, for his
will left to Don Bosco or, in his lieu, Father Rua a legacy of four
hundred thousand francs. However, the devil put a finger in the pie.
The holographic will, entrusted to the notary Marquand of Toulon, was
dated July 2, 1884 but the watermark of the legal paper on which it was
written bore the date 1886. A distant relative, estranged from the count
and barred from his home, seized this detail to contest the will. The
count, it is true, had kept a copy of the will. He had written it on
ordinary paper, but it was identical to the legal one in contents and
date. Unfortunately in his own hand he had written upon it: "This is an
exact copy of the will I entrusted to Monsieur Marquand. It becomes
effective if anything should happen to the holographic will I have given
to the notary. ''
Now in all reality the will written on plain paper was an original,
whereas the one on legal paper was a later copy. However, according to
law, this copy was to be considered as an holographic will. The con-
testor, instead, believing that either way the case was in his favor, gave
the following reasons to prove the invalidity of the will found in the
count's home: (1) A copy was no better than an original; since the
original was invalid, so was the copy. (2) According to the testator's
intention, the will in the count's home was to become effective if the
one deposited with the notary should disappear. But this was not the
case, and so also the copy kept by the count had no value whatsoever.
Fortunately, the civil court rejected the request to declare the will
null and void by basing its judgment on the fact that the copy of the will
which the count had in his keeping at home had incontestably been
written, dated and signed by the testator and contained the three essen-
tial requisites for the validity of a holographic will. It was therefore to
be carried out. This judgment was upheld in the court of appeals.
The widowed countess, worthy heiress of her husband, decided to
disburse immediately the sum left to Don Bosco, although a clause in
the will stated that all cash legacies were to be paid two years after her
own death. She was very glad when all the legal formalities were
completed. However, when everything was settled, the total legacy
amounted to only eighty thousand francs.
Count Colle's tomb bears an inscription from the psalms, an excep-

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
tional testimonial of Don Bosco's loving gratitude to his beloved and
blessed memory.
Three days before following the count to heaven, the evening of
January 18, 1888, when Don Bosco already found it extremely difficult
to express himself or to show that he understood others, a hushed
discussion was going on at his bedside concerning an epitaph for the
tombstone of the deceased count. Father Rua was suggesting: Orphano
tu eris adiutor (You will be a helper to the orphan), while Bishop
Cagliero proposed: Beatus qui intelligit super egenum et pauperem
[Blessed is he who is concerned for the needy and the poor]. Just then,
Don Bosco, who the bystanders thought was unaware of what was
going on, suddenly opened his eyes and forced himself to say: Pater
meus et mater mea dereliquerunt me, Dominus autem assumpsit me
[Though my father and mother forsake me, yet will the Lord receive
me-Ps. 27, 10, The New American Bible].
Divine Providence had entrusted to Don Bosco great charitable un-
dertakings, particularly on behalf of poor and abandoned youth. The
same Lord led Don Bosco to meet the man who, in times of extreme
need for the consolidation of his works, became his treasurer and the
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CHAPTER 4
From France to Rome
andfrom Rome to Turin
~EVERAL matters, some serious and ticklish, imperatively
required Don Bosco's presence in Rome, and so, on leaving France, he
bypassed Turin and continued on toward Rome. However, Easter was
approaching, when little or nothing could be accomplished there, and
so he spent two weeks visiting our houses in Liguria, taking advantage
of the good weather to go in search of funds.
On leaving Nice on March 27 [1881] along with Father [Celestine]
Durando and the cleric [Julius] Reimbeau, he first went to Vallecrosia
to visit a community of two priests, a cleric and two lay Salesians who
were then living in tight makeshift quarters while their residence was
being readied for them. Don Bosco and his companions were very
grateful to Chevalier [Joseph] Moreno who generously offered them
hospitality. Reimbeau gives his impression of the confreres' living
conditions as follows: 1 "Theirs is a truly edifying life. Their poverty is
such as to excite pity. As a member of the Society of St. Vincent de
Paul, I have often seen destitute families, but rarely any poorer than
they. It is hard to believe, but quite often for weeks at a time they live
solely on boiled vegetables seasoned only with salt, Still, they endure
their hardship with astonishing cheerfulness and never have I seen
jollier people. Their residence is no better than the huts in Patagonia;
their chapel and school are in an abandoned oil warehouse. The chapel
is so small that I could hardly breathe and felt as if I were choking.
Soon, however, they will be moving into some spacious quarters which
will make up for all their present discomfort. "
At Torrione it seems that the Lord wanted to reward our generous
1Letter to Father Barberis, San Remo, April 3, 1881. [Author]
103

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
cooperator's kindliness and glorify Don Bosco's holiness through
amazing healings. A relative of the chevalier, Mrs. Moreno, had been
bedridden for years; then, on the morning of March 31, a son of hers
suddenly fell into a coma. Medical intervention was ineffective and his
condition was judged critical. The news so deeply affected the mother
that she, too, rapidly began to worsen and was soon on the verge of the
grave. Without delay our confrere Father [Louis] Pesce administered
the last rites to her. Don Bosco, on hearing this, felt very sorry for his
good friend Chevalier Moreno and hastened to call on the family to
comfort them and their two patients.
The young man gave no sign of life, the mother was in her death
throes, and the doctor entertained no hope for them. Don Bosco visited
them both, praying a moment for each and giving each his blessing.
Wonderful to behold, the young man immediately stretched his limbs
and then peacefully fell into a tranquil sleep. By evening he felt so well
that he wanted to get up, saying he was very hungry. The mother, too,
immediately improved so much that before nightfall she was fully
recovered; in tum, her husband also sprang up from what was prac-
tically death to life. He was already a good Salesian cooperator, but
from that day on he became deeply grateful to Don Bosco and showed
it with generous donations. He had been blessed by God with a rich
estate.
While at Vallecrosia, Don Bosco wrote two letters-at least, that is
all we have. The first was addressed to the director of the Salesian
house in Nice.
My dear Father Ronchail:
Torrione, March 29, 1881
Please send Father Confort6la's2 letter to me at Alassio, as well as a letter
which I began and never managed to finish.
Either I or someone else left my cassock in the carriage which took us to the
station. Look for it, pack it, and send it as soon as you can to me in Turin. We
forgot Mrs. D'Aprotis' "Bellet."
Let me sum up the whole situation like this:
1. Your heaviest debts have been paid, but take note of the names of the
people I pointed out to you and keep in touch with them because they seem
disposed to help you.
2Faustinus Confort6la, the future director of the Salesian house in Florence. [Editor]

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From France to Rome and from Rome to Turin
105
2. When you can, drop in for a visit to Mrs. Daprotis, Mrs. Meda and Miss
Guigon.
3. If you feel a letter from me would help, let me know, and I shall send it.
4. Endeavor to summon your house chapter often, and insist that no one is
to strike the boys and that each one is to read the rules which apply to him. We
have much work to do, but we are short of personnel. Let us pray.
God bless you, my ever beloved Father Ronchail ! May He grant you good
health and may He bless all our boys and confreres. Best wishes to our friends
and benefactors.
In Jesus Christ,
Yours most affectionately,
Fr. John Bosco
P. S. I hope to see Father Cerruti3 tomorrow evening to discuss our problems
with him.
The "Bellet'' of Mrs. D'Aprotis was a case of wine named after the
vineyards producing it, which she had given to Don Bosco. It was
ninety years old. Don Bosco wanted to bring it to Rome and present it
to the Holy Father. The second letter was addressed to Father Barberis.
My dear Father Barberis:
Ventimiglia, March 29, 1881
1. I received the news about you and our dear boys. Let us bless the Lord in
all things. Every day I bless our dear Father Buffa and pray that God in His
mercy will spare him to me for years to come.
2. Tell the cleric Lucca that I was very pleased with his letters, that he
should go on, that I must have a little talk with him before presenting him for
orders, and that meanwhile he should be reassured of my benevolence and
fatherly love.
3. As for the work on hand, I have given Father Rua4 all authority; come to
an understanding with him.
4. All goes well with us, but we are overloaded with work. Keep praying for
us.
5. I am very glad that the spiritual retreat went off well. In this regard,
please tell our dear clerics and priests-Father Piscetta and Father Merigi
3See Appendix 1. [Editor]
4See Appendix 1. [Editor]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
individually-that I am looking for giants of virtue and that at least the two of
them should manage to work miracles. Without that I can't make progress.
God bless us all and keep us in His holy grace. Pray for me, always in the
Lord,
Yours affectionately,
Fr. John Bosco
Father Buffa died the following April 7 at San Benigno. Forced to
interrupt his studies in his second year of junior college, afflicted by
various illnesses and a period of troublesome life, he finally found
peace with Don Bosco who invited him to spend a few months at
Varazze and at Alassio, and finally admitted him to the novitiate.
Aware that the young man's days were numbered, Don Bosco speeded
up his admission to sacred orders for the priesthood without much
difficulty, thanks to the benevolence of Bishop David Riccardi, the new
ordinary of the diocese of Ivrea. The chronicle of the house at San
Benigno states: "The memory of Father Buffa shall never fade away
from those who were privileged to know him and marveled at his
outstanding virtues. "
On the evening of April 1, Don Bosco and his two companions
proceeded to San Remo, where they were met by the director of Al-
assio, Father Cerruti, who, after welcoming them, returned to his
school. They were guests of the Visitation Nuns, among whom was a
niece of Father Julius Barberis.5 There Don Bosco had occasion to
meet a very wealthy English lady who had recently been converted to
the Catholic faith. In response to his request, she said she was willing
to help our work at Vallecrosia, though she admitted it would truly
please her if a Salesian house would be founded in her native England.
Don Bosco stayed at San Remo about four days, hosted far beyond
his expectations by the sisters. Rest and fresh air worked wonders for
his precarious health. "I am thrilled," wrote the cleric Reimbeau, "to
see how salutary was his brief stay at San Remo. He received just a few
visitors, worked undisturbed in his room, talked with no one and just
rested. Today he feels really great. The Visitation Nuns truly treat him
as he deserves. ''
On April 4, the day he left San Remo for Alassio, he sent this memo
to Father Rua: "Do you think you might possibly act as my guardian
5See Vol. XII, p. 352. [Editor]

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From France to Rome and from Rome to Turin
107
angel when I go from Sampierdarena to Rome? Our stopovers would
be shorter, and I would feel very relieved, while at the same time you
could see things first-hand. Let me know." What other answer could
Father Rua have given but, "Whatever pleases you pleases me!" Every
wish of Don Bosco was an unquestioned command for Father Rua.
Before leaving for Rome, Don Bosco felt that he had to see the main
superiors, among them Father Cagliero, who was continuing his
priestly apostolate in Utrera, Spain. 6 He therefore wrote to him from
Alassio:
My dear Father Cagliero:
Alassio, April 6, 1881
I do not know if this letter of mine will ever get to you. In any event, if you
can come to Sampierdarena on Wednesday of Holy Week, Father Rua will
also be there and we can have a little meeting. He will accompany me on my
visit to our houses at La Spezia, Florence and Rome, and probably, on our
way back, at Lucca, Este, Venice, and so on. I plan to be in Turin on May 6 to
celebrate the feast of St. John at the Latin Gate.7
My head is spinning around, yet I must keep moving. I am hoping Father
Rua will bring me relief. Remember me to Father Branda, Father Pane, Father
Oberti,8 the music teacher, and the chef, Goitre. 9
Our house in Florence was inaugurated on March 4, and Father Confort6la
is doing wonders.
We did very well in France, also for the Sacred Heart Church and Hospice.
Have you and Father Branda managed to get things moving?
Offer my respects to Marquis [Diego] Ulloa and his family and to the
archbishop, whom we await in Turin.
God bless you all. Pray for me.
Yours affectionately,
Fr. John Bosco
6See Vol. XIV, p. 315. [Editor]
7According to legend, this church was built on the spot where the apostle was dipped into
boiling oil. It was constructed by Pope Gelasius (t496). A recent examination of the edifice
confirms that this might have been so. The first mention of St. John ante portam Latinam goes
back to the end of the eighth century when Adrian I (t795), the Pope who reconstructed nearly all
the churches of Rome existing at that time, restored it completely. [Source: Guide to Catholic
Italy, p. 571, edited by Msgr. Pietro Barberi and Rev. Ulisse Pucci, Holy Year 1950 Publishing
Co., Rome, Italy-Editor.]
8See Appendix 1. [Editor]
9Michael Goitre, a lay Salesian. [Editor]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
He also sent Father Dalmazzo a list of instructions. The third one we
shall have to discuss later on.
My dear Father Dalmazzo:
Alassio, April 6, 1881
Father Rua will meet me here on Holy Wednesday and then will accompany
me to Rome. We shall stop briefly in Florence, from where I shall write to let
you know the date and time of our arrival [in Rome]. In the meantime:
1. In the event we cannot go directly to our new residence, 10 please see to it
that we have decent lodgings, even if we have to incur some expense.
2. Make some contacts which possibly will get us some financial help for
the Sacred Heart Church and Hospice. Get in touch with Rome's municipal
authorities, the Minister of Finance, who is a parishioner of ours, 11 the Minis-
ter of the Interior, the Minister of Grace and Justice and the 'freasurer's Office.
3. Canon Colomiatti, the fiscal attorney, insists that we settle Father Bonetti's
case. I told him that he alone can do it:
(a) by revoking Father Bonetti's suspension;
(b) by dismissing the charges brought to Rome against him.
Let's wait and see. We shall discuss this in Rome.
4. At your convenience, call on Mr. Alexander Sigismondi and tell him that
I could not celebrate the feast of St. Matilda12 on the day itself this year, but
that important celebrations can be postponed. I wish that this occasion be
graced with at least a bottle of choice Cyprus wine or some other select wine.
5. Did you receive the twenty thousand francs I sent you from-~ for
the Sacred Heart Church? I trust that more is on the way.
-
6. Heartiest regards to the Oblate Sisters and their mother superior; also to
the Vitelleschi family, to Commendatore Morello, Chevalier Vignolo, and the
others. Mr. Moreno can advise you and show you how to apply for funds to the
above-mentioned cabinet ministers.
Pray for me often, my dear Father Dalmazzo. God bless you. Always in
Jesus Christ.
Yours affectionately,
Fr. John Bosco
10'fhe new treasury building was only a short distance away from the Sacred Heart Church.
[Editor]
11A Vatican expediter who always hosted Don Bosco during his visits to Rome until Father
Dalmazzo, upon being appointed procurator general of the Salesian Congregation with the Holy
See, set up his residence in an apartment which the Oblates of St. Frances of Rome had reserved
for Don Bosco's use at Tor de' Specchi. See Vol. XIV, p. 299. [Editor]
12Mr. Sigismondi's wife. Formerly the feast was observed on March 14. [Editor]

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P.S. Next Sunday I give a fund-raising sermon at San Remo and then leave
for Varazze and Sampierdarena.
Don Bosco's last thought was for Father Berto, to whom he sent a
list of some ten errands to do, interspersed with a humorous quip or
two to perk up his usually cheerless spirit.
My dear Father Berto:
Alassio, April 8, 1881
I need Father Rua's company on my visit to several of our houses to support
me in a few thorny issues. However, there are several things I need you to do.
1. Update Father Rua on the outstanding legal problems we have pending in
Rome by providing the documents pertaining to the Marseille novitiate, to the
three requests which were turned down, and to the Sacred Heart Church.
2. Please get me a pair of shoes which won't squeak, my summer cloak, a
few handkerchiefs, my spring breviary, a few French circulars and an ade-
quate number of Italian ones on the Sacred Heart Church.
3. Pack all these things and whatever else you feel I'll need into your
suitcase and go to Sampierdarena next Wednesday with Father Rua. 13 There
we shall discuss several things it's best not to put on paper, and then I shall
give you instructions for your guidance during Father Rua's absence and mine.
After that you can return to Turin with Reimbeau and supervise the sowing of
the beans. 14
4. Confidentially, we have some very serious business on hand and there-
fore urgently need many fervent prayers and Communions.
5. If the printing of our privileges is finished, ask Father Rua to bring some
copies with him, for my own use and that of the houses we visit.
6. God bless you, my ever dear Father Berto! God keep you steadfast in His
holy grace! Pray often for me. Always in Jesus Christ.
Your friend,
Fr. John Bosco
P.S. Remember me to our friends. 15
Two items merit further attention: the Sacred Heart circulars and the
booklet of privileges; we shall speak of them in Chapters 13 and 14.
Don Bosco left for Alassio toward evening and arrived at dusk. Both
13Holy Wednesday, April 13, 1881. [Author]
14The young Salesian postulants. See Vol. XIII, p. 678. [Author]
15The boys who prayed for him and the successful outcome of his business. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
superiors and boys went in small groups to meet him. To the first group
he said in jest: "You have come to meet Don Bosco with clubs and
lanterns." Father Peter Giordano writes: "Whenever he came to Al-
assio, he was always given a joyous rather than a triumphant welcome,
especially by the boys and Salesians." Later he adds, "Don Bosco's
passing through Alassio was always a treat for us Salesians and boys, a
joyous treat!'' Hard pressed by the grave need of funds for the Sacred
Heart Church, he made an appeal in the parish church, after which
Father Cerruti and the parish priest Father [Francis] Della Valle took up
a collection. Father Giordano has passed on to us an important recol-
lection of his. While speaking of Pius IX, Don Bosco claimed that the
Pontiff, during his last illness, had sent him word to come and pay him
a visit and lamented his lack of response, but as we stated in Volume
XIII, 16 the Vatican doors were strongly barred to Don Bosco. He men-
tioned this to several Salesians who were having coffee with him in the
dining room, among them Father Giordano, who believes he remem-
bers Don Bosco's precious words. According to him, Don Bosco said:
''What grieves me most is that I came to know that the Pope, not seeing
me, said to one of his attendants, 'When Don Bosco needed me, he
was quick to come over, and I welcomed him as a father greets his
beloved son. Now that the Pope needs him, he makes himself
scarce!' " As he said this, his eyes welled up with tears, and he said
nothing more. 17
Upon arriving at Alassio From San Remo, Don Bosco found the
school's direction very disturbed by a recent event. From the school
year 1878-79 on, Salesian Father Matthew Torazza used to go from
Alassio every day with another teacher to the municipal school of
Laigueglia [Savona]; they would have dinner there and return home in
the evening. Because of that teacher a terrible uproar broke out in
I6Pages 367f. [Editor]
17Letters of Father Giordano, Alassio, November 30 and December 9, 1932. That year, 1932,
in a special issue of their official bulletin commemorating the seventy-fifth year of their founda-
tion, the Conceptionists published an article by Father Spreafico, a Barnabite, and historian of his
congregation. He claimed that Don Bosco chose to butt into the Conceptionists' affairs in order to
change their rules and for that reason Pius IX refused to grant him other audiences. What we
published in Volumes XII and XIIl18 shows that Pius IX himself had instructed Don Bosco to
undertake the reform of that congregation. As for the other allegation, Father Giordano's testi-
mony substantiates what was said elsewhere19 about the obstacles blocking his approach to the
Pope. [Author]
18See the Index of these two volumes under "Conceptionists." [Editor]
19See Vol. Xill, pp. 104, 233f, 367f, 381f, 673f. [Editor]

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Laigueglia at the beginning of April. The anticlerical newspaper, Il
Secolo of Milan, lost no time in publishing a telegram from Alassio,
alleging that a Salesian priest belonging to the community which
staffed the Salesian boarding school in Alassio had sexually abused
boys at the municipal school of Laigueglia, where he was teaching.
The telegram was followed by another which confirmed it and aggra-
vated matters by insinuating that Don Bosco had gone to Alassio to
hush up the whole affair lest the indignant parents withdraw their sons
from the boarding school. After an investigation, L' Osservatore Cat-
tolica of Milan20 rebutted the charges that had been inspired by malig-
nant rumors circulating in that part of Liguria, which even attacked
Don Bosco personally. Father Cerruti sent a telegram to the slander
sheet, stating that the Salesian boarding school of Alassio had nothing
to do with the immoral goings on at Laigueglia, that the accused
teacher was not a Salesian, and that it was not true that parents were
withdrawing their children. As demanded by law, the anticlerical paper
was forced to publish the telegram, and from then on it never again
ventured to bring up this touchy topic.
To divert Father Cerruti from the hurt of these events, Don Bosco
took him along to Porto Maurizio, where he hoped to raise consider-
able funds. There they were hosted by Canon Fabre, a friend of Don
Bosco, and spent two nights at his home. Accompanied by the well-
known lawyer Ferraris, Don Bosco went knocking from door to door,
but with little success. Still, calmly and smilingly, he jested about the
lean funds he received and even about the rebuffs he met with.
This unshakable cheerfulness of his, which never forsook him, he
also demonstrated once while having dinner with his host. On the last
day of his visit, two young nieces of the canon joined them at table, and
one of them, somewhat of a flirt, did not object when a young man
sitting beside her made remarks which, though not suggestive, were at
least unbecoming. To forestall further embarrassment, Don Bosco re-
marked in a friendly way that he remembered a sonnet he had memo-
rized in his youth which punned on the words ''donna'' and ''danno, ''
woman and woe. He recited the first quatrain very slowly. The young
lady, hurt to the quick, wildly snapped, "How dare you, a guest in our
house, poke fun at us?" Ignoring her rude interruption, Don Bosco
20Number 88, Saturday-Sunday issue, April 16-17, 1881. [Author] ·

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
kept up his slow, deliberate recitation, while the young lady smoldered
but dared not add anything to her insolent outburst. Nor did the young
man dare continue to dally with her. As we shall see later, this incident
too had a happy ending.
Leaving Father Cerruti at the canon's home that evening, Don Bosco
again set out in search of funds with Mr. Ferraris. A certain Mary
Acquarona lived in Porto Maurizio. A bedridden spinster who had been
afflicted for well over ten years by an incurable spinal affliction, she
was well known in the city. At first she had intended to send Don Bosco
her contribution, but, on second thought, decided to ask him to drop in
for a visit and give her his blessing. Don Bosco obliged and received a
very warm welcome. Her sister and brother-in-law, an attorney named
Ascheri, happened to be with her as Don Bosco came in and briefly
told him of her affliction and of her doctor's diagnosis. Exhorting her
to put her trust in Our Lady, Don Bosco blessed her and asked her to
say certain prayers after he left. He then went into another room and
lingered a while conversing with two lawyers. As he was about to
leave, the sick woman, fully dressed, walked into the room and told
them she was free of all pain. Her brother-in-law called it a miracle,
and all felt deeply moved. Then the woman, who had not stood on her
legs over those many years, escorted Don Bosco to the door, telling
him that she would say good-bye later at the railroad station, though
Don Bosco asked her to not go out and cause a sensation. He then.
returned to Father Fabre's home and, very much as a father would talk
to his son, he very simply told Father Cerruti this incident, adding, "I
am not happy about her intention to see me off at the station! It will
create such a stir! Patience! God's will be done!" Then, with a gen-
tleness that moved the priest to tears, he continued: "Yet I rejoice, my
dear Father Cerruti, that in your overwhelming grief you have been
given such comfort. When you sing St. Joseph's hymn and come to the
words, miscens gaudia fletibus [blending joys and sorrows], say it
wholeheartedly, for that's the way life is!"
The news of the miracle had a profound effect also on the canon's
niece. Very humbly she called on Don Bosco, knelt before him and
asked his pardon for the unpleasant scene at dinner.
A big surprise awaited Don Bosco at the railway station. The news of
the healing had spread about town like wildfire, and a vast crowd of
people had gathered to see Don Bosco. The lady, who had been driven
there by coach ahead of Don Bosco, was tranquilly pacing up and

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down the station platform, as all eyed her with wonder. Seemingly
unable to credit their own sight, they kept asking her if she were really
Mary Acquarona. "I myself saw her," Father Cerruti testified at the
process [of beatification], ''and I must admit that I would never have
guessed that she had been ill at all, so healthy did she look!"
The lady was there waiting to thank Don Bosco again. On arriving at
the station, Don Bosco gently remonstrated with her for not having
listened to him and pleaded with her to return home. Apologizing, she
handed him a sealed envelope containing one thousand lire. Don Bosco
then withdrew into the station's waiting room, but the crowd followed
him.
As the train rumbled into the station, Mr. Ascheri loudly called upon
Don Bosco to impart his blessing on everyone present. They all knelt.
Don Bosco obliged and then boarded the train with Father Cerruti for
his return trip to San Remo. Their curiosity aroused, the passengers
had managed to learn during their brief halt in the station the reason for
the unusual crowd, and as soon as the train started off again, every-
body was talking about it, venturing various opinions. A young man
seated in Don Bosco's compartment exclaimed, "I have no faith either
in miracles or in God."
"But you would believe in facts verified by witnesses," Don Bosco
retorted. "To do otherwise would be unreasonable." He then began to
recount in detail how that woman had been healed instantly by no more
than a blessing. The young man listened attentively, and then Don
Bosco asked him how he could explain the fact without recourse to a
supernatural intervention. After slipping in a few stringent arguments
for God's existence, he continued: "Well, then, isn't there a being
superior to us?"
"Obviously one has to admit that," the young man answered.
"And what follows then?"
"I'd rather not think about it."
"Why not?"
"Because . . . I have no wish to change my way of life. I say that
very honestly. But who are you?"
"There is no need for you to know," Don Bosco replied, for no one
knew him there. The train was just pulling into San Remo and he got
off.
He was returning to San Remo for a meeting he had announced five
days before in a circular addressed to the "well deserving citizens" of

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
the town. Funds for the Salesian work in neighboring Vallecrosia had
run out. Now, organizing a drive, he formed a committee of thirty-six
men and women of San Remo who volunteered to solicit donations
from their charitable friends. They also spoke highly of him to draw
people to his conference, and their praise was very effective. The
Protestants had spread religious indifferentism far and wide over this
entire beach and health resort, and yet people not only jammed into St.
Sirus' Church, but filled the entire square facing it, all anxious to hear
Don Bosco. Father James Margotti,21 a native of San Remo who knew
the town well, declared that just being able to draw such a crowd from
a population so indifferent to anything religious was in itself one of
Don Bosco 's greatest miracles.
At the end of his talk, Don Bosco announced that he would person-
ally come around for the collection, adding, "You may think it strange
to see a priest go begging through the congregation, plate in hand, but
when I look at the crucifix and think of all Jesus did for our salvation, I
gladly do it for His sake." The collection amounted to eight hundred
lire. At the beatification process Father Cerruti recalled how touched he
had been by the sight of Don Bosco, tired, worn out, and haggard
when he returned to the sacristy. Still, he sat there and welcomed a
large number of people who wanted to talk to him or personally put
their offerings into his hands.
The same day he returned to Alassio. While there, he drew up a
document showing his watchful concern to strengthen and preserve the
bonds of unity in his Congregation. As we have already said,22 Father
Cerruti had been appointed provincial of the houses in Liguria and
France. Both to ease his work and safeguard his feeble health, Don
Bosco had chosen Father Louis Rocca to be his vicar or vice-director.
This office, also found necessary in the San Carlos boarding school at
Almagro [Buenos Aires], was something new, never mentioned in the
rules. To make it a normal and uniform directive, Don Bosco drew up
the following articles:
Office of the Vice-Director
1. The vice-director shares with the director all matters concerning the
running of the house and takes his place during his absence.
21Founder, editor and publisher of the Catholic weekly Unita Cattolica. [Editor]
22see Vol. XIV, pp. 25f. [Editor]

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2. He is entrusted with the religious, moral and disciplinary care of both
boarders and day students and is particularly responsible for their conduct. He
shall therefore give watchful attention to this duty and keep in touch with the
prefect, the catechist, the prefect of studies, the teachers and assistants, so as
to keep informed of the exact situation of the house and prevent or remedy
disorders, while strongly fostering piety, morality and discipline.
3. With the prefect of the house he shall every Sunday look over the weekly
scholastic grades given to him by the prefect of studies and the grades given of
conduct in the dormitories given to him by the catechist.
4. He shall also inquire into any discipline problem occurring during the
week in church, on the weekly promenade, in the dining room and in the
playground.
5. He may register pupils and hire domestic help, following established
policies and particularly inquiring into their religious and moral background.
He shall then pass this information on to the prefect, who will note it in the
postulant's ledger.
6. Every month he and the director shall fill out the appropriate report of the
house's status.
7. He shall also be responsible to enforce Articles 8 and 10 of the Regula-
tions for the Director as in the Acts of the General Chapter, namely:
Article 8: Every day the director shall diligently go through the house to
monitor its operation; he shall check out the dormitories, kitchen, dining room
and wine cellar. This is the way to forestall disorders.
Article 10: He shall keep a list of all friends and benefactors of the house in
order to invite them to religious celebrations, school assemblies, award cere-
monies, and such events.
8. Save for urgent and exceptional cases, he may not expel pupils or
employees or change the duties of teachers and assistants without the consent
of the director, who is in a special way responsible for the overall running of
the house, the religious and moral care of the confreres and all relations with
the students' parents and church, civil and school authorities.
9. All confreres and pupils are always free to appeal to the director for any
reason whatever.
From Alassio he went on to Sampierdarena, where he met with
Father Rua and other members of the superior chapter for a couple of
days of meetings. We have only one incident to narrate of this visit as
related by Father [Joachim] Berto, who testified to it at the process of
beatification. A Genoese lady, whose name he withheld, was living in
complete discord with her husband, who for the past twelve years had
never addressed a kind word to her but turned to his daughter for

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
whatever he needed. At meals he never spoke to his wife, nor did he
ever show the slightest concern for her. In his chronic surliness he also
gave up Mass and prayers. Family life became unbearable.
Embittered and hopeless, the woman went to Sampierdarena to beg
Don Bosco for his prayers and comforting words. But on her arrival,
he was indeed so busy that he told her immediately, "I really cannot
give you much time." Hardly had the woman begun her tale of woe
when Don Bosco interrupted her with the words: "Give your husband
this medal," and then graciously ended the interview.
This hasty, though kind, dismissal was due to reasons we can easily
surmise. But who could fathom the woman's anguish at finding herself
deprived of this longed-for help? Meeting Father Albera, the director,
she held out the medal to him, saying: "How can I give this to my
husband? He no longer prays. He will only throw it heaven knows
where.'' The director exhorted her to follow Don Bosco's advice liter-
ally, but she pleaded lack of courage. Father Albera did not relent.
"Very well," she replied. "I'll do it, come what may."
One Saturday evening after supper at their summer cottage, the lady
worked up courage and told her husband that she had seen Don Bosco,
and that he had promised to pray for her family and had given her a
medal for him. Flustered with rage, the husband cried: "What? A
medal!" He then stormed out and went to his room, his wife fearfully
following him. Finding himself face to face with her, the husband
suddenly broke down in a flood of tears, sobbing that it was time to end
their quarrel. He hugged her and promised that he would be a new
man. The following day, to everyone's astonishment, they were seen at
Mass together. Peace had been restored to the family. Father Albera
thus testified from his own experience to the efficacy of Don Bosco's
advice.
From the correspondence we have cited, it is quite evident that Don
Bosco did have his own good reasons to take Father Rua with him to
Rome, one of the most important being the Sacred Heart Church.
Someone had to look into the contracts signed by the previous admin-
istration with the suppliers of construction materials, keep in touch
with the architect, examine the layout of the hospice and come up with
ways and means of raising funds-a huge amount of work which
Father Rua could do to make it possible for Don Bosco to look after
other business. Among his immediate concerns were the steps he had

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to take to obtain the privileges customarily granted to religious con-
gregations and the weighty problems affecting Father Bonetti and the
girls' festive oratory at Chieri. 23 We regret, however, that what little
information we managed to collect here and there in no way reflects the
broad-ranging activity engaging Don Bosco; in fact we have scarce
knowledge even of matters which did not require a precedent silence.
Father Rua should be the single source we might draw from, but
unfortunately all we have is one letter and three hastily written notes to
Father Lazzero. 24 Evidently [as a member of the superior chapter], he
too was taken up with concerns far more important than forwarding
news to the Oratory.
Don Bosco and Father Rua arrived in Florence on the evening of
April 16, the vigil of Easter, and stayed there three days. Father
Faustinus Confort6la had been living in a very shabby small house on
Via Cimabue since March 4,25 and had done his best to attract as many
boys as he could to daily catechism classes and to the festive oratory.
The house was so small that there was no room at all for even one
guest, and hence Don Bosco continued to accept the hearty hospitality
offered him by Countess Girolama Uguccioni. On Easter morning,
being himself detained at home by visitors, he asked Father Rua to
celebrate Mass in the little festive oratory chapel, and he went there
himself that afternoon to give Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacra-
ment, assisted by Father Rua and Father Confort6la. Afterward, he
gave the boys a generous amount of candy which a kind-hearted bene-
factress had provided for them.
Of course, he wisely used this occasion to make friends with the
youngsters. That afternoon he called on Archbishop Eugene Cecconi,
who until then had been unable to receive him because of the Easter
services at the cathedral. The remaining two days he spent calling on
benefactors and, as we shall see later, looking after business matters.
On the last day, he declined all invitations so that he might dine with
his Salesians. During his stay in Florence he met a great number of
people and left behind him, as it were, a luminous trail which we are at
a loss to identify as admiration for his charming friendliness or rever-
23See Vol. XIV, pp. 170-190. [Editor]
24See Appendix 1. [Editor]
251t is still [1934] to be seen at Via Cimabue, No. 31. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
ence for the holiness which radiated from his countenance, his speech,
his whole manner. 26
Our travelers arrived in Rome the night of April 20. Both before and
after their stay in Florence they met many people who either were
Salesian cooperators or asked to be enrolled in their number. This time
Don Bosco no longer resided at Tor de' Specchi, but found adequate
lodgings in a small house which had been purchased near the Sacred
Heart Church. Father Rua describes the house as follows: 27
Our residence in Rome is as comfortable, pleasing and healthy as can be. It
is probably one of Rome's most salubrious quarters, free of malaria even in the
summer. However, even here we face difficulties with the Protestants. One
would think that the Lord has picked us to fight heresy with the weapons of
prayer, teaching and love. As you well know, at Bordighera we live quite close
to the Protestants, at La Spezia they are not far from us, and in Florence,
where our little work is destined to grow, the only place we could settle was
where the Protestants are focusing all their forces of propaganda; finally, here
in Rome, the Protestant boarding school is just a block away. Let us then pray
that the Lord will grant us success in the mission He is entrusting to us, by first
sending us help to speed the work on the new building which will cost us no
less than several hundred thousand lire, if not a million or more. Don Bosco is
praying and doing his utmost to make this venture a success, leaving no stone
unturned, but he always reminds us that he needs the support of our boys'
prayers.
He did not have to wait long for an audience with the Holy Father,
and he hastened to write up an account of it for the Salesian cooper-
ators in the May issue of the Bollettino Salesiano. 28
It will certainly be a comfort for all of you, my dear cooperators, to learn of
the Holy Father's outstanding kindness toward you, and it is my pleasure to
tell you about it.
On the evening of April 23, His Holiness Pope Leo XIII generously granted
me a private audience, and I had the opportunity of telling him how zealously
26See Don Bosco in Florence by Father L. Mori, Firenze, Libreria salesiana editrice, 1930.
The most relevant section of this booklet consists of the testimony of people still living [1934], of
whose reports we shall take due note. [Author]
27Letter to Father Lazzaro, April 22, 1881. [Author]
28The account bears the date of the audience. It was sent to Father Bonetti on April 29 with this
note: "I am sending you a letter for the Bollettino. Make whatever corrections are needed."
[Author]

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our cooperators come to our aid in Italy, France, Spain and [South] America.
With more than usual interest the Holy Father asked detailed questions about
the church and hospice at Vallecrosia near Ventimiglia and at La Spezia and
Florence. These undertakings are of particular concern to the Holy Father, for,
as he says, they directly help the Church in its struggle against error and its
proponents. "Tell these zealous cooperators of yours that I send them my
apostolic benediction," he said, "that I thank them for their works, and
recommend to them to be steadfast in doing good. Difficulties abound, but
God will not fail to come to our aid. The task entrusted to them is a grave one.
Sheltering poor boys, teaching them, rescuing them from the path that leads to
jail and returning them to society as good Christians and upright citizens-
this is a commitment deserving of approval from people of all classes."
He asked me about the Sacred Heart Church and Hospice on the Esquiline.
"Is construction making headway? Is the project going forward or is it at a
standstill?"
I was happy to tell him that construction is moving along briskly, and that
some one hundred and fifty workmen are applying the skills of their trade on a
project he has so cordially blessed. I also told him we were heartened by the
charity of the faithful, but that this huge undertaking was fast depleting our
financial resources.
Moments before my audience someone had brought the Holy Father a gift
of five thousand francs for Peter's Pence. "Here," the Pope happily said to
me, "this money has just come in time. My right hand accepted it and my left
passes it on to you. Take it and use it for your work on the Esquiline. I trust
that the world will appreciate this effort of the Supreme Pontiff in favor of an
undertaking very dear to him, and I hope that other generous donors will not
fail to contribute to it with the means which God placed at their disposal. I am
very happy to know you have set up a committee of fund collectors. Small
sums pooled together will more easily meet our needs."
At that point the Holy Father seemed to be deeply moved and exclaimed,
"O Sacred Heart of Jesus, be a fountain of grace and blessing to all the
faithful! Bless those who labor for Your Church all over the world! Shed
abundant blessings on the Salesian cooperators, on those who contribute
funds, and particularly on the fund collectors who lend their services to
enhance Your honor and glory! Yes," the Holy Father continued, "bless them
all, their work, their families, their business interests, and grant them hap-
piness in this world and throughout all eternity."
I dared not add a word to what the Vicar of Jesus Christ had said other than
to voice my thanks and assure him that the cooperators would continue to
work zealously for God's glory and that of holy Mother Church.
Since the commitments entrusted to our cooperators' charity are all directed
to help the most needy in our human family and to strengthen our most holy

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
faith, I believe that the donations required for obtaining the jubilee indul-
gence, as determined by our Holy Father from March 19 to November 1of this
year, can well be used for these works.
Lastly, I assure you, dear cooperators, that all the boys you are helping will
join me in offering prayers each morning and evening for your spiritual and
temporal welfare.
The jubilee mentioned by Don Bosco had been announced by Leo
XIII on February 20, when the college of cardinals gathered to congrat-
ulate him on the third anniversary of his papacy. Replying to their
congratulations and best wishes, the Pope deplored the abuse heaped
upon the Church practically throughout the whole world and the sad
condition to which the Holy See had been reduced, concluding, "Con-
vinced that it is principally to heaven that we are to look for that help
without which all effort and strain of ours is of no avail, and mindful
that at every time of storm and stress in its history the Church has
resorted to the prayers and atonements of the faithful, we have decided
to proclaim an extraordinary jubilee this year for the entire Christian
world, so that by an intensity of prayer and good works the Lord may
speedily be moved to clemency and prepare better days for His Church.
Though in one way this jubilee is a sign of the Church's very grave
situation, it is in another way a reason for hope and comfort because it
generously opens up the precious wealth of the Bride of Jesus Christ
for the benefit of the Catholic world."
One day, while Don Bosco was waiting for his audience along with
prelates and ladies, there took place one of those delightful incidents
which he could so cleverly create and lead to a happy conclusion.
When a monsignor, unknown to Don Bosco, came into the room, a
gentleman with whom he was conversing told him, "He is Monsignor
Pio Delicati. " [To his surprise] Don Bosco found himself face to face
with the consultor who had given an unfavorable report29 about his
booklet St. Peter's Centenary [which also included the saint's
biography].
The monsignor did not know Don Bosco either, nor could he have
imagined that Don Bosco would have discovered the name of the
consultor who had been so ruthless in judging his booklet. In fact the
monsignor had seen to it that his name should not appear on the official
29See Vol. VIII, p. 328. See also Vol. V, pp. 385ff. [Editor]

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report. Let me get even with him, Don Bosco said to himself. He
walked up to him and greeted him cautiously. In turn, the monsignor
asked for his name.
"I am just Father John Bosco from Turin."
"Ah, Father John Bosco!" he exclaimed. "A well-known man and a
gifted writer."
"A writer perhaps, but far from gifted."
"You are very modest. Your books do much good."
"It is certainly not my intent to cause any harm. Still, you may have
heard of the problem I had with a booklet of mine."
"Which one?"
"On the life of St. Peter. " 30
"I am surprised to hear that. "
"And yet it's true. Some inaccuracies were found and someone even
recommended that the work be put on the Index of Forbidden Books.
This would have been rather funny since I had closely followed Cuc-
cagni31 and Sanctorius,32 two famous authors approved by censors of
the Holy Office which was now ready to condemn me. I might add that
this booklet of mine won a letter of commendation from Pius IX.
Fortunately the Holy Father himself intervened and quashed this
controversy. " 33
"Ah, yes, of course. . . . By the way, how many boys do you have
in your schools?"
"A large enough number, Monsignor. So, as I was saying, The Life of
St. Peter . . . "
"Yes, but tell me now, how many schools do you have?"
Seeing that the monsignor was doing his utmost to squirm out of the
embarrassing predicament, Don Bosco talked about his schools. Mon-
signor Delicati did not in the least let it out that he had been Don
Bosco's censor; in turn, Don Bosco did not pursue the matter, but,
rather, recommended his boys to him, and respectfully took leave of
him.
30See Vol. V, pp. 385ff. [Editor]
31Luigi Cuccagni, Vita di San Pietro, Principe degli Apostoli, taken from the Holy Scriptures
with comments from the Fathers of the Church, Rome, 1777, Venice, 1782. [Author]
32Aemedeus Sanctorius, Acta SS. Petri et Pauli ex Sacris Scripturis collecta, Rome, 1597.
[Author]
33Actually, the full title of the booklet in question was St. Peter's Centenary along with a Life
of the Same Prince of the Apostles and a Triduum in Preparation of the Feasts of Sts. Peter and
Paul. See Vol. vm, pp. 327ff, 334ff, 337-342. [Editor]

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Let us now glance at the few letters which Don Bosco wrote from
Rome and have since come into our hands. The contents of one we
know only through the minutes of a meeting of the ladies' committee of
Marseille. Canon [Clement] Guiol34 mentioned it during their meeting
of April 28 [1881], and translated aloud a few of the more interesting
passages, such as these:
I have just come from an audience with the Pope, and I am writing to you
immediately before doing anything else. He spoke at length about Marseille
and listened attentively to what I was telling him about the growing number of
our boys and of priestly vocations. He endorsed and urged the opening of a
novitiate in Marseille. Then he added, "I haven't the time to write myself, but
I ask you in my name to thank both the men's and the ladies' committees and
all your helpers. Particular thanks to the members of the Beaujour Society. 35 I
bless them, their families, their spiritual and temporal affairs.''
The Pope then went on to speak of the Salesian cooperators and of the
Sacred Heart Church, as you will see in the Bollettino Salesiano.
Father Bologna wrote to me about the great work you and your committee
are doing on behalf of our festive oratory and school.36 May God reward all of
you generously.
We have three other letters. The first one was to Marchioness [Mary]
Fassati on the death of Countess [Azelia Charlotte] De Maistre, her
mother. She had constantly helped Don Bosco while she lived and at
her death had left him a legacy of three thousand lire.
Dear Marchioness:
Porta San Lorenzo 42, Rome
April 30, 1881
I was traveling when I was promptly notified of the sad news of our beloved
Countess De Maistre, the generous benefactress of the Salesian Congregation.
I immediately ordered special prayers to be said in all the houses of our
Congregation for her eternal repose, even though I have good reasons to
believe that she has already been received by Our Merciful Lord into the
eternal blessedness of heaven. Still, I shall continue to pray every day for her
34See Index of Volumes XIII and XIV under "Guiol." [Editor]
35See Vol. XIV, pp. 8, 11, 36, 285f. [Editor]
36See the Index of Volume XIV under Marseille. [Editor]

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and for you especially that God may keep you in good health; we and others
have done this for a long time already.
In my private audience with the Holy Father I had ample occasion to speak
of the De Maistre and Fassati families; in tum, he remembered with much
warmth and by name Counts Francis, Eugene and Charles. He also expressed
his sympathy for the death of their mother, the countess, and assured me that
he would pray for her during Holy Mass.
He then said: "Send my apostolic blessing to all these well-deserving
families [De Maistre, Fassati, Ricci and Montmorency] and ask them to pray
for me."
I trust that you will continue in good health, and for this I shall make a
special memento every morning during Holy Mass.
God bless you, dear marchioness! May you see the fruits of your charity.
May God grant His favors to Baroness Azelia37 and Baron Charles Ricci. I ask
for a remembrance in all your prayers and I am honored to be,
Yours in Jesus Christ,
Fr. John Bosco
P. S. I hope to be in Turin for the novena of Mary, Help of Christians.
The next letter is a reply to Mrs. Mary Acquarona who had informed
him that she had suffered a relapse into her former illness.
Dear Mrs. Acquarona:
Porta San Lorenzo 42, Rome
April 27, 1881
I received your letter which brought me some comfort, but also saddened
me at learning that you have relapsed into your former illness. I really wish, as
I told you, that you should not create a stir, but should only pray and give
thanks to the Lord. 38
Now we must redouble our prayers. God will certainly and definitively
grant our request if it is not contrary to the good of our souls. With this
provision I have asked the Holy Father to grant you a special blessing and he
gladly obliged, assuring me of his prayers for you and your sister Vincenza.
Please offer my humble respects to Father Fabre and Attorney Ascheri and
37She was the daughter of Marchioness Fassati and had married Charles Ricci, son of Baron
Feliciano Ricci des Ferres. Source: Epistolario di S. Giovanni Bosco, Vol. N, p. 50, Letter 2180.
[Editor]
38She had been cured by Don Bosco's blessing. See 112f. [Editor]

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his family when you see them. May God bless you, dear madam, and reward
you for your donation to our church and school in Vallecrosia.
Please pray for me.
Yours in Jesus Christ,
Fr. John Bosco
Without the shadow of a doubt God did answer their prayers ''defini-
tively." In fact some three years later the lady's brother-in-law, At-
torney Ascheri, chanced upon Father Cerruti on a train without
recognizing him. The lawyer began to talk about Don Bosco and of
what he had personally witnessed at Porto Maurizio and, charming
speaker that he was, entranced his audience into listening to him with
the greatest interest. In addition, six years after the healing, Father
Cerruti again met the lady herself in our school at Alassio, where she
had gone to pay her respects to Don Bosco, to tell him of herself, and
to give him a donation as a Salesian cooperator.
Since, as we have seen in Volume XIV,39 the Council of State was
then considering closing the Oratory's secondary school, Don Bosco
tried to have an audience with the new minister of public education, the
ultra-liberal Guido Baccelli, who on January 2, 1881, had replaced
Francis De Sanctis. His third letter, addressed to Count Tomasi, gives
us an idea of the many offices he must have sat in and waited, but
unfortunately we have no record of them. Doubtless, he must have also
gone through [Vatican] offices in his endeavor to obtain the privileges
[usually granted to religious congregations]. As for other matters we
have but a meager request for a decoration of the Order of St. Maurice
for a Mr. Joseph Repetto of Lavagna Ligure who had personally fi-
nanced a considerable share of the construction of the St. John the
Evangelist Hospice in Turin. Following is Don Bosco's letter to Count
Tomasi, an employee of the department of public education.
Dear Count Tomasi:
Rome, May 9, 1881
Heartfelt thanks for the two notes you sent me regarding an audience with
Minister Baccelli. I was punctually in his office at the proper time and waited
there from eleven in the morning until a quarter after one in the afternoon.
39Chapter 4. [Editor]

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Then I was told to return the next day at one o'clock. I did. The minister came
and went without my being able to speak with him or even ask for another
appointment.
Nor could I see the secretary general. I shall therefore write to his office,
but that will not allow me to discuss various matters affecting the public
welfare.
Nevertheless I am much obliged to you for your interest toward our poor
boys and pray God to shower His heavenly blessings upon you.
Gratefully yours,
Fr. John Bosco
P. S. I think it best to enclose my appeal and ask you to have it delivered to
one of the top men in the ministry.
During his stay in Rome, Don Bosco asked Father Rua to visit the
Salesians at Magliano Sabino, and it seems that on this trip Father Rua
met the future Cardinal [Peter] La Fontaine, patriarch of Venice, who
was then a young cleric. Thirty-five years later the cardinal wrote: "I
was deeply impressed by his affability, spiritual concentration, and
prudent openness. "40
On the morning of May 10, Don Bosco was present at a touching
ceremony. Several hundred French pilgrims who were in Rome to
acquire the jubilee indulgence were making the prescribed rounds of
the seven major basilicas, asking a different prelate to celebrate Mass
for them at each visit. When they went to the basilica of St. John
Lateran, they asked Don Bosco to say Mass and give a brief homily in
French. He gladly accepted. He praised them for their devotion in
visiting St. John Lateran, Mater et caput omnium ecclesiarum [the
Mother church and head of all the churches], after having paid their
respects to the Vicar of Jesus Christ, Shepherd of all shepherds, and
then congratulated them for having come [to Rome] to strengthen their
faith and loyalty to Peter's chair and to his successor Leo XIII. His
blessing, which they had received but a few days before, was a pledge
of happier times for them, their families and country, which harbored
so much good in the midst of so much evil, having never belied its
glorious title, Eldest daughter of the Church.
As usual, Don Bosco called a meeting of his Roman cooperators at
40Letter to Father [Angelo] Amadei, Venice, September 22, 1915. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
Tor de' Specchi for the afternoon of May 12. The next day, L'Aurora,
reporting on the meeting, remarked on his worn-out mien and his calm
presentation. Cardinal [Cajetan] Alimonda presided. The paper then
summed up his talk as follows:
After telling the audience that His Holiness had kindly sent them his apos-
tolic blessing, he said that he would speak of Salesian works in general and
then of the Sacred Heart Church. Since the previous year Salesian houses had
increased in number. The Patagonia missions were thriving, and the Salesian
schools at Nice, Ventimiglia, La Spezia, Lucca and Florence had been en-
larged and put on a sound financial basis. These new foundations were doing
well side by side with similar Protestant centers, whose very harmful influence
they managed to halt, thus wresting souls from the clutches of Satan. Youth
and the future, according to Bishop Felix Dupanloup, were one and the same
thing. A serene future for Italy could be expected if this apostolate of educat-
ing and rescuing our youth could be strengthened by the support of the
Salesian cooperators.
Passing on to speak of the Sacred Heart Church, he said that it had been an
excellent idea for a church to rise on the Esquiline Hill, once sacred to false
gods, but now dedicated to God's mercy through the Church of the Sacred
Heart of Jesus. Just as Rome had once stationed its sentries there, so it was
only right that now a school be erected where sentries would be trained to
safeguard souls.
The distinguished Father Maresca41 had zealously initiated the work. The
Salesians would continue it. There were in Rome sixty-six Protestant institu-
tions-clubs, schools and attractive hospices-trying to wrest souls from the
Catholic faith, and many of the faithful were easily being seduced by promises
of employment and other fringe benefits.
A bulwark had to be raised against all this propaganda and a home provided
for orphaned and abandoned boys all over Italy. Hence, alongside the church a
home had to be built to shelter and educate at least five hundred boys. To this
end Don Bosco was appealing to the charity of the Romans. In the past they
had given generous help for his undertakings in other Italian cities; now they
should reach out to him with open hands, lest we witness in Rome itself the
eagerness of Protestants in lavishing energy and money for the triumph of
heresy, while Romans remain uncaring and powerless in defense of their faith.
He closed by saying that Cardinal Alimonda had graciously agreed to address
41Anthony Maresca (1831-1891), a Barnabite, publisher of the Messaggero del Sacro Cuore, a
Roman weekly. [Editor]

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From France to Rome and from Rome to Turin
127
a few words to them to bolster their charity; he was happy to see that His
Eminence was espousing the Salesian cause.
The cardinal had this to say about the Salesians: "Divine Providence seems
to have founded this Congregation, so as to ease many a wound with balm, to
uplift the many fallen, to bring peace to distraught hearts, to glorify God's
name and to destroy sin." He closed by tactfully and opportunely remarking:
"'Ihle, you Romans have a virtuous clergy, but moral reinforcement is never
too much and we welcome it gladly from whatever source it comes."
The meeting at Tor de' Specchi was a leave-taking, for on the eve-
ning of May 13 Don Bosco was in Florence, and on May 15, a Sunday,
he addressed Salesian cooperators and friends in the Church of St.
Florence serviced by the Oratorians.42 In preparation for this meeting
he had drawn up a circular which he sent to Father Confort6la with a
covering letter:
My dear Father Confort6la:
Rome, May 10, 1881
Read the enclosed, send and address the letter to the vicar general, and
personally deliver it to him with a copy of the invitation sent to the Salesian
cooperators; amend it if necessary, and rush it to the printer. Also:
1. Have some six hundred copies printed.
2. Send a copy to each priest in Florence, to the men and women singled
out by Father Justin Campolini, Marchioness [Gerolama] Uguccioni and other
friendly persons.
3. When the vicar general will choose a church for the meeting, go to speak
with the parish priest so as to make sure that there will be no conflict with his
regular church services. Keep me informed of everything.
4. Each letter will need a two-lire stamp. You can get help from the
marchioness, her daughters, Father Justin and friends of our good Mamma.
We shall arrive in Florence Friday evening and leave Monday morning after
the meeting. Regards to our dear Salesians. Let's pray that all goes well for
God's greater glory. May His grace be with us always. Amen.
Yours affectionately in Jesus Christ,
Fr. John Bosco
According to the report sent to Father Bonetti for publication in the
July issue of the Bollettino Salesiano by Father Confort6la, director of
42A congregation founded by St. Philip Neri. [Editor]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
the recently founded festive oratory, Don Bosco spoke about the Sale-
sians, their objectives, their achievements elsewhere, their purpose in
coming to Florence, and their need of support from the cooperators and
other good citizens. Skimming over everything else, Father Confort6la
almost literally transcribed Don Bosco's comments on almsgiving, a
favorite topic of his in the pulpit and in private conversation, in letters
and brochures, especially in the last decade of his life. In fact, virtually
on the very eve of his death, he seemed to feel that he had to write a
booklet exclusively on that subject. At a time when people were sink-
ing ever deeper in a quagmire of selfishness and a feverish pursuit for
material goods, Don Bosco did all he could to help the world put its
surplus of resources to Christian use. He spoke thus to the people of
Florence:
You will ask, "How can we have any surplus for alms in such critical times
when it's a problem just to survive?" Very frankly let me tell you that, yes, we
all have a surplus to give to the poor and to works of mercy if we really want
to. There is always something superfluous in our homes and their fancy
appointments, furniture and precious bric-a-brac. There are costly coaches,
horses and fittings, unneeded domestics, excessive wardrobes, choice foods
and also, let us say it, surplus money in many purses. Now according to the
Lord's commandment, whatever is not needed should be given to the poor.
The question is raised how much of one's surplus is to be given in alms;
some say a fifth, others a fourth and so on. I personally feel that this question
has already been answered by the Gospel's injunction, which could not be
simpler or more explicit: "Give what remains as alms" [Lk. 11, 41].
Among those to whom your alms belong are many poor and abandoned
boys who today roam the streets barefoot, ragged and dirty, living on what
they can get by begging, and sleeping in crowded hovels. No one is caring for
their material and spiritual needs. They are growing up in ignorance of God
and of their religious and moral duties; they curse and steal, they are lewd and
steeped in vice, capable of committing any crime. Many of them end up in
jail, or, worse still, in the churches of Protestants. Here in Florence, the
Protestants have opened many homes in which naive youngsters, enticed by
money and countless deceptive promises, often losing their innate goodness
and trodding underfoot all virtue, finally throw away their faith.
You see these things every day. You yourselves have told me how the
Protestants have already dragged into their nets many boys and girls, even
entire families, who, to quote your own words, have sold out to the enemies of
our faith, to Satan's ministers, through the lure of money and all sorts of gifts,
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How are we to stem this tide of evil and forestall its tragic consequences? I
have come to Florence precisely to do this, at the invitation primarily of your
archbishop and also of the more zealous cooperators. We have already opened
a festive oratory in the city at 31 Via Cimabue, and we would also like to open
a boarding school to shelter as many youngsters as possible, in order to
safeguard their morals and their faith and turn them into good citizens and true
Christians.
But we need your help; we need your surplus which we will wisely use for
God's greater glory and that of the Most Blessed Virgin, as well as for the
greater welfare of souls, especially among the young.
In closing I will say: I must continue my journey, but I am leaving here my
representative, the director of the above-mentioned festive oratory in this city
of yours. Pour out your alms generously into his hands in proportion to your
God-given means to achieve what you and I both desire: the salvation of many,
many souls. As St. Augustine said, by saving a soul, you assured the salvation
of your own.
Several seminarians attended the conference, all anxious to meet
Don Bosco. One of them, Joachim Bonardi, now [titular] bishop of
Pergamum and auxiliary of Cardinal [Alphonsus] Mistrangelo, recalls
the good feeling he experienced in seeing him, kissing his hand, and
listening to his very simple but totally God-centered words.
Despite several difficulties, which we shall later cite, Don Bosco had
such faith in Divine Providence that, on leaving for Turin, he told the
director not to back down, but rather to plan on building not only a
hospice but also a church worthy of the great Mother of God and of the
piety of the faithful because he, Don Bosco, was ready to make every
sacrifice for the Florentines.43
Nothing out of the ordinary seems to have occurred in Florence.
Writing to Father Lazzero, Father Rua mentions just a providential, if
somewhat unpleasant delay in Don Bosco's departure after his first
stopover. The delay brought him an unexpected, handsome donation.
In Rome, instead, something unusual did happen, though it occa-
sioned no stir. According to Father Dalmazzo's testimony, two events
took place. In one instance, several spiritual favors were granted. By
the blessing of Mary, Help of Christians, Don Bosco restored a
woman's health. A while later, coming across several Protestant ac-
quaintances of hers, and asked how she had recovered from such a
431..etter from Father Confort6la to Don Bosco, Florence, June 10, 1881. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
grave ailment so quickly, she told them what had happened. Brushing
aside all religious prejudices, one of them, whose daughter was very
seriously ill, decided to take her to Don Bosco. He blessed her, and the
young girl was healed. Bursting with joy, the mother kept repeating,
"This is the mistake which we Protestants make: we do not honor
Mary." In 1885 Don Bosco received a letter from that family telling
him that all the members had converted to Catholicism.
On another occasion, while he was offering Mass in our old chapel
in Via Vicenza, a man came in who for eighteen years had been
suffering from a crippling condition. Hardly able to move on crutches,
he asked Father Dalmazzo to introduce him to Don Bosco, but the
priest, having to hasten to get Don Bosco's breakfast ready, asked the
cleric Zucchini to take him to Don Bosco right after Mass. Very
humbly the gentleman asked for his blessing. Don Bosco asked him a
few questions and, seeing his deep faith, removed the crutches from
under his arms and said, "Walk!" The man began to walk with the
greatest ease, and he left with the crutches under his arm, saying that
he wanted to keep them as a remembrance.
While Don Bosco was sipping his coffee, Father Dalmazzo re-
marked, "So he was really and completely healed after your blessing!"
"It was the blessing of Mary, Help of Christians that healed him,"
Don Bosco corrected him.
"I too have given the blessing of Mary, Help of Christians many
times using the same words," Father Dalmazzo replied, "but nothing
like this ever happened."
"What a child you are!" Don Bosco answered. "That's because you
have no faith."

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CHAPTER 5
Celebrations, Nuisances and a
Dream about the Future
ofthe Salesian Society
THE Oratory used to celebrate a holiday cycle of its own
which we may truly call Salesian and whose observance was by this
time [1881] a firmly established custom. It included the feasts of Mary,
Help of Christians, St. Aloysius, St. John the Baptist and the Assump-
tion. The last two were respectively kept as the name day1 and pre-
sumed birthday2 of Don Bosco. They were eagerly awaited yearly
events marked by intense joy and remarkable spiritual blessings. There
was nothing particularly distinctive about any one of them in 1881, and
so we shall only give those details which single them out as different
from previous celebrations, most of them dealing with the solemnity of
Mary, Help of Christians.
The Oratory routinely made plans for each of these feasts well in
advance; Don Bosco saw to it that no celebration took place without
thorough preparation. Hence, at the end of April, while he was still in
Rome, Father Rua wrote in Don Bosco's name to the economer general
of the Salesians, Father [Anthony] Sala, to request the Turin chancery's
permission to invite some bishop to preside at the pontifical Mass and
other services in the Church of Mary, Help of Christians on Her feast
day, May 24. Today [1934] such formalities are quickly disposed of,
but, at that time, the archdiocese of Turin had detailed regulations
about such matters, as we can readily sense from the tone of an ordi-
nance in its liturgical calendar of 1881. Article 14 stated: "It is a grave
lack of reverence due to one's own shepherd, and to his episcopal
1See p. 83, footnote 24. [Editor]
2Don Bosco was born on August 16, 1815, the day after the feast of the Assumption. [Editor]
131

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
office, to invite some other bishop to officiate at a sacred function in
the archdiocese without first obtaining the archbishop's explicit permis-
sion for each and every occasion." Father Sala therefore called on
Archbishop Gastaldi on May 2 to request his consent to invite the
newly appointed Bishop [Dominic] Pampirio of Alba to officiate at one
of the solemn services or at least to preach on May 24. As Father Sala
paid his respects to the archbishop, the latter asked, "What do you
want from me?" Playing for time, Father Sala replied, "My superior
has charged me with the construction of the Church of St. John the
Evangelist, and since the artists have already begun their work, I find
myself in somewhat of a quandary and thought I might wisely consult
Your Excellency. We would like to depict the seven bishops of the
Asian churches in the semblance of angels, as we read in the Apoc-
alypse." "Yes," the archbishop replied, "something from the Apoc-
alypse is quite fitting. As far as I am concerned, do as you please."
Tactfully, Father Sala continued, "I went to Alba the other day to
look at the paintings in the cathedral, the work of our own artist Costa,
and as Bishop Pampirio and I were talking about the painting and the
Church of Mary, Help of Christians, he gave me to understand that he
would gladly come at least once to pontificate on the titular feast of the
church. But, since I could give him no definite answer until I had
consulted with Your Excellency, I merely commented that we would be
happy to have him with us on such a memorable occasion. My purpose
in coming today is also to ask Your Excellency's required permission,
if you see fit to grant it."
"Don Bosco will have to write to me about that."
"Upon being informed of Bishop Pampirio's pious wish, Don Bosco
asked Father Rua to delegate me to seek Your Excellency's
permission.''
"My answer is no," the archbishop replied, "because the Salesians
are behaving in too reprehensible a manner concerning their Church of
Mary, Help of Christians, and they act that way just to spite me. Giving
my permission would only be approving something I cannot sanction."
"Your Excellency, do not say that! We are working hard to do good
to all and hurt no one, least of all our own archbishop! Indeed, we
make sacrifices in order to help you in your diocese and especially here
in Turin."
"Yes, indeed! For instance, Father Lemoyne keeps publicizing with-
out my permission miracles performed by Mary, Help of Christians,

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Celebrations, Nuisances and a Dream about the Future
133
and his pamphlets are distributed throughout my entire archdiocese
under my very nose just to spite me!"
"This is the first time I have ever heard talk of miracles, Your
Excellency! We always use the word 'graces' obtained through the
intercession of Mary, Help of Christians. "
"What Father Lemoyne described were miracles, and miracles must
be approved by Church authorities according to the decree of the perti-
nent Sacred Congregation."
"I know nothing about this decree, but I do know that no book about
graces obtained through Mary, Help of Christians has been printed
without ecclesiastical approval."
"True, but this approval was by another ordinary! Furthermore, by
what authority is that church passed off as a shrine? Such action re-
quires that the incidents, the miracles, must have the approval of the
ordinary, and not be stories. . . . "
At this, Father Sala, a man of impressive stature and patriarchal
honesty, leapt to his feet, rummaged through his pockets and pulled out
a handful of papers. Singling out a postcard, he handed it to the
archbishop. "Read it," he urged. "Read it, Your Excellency, and you
will see for yourself that Don Bosco does not make up graces obtained
from Mary, Help of Christians. "
The archbishop refused. "Well, then, let me read it to you," Father
Sala continued. "It is really Divine Providence that sent this postcard
to me this very morning. "
He read it. It came from a certain Chevalier Mercalli, who was
writing from Rome about the wondrous recovery of his wife, Countess
Penile. Now and then, the archbishop interjected remarks such as, "I
am sure that for these people.... " Finally he said, "If all the graces
were like this one, I'd have no problems approving them.... Besides,
some good is being done. "
"Then why do you treat us this way?" Father Sala retorted. How-
ever, the subject was abruptly changed, and the conversation switched
to the Sacred Heart Church in Rome. The archbishop made a quick
about-face now and even went so far as to say that he admired Don
Bosco, that Divine Providence was on his side and that he could
squeeze money out of a rock. On taking his leave, Father Sala re-
marked, "If there is no objection then, Bishop Pampirio could deliver
the panegyric.'' ''Leave Bishop Pampirio in Alba where he belongs,''
Archbishop Gastaldi replied, "so he can continue to rage against

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
Rosmini!" 3 Then, as Father Sala reverently bowed, and was about to
go, the archbishop told him, "I'll think it over. " 4
Father Sala returned on May 19 to make another request of the
archbishop. If Bishop Pampirio were not allowed to offer the pontifical
Mass, could he at least deliver the homily? The answer was a flat no.
Seemingly, the archbishop was determined not to grant the Salesians
any truce. The following day Father Francesia,5 director of the Val-
salice College, asked him to administer the sacrament of confirmation
to the boarders on a day of his choice. The answer again was no; he
would never set foot in a Salesian house, he said, because the Salesians
were pitted against him. Yet, just two weeks later, Father Francesia
himself was to give one indisputable proof of submission to the arch-
bishop. Despite his having had faculties for hearing confessions over
the past twelve years, he was notified to report for an examination in
moral theology. Understanding this to mean that his faculties to hear
confessions were being questioned, Father Francesia simply wrote a
very respectful letter assuring the archbishop that his faculties were in
order. Nevertheless, shortly afterward he reported to his examiners,
who in tum were surprised and embarrassed. Of course he won their
full approval.
We should also note that when Archbishop Gastaldi was invited to
Valsalice to administer the sacrament of confirmation, he expressed his
displeasure at the fact that the Salesian press at Sampierdarena had
printed in its monthly Letture Cattoliche [Catholic Readings] a feature
article by Count Emilian Avogadro della Motta about socialism,
adding an appendix attacking Rosmini's teachings and tenets.
All these things took place while Don Bosco was back in Turin,
having arrived there on the evening of May 16 after a four-month
absence. The Oratory was all ready to give him a rousing welcome, but
he arrived a few hours sooner than expected, while everyone was in
church for the novena services. Since it was time for Benediction of the
Blessed Sacrament, he decided to give Benediction himself. Who
could describe the happiness which thrilled everyone's heart on seeing
him walk out of the sacristy in his vestments and go to the altar? The
3Anthony Rosmini (1797-1855) was a philosopher and the founder of the Institute of Charity.
He also served as an advisor to Pius IX, but gradually fell into the Pope's disfavor. Archbishop
Gastaldi was one of Rosmini's admirers. [Editor]
4Letter from Father Sala to Father Rua, Turin, May 3, 1881. [Author]
ssee Appendix 1. [Editor]

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Celebrations, Nuisances and a Dream about the Future
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rest of the evening was passed in happy singing, clamorous clapping
and a band serenade.
The very next morning a circular letter went out to the Salesian
cooperators of Turin, inviting them to a meeting to be held in the
Oratory's Church of St. Francis de Sales on May 19 for men and May
23 for women. "We shall discuss noteworthy projects underway to
advance God's glory, benefit civil society, and cheer the hearts of
righteous people," Don Bosco wrote.
The cooperators received a detailed report, much as would be done
in a family circle, and all listened with the deepest interest, feeling that
in some way or other they were part of the Salesian family. They were
briefed on the progress made in regard to the on-going constructions of
the Church and Hospice of St. John the Evangelist in Turin, the Church
of Mary, Help of Christians at Vallecrosia, the school and festive
oratory at La Spezia, the festive oratory in Florence, and the Sacred
Heart Church and Hospice in Rome. Then they were enthralled by an
account of the apostolic labors of the Salesian missionaries and
Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians in Uruguay and Patagonia.
Having reached the hearts of his listeners, Don Bosco deftly and easily
digressed into the contrast between a missionary's life and that of many
Christians who wallow in pleasures with hardly a thought to using
some of their wealth to cooperate in their fellowmen 's eternal salvation.
To Christians such as these-he said to the men cooperators-one might
well apply the words uttered by St. Peter on another occasion against Simon
Magus: "Keep your money to yourself to perish with you." They should
ponder that someday God will demand an account of the bounty He has
showered on them. To each wealthy person He will say: "I gave you riches that
you might use some of them for My glory, and for your neighbor's relief.
Instead what did you do with them? You threw them into a life of ease and fun,
pleasure trips, high living, entertainment and receptions." One may object: "I
don't throw away my wealth. I hold on to it and make it grow every year. I
invest it in houses, land, vineyards and so on." To these also the Lord will say:
"Thie, you hoarded your wealth and watched it grow. Yet, all the while the
poor were going hungry, thousands of homeless children were growing up in
religious ignorance and vice, souls redeemed by My blood were lost in hell.
You held your money dearer than My glory, your purse more precious than
your brothers' soul. Now go to perdition with your pleasures, money and
possessions. "
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
you give alms as your means allow; but how many people there are who could
follow your example and do not!
He then went on to say that, just hours before, he had learned that
the house at San Benigno, which trained future missionaries, directors,
teachers and assistants for his schools, was having serious problems
with overdue bills from the baker who could no longer afford to supply
bread on credit. "I had planned to ask your help," Don Bosco went on,
"for several important undertakings, but now I think it wiser to meet
the needs of these young men, the hopes of our Congregation. What-
ever you choose to donate will be sent this very evening to relieve those
dear sons of mine, your brothers, who trust entirely in Divine
Providence. "
He spoke pretty much in the same vein to the women cooperators: he
updated them on the accomplishments achieved during the past year for
indigent youth by the Salesians and the Daughters of Mary, Help of
Christians, on the increase and growth of Salesian houses, on the ever
swelling numbers of souls being guided to heaven, and on the agri-
cultural schools, child care centers, schools, and girls' festive orato-
ries. To get a good idea of these oratories, he suggested that they go to
see what the Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians were doing in Turin
and in neighboring Chieri. After describing the daily activities of those
two oratories, he continued:
Seeing a festive oratory in action would warm your heart, and you couldn't
help wishing that more such places would be opened in other parts of the city
and in every country. Now, the work being done in Turin and Chieri is also
being done in over forty houses of the Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians
in Italy, France and [South] America, and even in the barbaric lands of
Patagonia. If only we had the means, how much good we could do! Good will
is not wanting, but that is not enough. We need funds to open and support such
undertakings, and more often than not, the funds are lacking.
Now, how can we contribute to these and other works of mercy and faith?
Let's do what the Hebrew women did in the desert when they wanted to have
an idol to worship in place of the true God. Moses had ascended Mount Sinai
to receive the stone tablets of God's commandments and was late to return.
The restless people rose up against Aaron, demanding that he set up for them
an idol, a calf similar to those that were worshiped in Egypt. Frightened by the
riot, Aaron readily yielded to their wishes but, hoping that perhaps he might
dissuade that perverse mob from its evil demand, he ordered the people to

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hand over all the rings, bracelets, necklaces and earrings of their wives and
daughters. Would you believe that hardly had he uttered the word than a heap
of gold was piled at his feet! It was melted down and cast into a calf, before
which men and women prostrated themselves and, as the Scriptures tell us,
indulged in a shameless orgy.
And so, isn't it a shame that on the one hand Hebrew wives and daughters
sacrificed their precious jewelry to an evil cause, while Christian women and
girls keep adorning themselves like so many queens or ladies-in-waiting and
then find themselves unable to contribute to the glory of the one true God by
embellishing His churches and coming to the aid of a multitude of homeless
children? Certainly I would not want to be in their place at the moment of
death or on the day of judgment!
I am not saying that a woman must deprive herself of adornments befitting
her social position; let her wear them if custom so requires. What I am saying
is that she is bound not to overdo it, not to cater to worldly vanity. She must,
instead, find out if she has more than she needs in home furnishings, personal
wardrobe or life-style, and if that is the case, she is bound to tum over the
surplus to religious and charitable causes. This is what you have already been
doing. Continue to do so, my dear cooperators, so that each one of us, in our
own way, may foster love for Our Divine Savior and glorify Him by helping
many souls get to heaven.
On occasions such as these, he usually wrote brief notes to some of
his more distinguished cooperators who lived at a distance from Turin
to remind them of the solemn feast [of Mary Help of Christians], which
could easily have been overlooked since it was then not as widely
observed as it is now [1934]. Following is a sample addressed to Count
Eugene De Maistre.
Dear Count Eugene:
Turin, May 21, 1881
Though I do not write to you often because I know how busy you are with a
thousand and one things, I do remember you and your family every day at
Holy Mass.
When I was in Rome, the Holy Father spoke much to me about you and
your brothers, Charles and Francis; to each of you he sends his special
blessing.
A Mass will be celebrated for your intentions at the altar of Mary, Help of
Christians, our heavenly benefactress, this coming Tuesday, Her solemn feast

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
day. Our prayers will be that She grant your whole family good health and the
precious gift of perseverance in virtue.
God bless you, my dear Count Eugene, and please pray for me too.
Always yours in Jesus Christ,
Fr. John Bosco
In addition to the large number of local women cooperators who
attended Don Bosco's conference, the vigil of Mary's feast was en-
hanced by the presence of a group of French pilgrims6 who stopped in
Turin for a half day, spending part of their time at the Oratory. As they
arrived, solemn first vespers of Mary, Help of Christians were being
sung; after Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament, the guests
were given a welcome reception with band music, songs and speeches.
Don Bosco then addressed the gathering. After recalling their recent
encounter in St. John Lateran,7 he thanked them for their visit and
assured them of his own prayers and those of his Salesians and boys.
"Look upon all of us Salesians as your best friends," he concluded.
"We shall always be glad to be of service to you whenever possible."
Then a good number of pilgrims, urged by Father [Francis] Picard,
superior of the Assumptionists and eloquent leader of the pilgrimage,
asked to be enrolled as Salesian cooperators.
The sponsors of the feast of Mary, Help of Christians in 1881 were
both French. Madame Jacques, a well-known cooperator, came ex-
pressly from Marseille to sponsor the event though she had been in
Rome in April. On her way back home she was able to fulfill an earnest
desire of her committee which Don Bosco had nicknamed "his army
against the devil." We recall that a photograph had been taken of him
in Marseille and that those ladies had asked him for a few copies.
Since, then and there, he had none, he had promised to send them
autographed prints from Turin. However, the good ladies waited in
vain, and so they asked Madame Jacques to request of him that pre-
cious remembrance. Determined to satisfy her friends' desires,
Madame Jacques took a photograph, had copies made at her own
expense, and requested that Don Bosco autograph each print. He went
further and enriched each print with a "long, pious message," which
6See Vol. XIII, pp. lOlf; Vol. XIV, pp. 92f, 386ff. [Editor]
1See p. 125. [Editor]

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he wrote during the singing of vespers on the feast of the Ascension. It
was painful for him to write, but, as the women who received the
signed photographs said, it added to the "value of the precious sou-
venir.'' Canon [Clement] Guiol voiced their gratitude to Madame
Jacques at the committee's first meeting. 8
The petit prieur, or junior sponsor, as he was called, was the six-
year-old son of Count Flayose de Villeneuve of Rocquefort, a close
friend of Don Bosco. In April 1880 the lad [Raymond] had suffered a
severe attack of pneumonia. Noticing with dismay that hopes for the
boy's recovery were vanishing, the father rushed a telegram to Don
Bosco, who knew the child quite well. He happened to be in Lucca
when the news reached him. He said Mass for the boy, asking for a
healing from Mary, Help of Christians. As it was later ascertained, the
lad's father was at his son's bedside at the moment Don Bosco was
saying Mass, and he called him by name to ascertain if he were still
alive. To his indescribable relief, the child replied, "Papa, I am hun-
gry!" He had suddenly recovered consciousness, the fever had gone,
his cough was lessened, and he was again strong and healthy without
any convalescence. A month later, however, the child again fell se-
riously ill, this time with pleurisy. As he pulled through the crisis, the
doctors prescribed a rigorous health routine for a period of several
months. The father, full of faith, went to Turin on May 24, the feast of
Mary, Help of Christians, and prayed to Her fervently. On returning
home, he found his son fully recovered, so much so that a year later he
brought him to the Oratory to celebrate that feast and to act as '' spon-
sor," a role usually reserved to adults. His charming ways won all
hearts. 9
The solemn feast of 1881 was celebrated without a pontifical Mass,
but not without a bishop. That year the archbishop of Milan, Louis
Nazari, a relative of the counts of Calabiana, was celebrating his jubi-
lee of priestly ordination on May 28 and 29. The celebration was
attended by all the bishops of Lombardy and by the bishops of Pied-
mont as well, since Archbishop Nazari, a Piedmontese, had been
8Minutes of the committee meetings of May 12 and June 8, 1881. [Author]
9Rev. John Baptist Lemoyne, La Madre delle Grazie, Sampierdarena, 1881, p. 155. See also
Bollettino Salesiano, July 1881. The child's sister, a religious of the Sacred Heart, sent us a report
of this miracle in March 1934. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
bishop of Casale. 10 As Bishop [Dominic] Pampirio of Alba made his
way to Milan for the celebration, he stopped off at Turin and was a
guest of his own order, at St. Dominic's Church. To satisfy his devo-
tion, on the morning of May 24 he went to the Church of Mary, Help of
Christians, where he had once before preached, to celebrate Mass. Don
Bosco, of course, immediately asked him to say the community Mass.
As soon as Archbishop Gastaldi got wind of this, he immediately
reprimanded Bishop Pampirio by letter, telling him that he could not
countenance his presence in the Church of Mary, Help of Christians.
When Bishop Pampirio returned to St. Dominic's and found the hand-
delivered letter, he promptly sent a note to Don Bosco to inform him of
what had happened. Next he notified Archbishop Gastaldi that he
would not be presiding at any other function, but that he would be
delivering a panegyric on Our Lady in the evening, since his talk had
already been announced publicly. He pointed out that if he were not
allowed to do so, a scandal would arise once word reached the vast
congregation flocking to the church. Begrudgingly Archbishop Gas-
taldi withdrew his prohibition, but he would not yield on the other
points or even allow him to give Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.
Although it was a weekday, a constant flow of people streamed into
the church from dawn to late evening, and crowds of neighborhood
folk poured into the church plaza to enjoy the sight of the first gaslight
illumination of the exterior of the whole church. That year it became
clear that it was far too small to accommodate the huge crowds of
worshipers on such occasions; a large number had to be content to
attend major functions by standing in the plaza facing the church.
Since there was no bishop for the pontifical Mass, Don Bosco had to
sing the high Mass-by no means a light burden-besides giving
Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament and going through all the other
strains of the day, but, as one Turin newspaper put it, "everyone was
delighted. " 11 The same news article ended with the wish: "God grant
10Mindful of Bishop Calabiana's kindness in accepting the Salesians in his diocese of Casale
when they opened the boarding school at Mirabella in 1867 and of his kindness to them at all
times, Don Bosco sent him the following telegram, dated May 29: "Salesians, pupils, your most
loving sons, send cordial congratulations on your priestly jubilee, remembering you as a friend,
patron, benefactor. We all pray that God will allow you and your guests to celebrate this day once
again." The eminent prelate replied: "Deeply moved, I thank you for affectionate attention. I
cordially bless you all!" [Author]
11Unita Cattolica, No. 24, Thursday, May 26, 1881. [Author]

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long life to this worthy priest who humbly and zealously kindles and
keeps alive the flame of piety among the Christian people."
Reports of graces came pouring in, some oral, others in writing.
Don Bosco would not have even a slightest trace of them lost, and so
we have at hand countless letters addressed to him and bearing his own
remarks on replies to be sent. They are all kept in a special ledger in
the sacristy. 12 As usual, Father Lemoyne compiled and published the
more outstanding of these graces. 13
Such an endless flow of visitors to the Oratory offered Don Bosco a
unique opportunity to enroll new cooperators. Precisely with this in
mind, he drafted a Brief Outline of the Objectives of the Salesian
Society, dated May 24 [1881], and had it printed in a small, handy-
sized folder for free distribution. In simple, concise and clear terms it
presented the essential make-up of the Salesian Congregation, its ac-
tivities, its current statistics, and ways to support it.
Once the festivities of Mary, Help of Christians were over, all
thoughts were turned to the two family celebrations of St. John the
Baptist and St. Aloysius. We find that the 1881 festivities were not
much different from the celebrations of the past. As for Don Bosco's
birthday, mistakenly kept on the feast of the Assumption, we must note
that at the Oratory it took on more significance as the years went by.
From 1881 on, the solemn prize-awarding ceremony for both students
and artisans was held for the first time on that day and presided over by
Don Bosco. This novelty paved the way for an ever more solemn
celebration of Don Bosco's sixty-sixth birthday. After expressing his
thanks, he closed his talk as follows:
You say that Don Bosco has done so many nice things, but it is your love
that makes you see things differently from what they really are. Everything
that was done and is being done is due to God's help and the intercession of the
Most Blessed Virgin. If the Lord had not given us the strength and taken us by
the hand, what could we have done? And what about the help given us by our
many benefactors? Don Bosco is no more than a blind instrument in God's
hands, who thus shows us that when He wills, He can achieve mighty things
by using even the lowliest of tools.
120ne of these ledger entries is Don Bosco's own; another, on a loose sheet and postdated, is
also in his handwriting. [Author]
13La Stella del mattino, Sampierdarena, 1883. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
He·then alluded to several trying situations which had severely tried
him that year. Doubtless the boys could not fully make out what he was
talking about, but Don Bosco's intent was to encourage his co-workers
and friends who in various degrees knew what he meant. He then
praised at length a former pupil of Nizza Monferrato who had started a
thriving model union of young Catholic workers in his town, holding
up this example for his listeners' admiration and imitation. His final
thought was for their souls.
Who knows-he asked-whether we shall all be together again next year?
Will you and I be here? Last year some who were full of life and joy, healthy
and strong, are no longer with us. So let us live each day as though it were our
last, and let us do good while we can, so that when death strikes, we shall not
regret having spent our days fruitlessly, worthless to both God and our fel-
lowman. I hope and pray that this bell may toll very late both for you and me,
but should it come sooner, let God's will be done.
After alluding to the more recent trials, he said:
Now let me go on to another subject and tell you that always, but especially
this year, we have had our share of roses and thorns. We all know that they are
inseparable. What are we to do, my dear sons? Let us always accept God's will
in both joy and sorrow, for He will never forsake us, even in the midst of a
most raging storm. Take heart, therefore, be brave always, and never weary of
doing what is right. God will be with us!
The year 1881 brought Don Bosco more aggravations, some worse
than others. Since we have already seen some of the more serious ones
in the previous volume14 and others will be part of this narrative as it
develops, here we shall mention only the minor problems, so minor
indeed that we have called them nuisances [in this chapter's title], not
because they were negligible, but because they seem comparatively
mere trifles. Among them are the hard times the press gave him, such
as the three instances already cited in previous chapters. More remain
to be seen.
It was Don Bosco's regular practice to reciprocate favors done to him
as best he knew and could. One way was to obtain civic or eccle-
siastical honorary titles for his benefactors when he felt the honors
14See Vol. XIV, Chapters 4, 7, 9, 10, 20. [Editor]

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would be welcomed. In these instances his aim was not to cater to
people's vanity for his own profit, but only to repay a favor. Obviously
civil honorific titles enhanced the reputation of the recipients and fur-
thered their interests, while honors from the Holy See were viewed by
good Catholics or eminent clergymen as indicative of a tighter bond
between them and the Supreme Pontiff. But certain rabble-rousing
journalists, accustomed to judging others by their own yardstick, did
not see it that way. An example was the notorious editor of the Cronaca
dei Tribunali. 15
In its issue of March 26 [1881] this periodical published an article
entitled "Don Bosco and the Chevaliers." After vilifying the thirty-
seven thousand Italians who had been granted honorific titles, the
writer dug into the past and, craving for any chance to smear Don
Bosco, described in his own fashion the allegedly questionable route
taken by a Turinese liquor dealer named Revelli to win a chevalier's
decoration in 1870. Ardently desirous of this title, he had given Don
Bosco a donation of four thousand lire and had obtained his heart's
desire. However, through it all, Don Bosco did not know that a broker
had handled this matter and played a double role. When the newly
knighted Revelli got wind of it, he dragged Don Bosco into -it as a
conniver with the broker and brought charges against both before the
local magistrate in Turin, demanding the restitution of the money
which he asserted had been extorted from him. The judge dismissed
the case and ordered the plaintiff to pay costs and damages. The verdict
did not sit well with the author of the article, and he treated his readers
to a fantastic version of what had happened, closing his account with
the barb, "I cite this episode for the benefit of those who will one day
canonize the Reverend Bosco-priest, political wizard and dealer in
knighthood. Now let's see what the Corriere di Torino can say in his
defense."
The Catholic daily, however, made no comment, certainly at Don
Bosco's request, since he constantly abhorred polemics. Yet, this jour-
nalist's reprehensible outburst generated an unexpected attestation of
the worldwide reputation of holiness in which, willy-nilly, Don Bosco
was held.
He was hit by a more serious and more vicious diatribe in La
15See pp. 9f. See also Vol. XIV, pp. 207, 226, 229-233. [Editor]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
Gazzetta d' Italia of Florence on June 7; the author seems to have been
a Protestant who probably resented the Salesians' presence in the city.
A new book had come from the pen of the well-known ex-Jesuit Father
Charles Curci16 which, while rehashing the author's often expressed
ideas, deplored the scanty education of a very large number of Italy's
clergy. He then proceeded to describe how Italian priests were re-
cruited, trained and ordained, concluding that unavoidably they lacked
the necessary ecclesiastical and academic knowledge and consequently
could not exert any moral influence upon the people. Then, with the
unruffled slyness of truth's champion, the writer commented: "Turin
has a priest, a certain Don Bosco, who runs several schools where he
trains hundreds and hundreds of boys for the Church; many of them
later go to the missions of Africa, South America and the Indies. A
number of them, however, stay here or come back after spending a year
or two among the infidels. It's anyone's guess what kind of priests they
are. Ninety percent of them come from the lowest social classes."
Evincing further generalizations, he concluded that it was everyone's
duty in those days to be concerned with Italy's ecclesiastical problem.
His "everyone" was particularly aimed at government executives who,
in all reality, had for some twenty years taken a far too great interest in
the subject, precisely as he wished them to do.
And thus it was that the Salesians were cutting an ugly figure in
Tuscany, appearing to some degree as a band of uncouth, boorish and
backward fellows. Don Bosco addressed these calumnies when he
spoke to Salesian alumni-all priests-at their annual meeting on
August 1 [at the Oratory]. Their spokesman had felt the need to ener-
getically refute such slanderous accusations. Taking his cue from him,
Don Bosco told his listeners that several years before, someone whose
name he could not disclose had written to Rome, stating that the
Salesians were poorly educated. 17 He then continued:
What happened then? We checked the records and, citing authentic, nota-
rized documents, proved that of the Congregation's two hundred members,
one hundred and eighty had successfully passed rigorous examinations in the
diocesan seminary, in the University of Turin, and in certified colleges and
16Rev. C. M. Curci, Le nuova Italia ed i vecchi zelanti, Bencini Publishers, Florence, 1881. A
decree of June 15, 1881 placed it on the Index ofForbidden Books. The author laudably accepted
the condemnation and repudiated his work. [Author]
11see Vol. XI, pp. 201f. [Editor]

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secondary schools. All had obtained academic degrees in theology, philoso-
phy and literature or teachers' certifications. Once Rome studied the docu-
ments, the accuser of the Congregation was confronted with these findings.
Would you believe it? He retorted that no one should be surprised that Don
Bosco had so many priests with degrees and diplomas because he always
picked the most talented of his pupils for himself and neglected the rest. So
you see how true are the words of Holy Scripture: "The whole world is in the
power of the evil one." Yes, the world is vicious, and no one could ever still
its tongue, even if he were to stuff its mouth with potatoes.
I do not want my sons to be walking encyclopedias-he went on, wanning
up to the subject-nor do I expect my young artisans to become lawyers,
philosophers or theologians. Still less do I intend my school teachers to
prepare themselves to become ministers or ambassadors. I am satisfied if each
of them is qualified for his job, whether as a craftsmaster, teacher or priest. If
they meet this requirement I maintain that they are learned enough to be
worthy members of society and the Church. As such they deserve the same
respect as is given to others. So, let's do what we have to do and pay no heed
to wagging tongues and acid pens. 18
It's really disgusting to read the shameless calumnies which the
papers now and then cast into Don Bosco's face. Also in 1881, Il
Fischietto chose to live up to its ill reputation by venting its vulgarity in
an article of October 11. It published a letter supposedly written by a
Roman cardinal to Don Bosco. After identifying both of them in vulgar
terms, the writer characterized Don Bosco in words of mocking praise
as a man intent solely on tricking simpletons to tum over their money.
Though it was common knowledge what uses Don Bosco put public
charity to, the author went so far as to cast ridicule even on the
churches he had built. This was no longer humor, but libel. Yet, despite
the vicious intent to discredit him, this scandal sheet unwittingly high-
lighted a reality that transcended irony, when the would-be cardinal
told Don Bosco in the make-believe letter: "With measured strength
and gentleness you have won over so many good people, and, like it or
not, your name resounds across the continent." Yes, the echo was
there. Mock as they would, the fact remains that in Italy Don Bosco
was idolized by all right-minded people.
Just days later, even the Gazzetta Piemontese, which posed as an
unbiased paper, chose to launch an attack on Don Bosco in its October
18This paragraph is a condensation. [Editor]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
20 issue. A certain Mr. Anglesio, a well-known Catholic banker in
Turin, was caught in a financial crunch because of some unsuccessful
business ventures, and so, before the whirlwind of legal suits could
sweep him away, he decided that it would be wise for him to vanish.
That disappearance gave the hack writers' imagination unlimited scope,
some even saying that he had taken refuge in the Vatican and had been
appointed manager of an imaginary Vatican banking house which was
in the planning stages. Finally rumor had it that, in the words of the
newspaper, "he had found shelter in one of the many institutions of the
famous Don Bosco" and "was later sent off to an institute of this
highly influential clergyman in Buenos Aires." The very words "many
institutions" and "highly influential" reveal a livid sectarian rage
against a man who was held in such high esteem in a hostile world.
What actually happened was this. Mr. Anglesio was a regular benefac-
tor of Don Bosco and constantly provided the Oratory with free medi-
cal supplies. He faced financial ruin with Christian fortitude. Leaving
his remaining fortune in the hands of his creditors and keeping just
enough to pay his fare to South America, he gave what was left, a few
hundred lire, to Don Bosco, who in tum offered him hospitality in the
Salesian house of Patag6nes, where Mr. Anglesio lived a holy life until
his death.
The final vexation of this kind to hit Don Bosco in 1881 started with a
will dated 1878. In the space of three years a veritable deluge of leaflets
was let loose in and around Genoa by a certain Father Paul Ricchino,
brother of the testator, himself also a priest. The last batch of leaflets
was released in December 1881 and copies were sent to various bishops
and cardinals. We have in our possession one which had been sent to
the cardinal vicar of Rome, who in tum passed it on to Father
Dalmazzo. Luckily, its vulgarity and wild assertions nullify the accusa-
tion against the "Turin wonder-worker" who performed "astonishing
first-class miracles.'' However, who can reckon up all the evil conse-
quences of calumny, regardless of its wild allegations?
Definitely this was an outright lie. Father Angelo Ricchino, admin-
istrator of Our Lady of Grace Church at Sampierdarena, had been
confined to bed for several years with a cancerous growth on one foot.
During that time, Father Paul Albera sent two priests to the parish every
Sunday to say Mass, hear confessions, and preach, and he personally
visited Father Ricchino on many occasions to befriend him and cheer

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him up. When surgery on the big toe was called for, Father Albera was
the only one who could alleviate Father Ricchino's anxiety. The priest
had been rather rashly advised by someone in authority that undergoing
surgery was his duty, so that he was tom between what he felt was a
duty and his fear of the consequences. Father Albera eased his moral
anxieties, assuring him of no such obligation; then he gradually per-
suaded him to follow his doctor's suggestion. By then, however, it was
too late. Just before his death, Father Ricchino took steps to reward the
charity of the priest who had been of such help to him and at the same
time to provide for his own sister, lest she be left without assistance.
He entrusted her to Father Albera, who found accommodations for her
with the Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians, and he named Father
Albera his sole heir of the modest legacy.
Immediately Father Paul Ricchino, the deceased priest's brother,
contested the will. Of a somewhat shaky reputation himself-as later
legal suits show-he now questioned the validity of the will, although
he had never bothered to call upon his bedridden brother until he knew
that he was about to die. He claimed that Father Albera was not the true
heir, but merely a trustee for Don Bosco, and the anticlerical judge
ruled in his favor. However, before the court arrived at a verdict, this
pitiable priest did all he could to discredit Don Bosco through news-
papers, leaflets and oral accusations. But God's justice trips up the
evildoer. Four of the journalists who took part in the fray were given
sentences ranging from three to seven years for blackmail against some
citizens. The source of all this hubbub ended his days miserably. He
was hit with a shameful court trial and finally died without receiving
the last sacraments.
To lift up Don Bosco's spirit lest it be crushed beneath such a load of
both minor and serious vexations, God intervened now and then to
strengthen him in the heartening assurance of the mission entrusted to
him from on high. That September he had one of his most important
dreams that showed him the Congregation's immediate future and its
glorious achievements, along with the evils which threatened to destroy
it if timely remedies were not applied. What he saw and heard im-
pressed him so vividly that, not content with merely telling the dream,
he put it down in writing as well. The original has been lost, but
numerous copies have come to light, all of them in remarkable
agreement.

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
Spiritus Sancti gratia illuminet sensus et corda nostra, Amen [May the
grace of the Holy Spirit enlighten our minds and hearts, Amen].
Norms for the Salesian Society
On September 10 of this year 1881, the day the Church dedicates to the
glorious name of Mary, the Salesians were assembled at San Benigno Ca-
navese for their spiritual retreat.
On the night of September 10-11, while I was asleep, I dreamed that I was
in a richly adorned hall. I seemed to be strolling up and down its length with
the directors of our houses when a man of majestic mien-so majestic that
none of us could fix our gaze on him-appeared among us. Glancing at us in
utter silence, he too started to pace the hall several steps from us. He was clad
in a rich mantle or cape closed at the front of the neck with a scarf from which
a ribbon hung down on his chest. The scarf was inscribed in luminous letters:
Pia Salesianorum Societas anno 1881 [The Pious Salesian Society in 1881]; on
the ribbon were the words; qualis esse debet [what it ought to be]. Ten
diamonds of extraordinary size and brilliance adorning that august person kept
our gaze from being fixed upon him. Three of the diamonds he wore on his
chest: on one was written the word Faith, on another was written Hope, and
the third over his heart bore the word Charity. The fourth diamond, affixed to
his right shoulder, was inscribed Work; the fifth, on his left shoulder, read
Temperance. The remaining five diamonds adorning the back of his cloak
were set into a quadrangle; the largest and most brilliant sparkled in the very
center, and on it was written Obedience. The diamond to its upper right read
Vow of Poverty, and that below it, Reward. On the diamond to the upper left
was written Vow of Chastity; its sparkle had a brilliance all its own and drew
our gaze as a magnet attracts iron. Beneath it was a diamond inscribed Fast-
ing. These four diamonds focused their dazzling rays upon the one in the
center; their rays, resembling tongues of fire, flickered upward, forming vari-
ous maxims.
The diamond Faith emitted rays with the words: "Take up the shield of faith
that you may fight against the devil's wiles." Another ray proclaimed: "Faith
without works is dead. Not the hearers but the doers of the law will possess the
kingdom of God."
On the rays of Hope were the words: "Hope is in the Lord, not in men. Let
your hearts rest where true joys are found."
The rays of Charity read: "Bear one another's burdens if you want to fulfill
My law. Love and you shall be loved. Love your souls and the souls of your
charges. Recite the Divine Office devoutly, celebrate Mass attentively, visit
the Holy of Holies with great love."

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Celebrations, Nuisances and a Dream about the Future
149
On the word Work: "The remedy for concupiscence, a powerful19 weapon
against the devil's wiles."
On Temperance: "Remove the fuel and the fire will die out. Make a pact
with your eyes, with your cravings, your sleeping, lest these enemies plunder
your souls. Self-gratification and chastity cannot co-exist."
On the rays of Obedience: "The foundation of the whole edifice and a precis
of sanctity. "
On the rays of Poverty: "Theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Riches are
thorns. Poverty is not made of words but is in the hearts and deeds. Poverty
will open the gates of heaven and enter it."
On the rays of Chastity: "All virtues come with it. The clean of heart will
see God's mysteries and God Himself."
On the rays of Reward: "If the lavish rewards are delightful, do not be
deterred by the many hardships. He who suffers with Me will rejoice with
Me. For My friends, suffering is momentary, but heavenly happiness is
everlasting. "
On the rays of Fasting: "The most powerful weapon against the devil's
snares. The safeguard of all virtues. By it devils of every sort are cast out."
A wide, rose-colored ribbon formed the edge of the lower hem of the cloak
and on it was written: "Topic for Sermons, Morning, Noon and Night: Glean
even bits of virtues and you will build a great edifice of sanctity for yourselves.
Woe to you who despise small things; you shall fall little by little."
Up to this point the directors were either standing or kneeling, totally
bewildered and sUent. But then Father Rua, as though beside himself, ex-
claimed, "Let's make a note of this, lest we forget it." He sought a pen but
found none. Pulling out his wallet, he rummaged through it in vain. "I will
remember," Father Durando said. "I intend to write it down," Father Fagnano
retorted and began writing with the stem of a rose. All were surprised and they
found they could read the writing. When Father Fagnano was through, Father
Costamagna dictated these words: "Charity understands all things, bears all
things, overcomes all things. Let us preach this in word and deed."
As Father Fagnano was writing, the lights went out and we were left in total
darkness. "Silence," Father Ghivarello said. "Let us kneel down and pray;
the light will return.'' Father Lasagna intoned the Veni Creator, and then the
De Profandis [ending with the invocation] Maria, Auxilium Christianorum.
As we all responded Ora pro nobis, a light shone, focusing on a poster which
read: Pia Salesianorum Societas qualis esse periclitatur anno salutis 1900
[The Pious Salesian Society as it runs the risk of being in the year of salvation
19'fhis must have been a slip of the pen, instead of "most powerful," just as further below
under Fasting. [Author]

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150
THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
1900]. A moment later the light grew stronger, and we were able to see and
recognize each other.
At the heart of this glowing light, the same august person appeared again,
but he looked very sad and on the verge of tears. His cape was faded, moth-
eaten and threadbare. Where each diamond had previously been set, there was
now a gaping hole made by moths and other insects.
"Look and understand," the personage said. Then I saw that the ten dia-
monds had turned into as many moths ravenously eating through the cape.
In the place of Faith I now saw "Sleep and sloth."
In the place of Hope, "Buffoonery and scurrility."
In the place of Charity, ''Negligence in the performance of spiritual duties.
They love and seek what gratifies them, not what pertains to Christ."
In the place of Temperance, "Gluttony." "Their God is their belly."
In the place of Work, "Sleep, theft and idleness."
In the place of Obedience there was only a gaping hole and no inscription.
In the place of Chastity, "Concupiscence of the eyes and pride of life."
Poverty had been replaced by "Comfort, clothes, drink and money."
In the place of Reward, "The things of earth are what we seek."
Where Fasting had been, there was only a hole, no writing.
We were now all filled with fear. Father Lasagna fell into a faint. Father
Cagliero turned as white as a sheet and, grasping a chair for support, cried
out, "Can it be that things have already come to such a state?" Father Lazzero
and Father Guidazio, frightened out of their wits, reached out to hold each
other up. Father Francesia, Count Cays, Father Barberis and Father Leveratto
fell to their knees, rosary in hand.
At that moment an ominous voice declared, "How the beauty has faded!"
Then, as we stood in semi-darkness, something strange occurred. Pitch
darkness again swallowed us up and in its midst a most dazzling light arose in
the form of a human body. We could not fix our eyes on it, but we could make
it out to be a handsome young man, clad in a white garment interwoven with
gold and silver threads and entirely bordered by a string of brilliant diamonds.
He moved toward us majestic in mien, yet gentle and friendly, and addressed
us as follows:
"Servants and instruments of Almighty God, listen and understand. Take
heart and be strong. What you have seen and heard is a heavenly warning sent
to you and to your confreres. Take it to heart and endeavor to understand it. An
attack foreseen does less harm and can be warded off. Let each of the ins~rip-
tions be a topic of your talks. Preach unceasingly in season and out of season.
However, make sure that you always practice what you preach, so that your
deeds may be a light, which may be passed on to your confreres from genera-
tion to generation as a solid tradition. Take heed and understand. Be cautious

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Celebrations, Nuisances and a Dream about the Future
151
in accepting novices, strong in training them, prudent in admitting them [to
vows]. Test all of them, but keep only the good; dismiss the lightminded and
fickle. Take heed and understand. From morning to night ceaselessly meditate
on the observance of the constitutions. If you do this, the hand of the Al-
mighty will never fail you. You will be a model to the world and to angels, and
your glory will be the glory of God. Those who will live to see the end of this
century and the dawn of the next shall say of you: 'By the Lord was this
accomplished, and it is wonderful in our eyes.' Then all your confreres and all
your sons shall sing: 'Not to us, Lord, not to us, but to Your name be the
glory.'"
These last words were chanted, and the youth's voice was joined by a
multitude of other voices, so melodiously blended and resonant that we were
soon beside ourselves and, to keep from swooning away, chimed in the sing-
ing. As the song ended and the light dimmed, I awoke and realized that it was
dawn.
Memorandum. The dream lasted almost the entire night, so that, come
morning, I was totally exhausted. Still, fearing that I might forget, I quickly
arose and jotted down some notes, to serve me as a reminder in recalling all I
have here written on this feast of Our Lady's Presentation in the Temple.
I could not possibly remember everything. But among other things, I was
able to ascertain with certainty that the Lord is very merciful to me. Our
Society is blessed by God, but He asks us also to do our share. The evils
threatened will be warded off if we preach about the vices and virtues pointed
out to us. If we practice what we preach, we shall be able to hand on to our
confreres a practical tradition of what we have done and shall do.
I also managed to ascertain that many thorns and difficulties lie immedi-
ately ahead of us, but they will be followed by great consolations. Around
1890 there will be a great fear, around 1895 a great triumph. Mary, Help of
Christians, pray for us.
Father Rua immediately saw to it that the august person's directive
was followed-namely, that matters revealed in the dream should fonn
the topics of sermons. He himself gave a series of talks to the Salesians
at the Oratory commenting in detail on both parts of the dream. The
dates mentioned by Don Bosco as years of triumph or defeat corre-
spond in our Congregation to the onset of adolescence in human life-
a critical, precarious period setting in most cases the stage for the
entire future. Certainly, the growth in both members and houses as well
as the spread of our Congregation to several nations, both of which
were experienced in the final decade of the last century, could doubt-

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152
THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
lessly lead to some deviation or other, which, if not promptly checked,
might take us farther and farther from the right path. However, at Don
Bosco 's death, Divine Providence gave us a successor whose en-
lightened mind and energetic spirit measured up to the demands of
those critical years. Father Rua, whom we may well characterize as the
personification of all that is beautiful and wholesome in the first part of
the dream, was indeed the watchful sentry, the undaunted and unques-
tioned leader needed to shepherd and guide the young recruits along
the rightful path.
The portent of the dream transcends time. Don Bosco sounded the
alarm for the special period which was to follow his death, but the
admonitions qua/is esse debet and qua/is esse periclitatur contain a
warning which will never lose any of its significance. Hence Don
Bosco's words to the superiors will always be valid: "The evils threat-
ened will be offset if we shall speak about the vices and virtues pointed
out in the dream."

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CHAPTER 6
Father Bonetti's Appeal to the
Sacred Congregation ofthe Council
O N November 2, 1881, Don Bosco joined the forty-five or so
novices in San Benigno for their monthly Exercise for a Happy Death,
and while there he blessed their clerical habits. He appeared pretty
much himself, giving no hint of even a shadow of bitter grief, but,
while unburdening himself to Father Barberis, he spoke of afflictions
which he said were among the most heartrending he had had to endure
at any time in his life. "Yesterday," he said, "I had to plead strongly
with the Lord to help me retain my sanity. These things can drive one
insane. Particularly in these last two days, a whole mess of problems
have been piling up and past events have come to light, all of them
distressing." Then, regaining his composure somewhat, he smiled
sadly and added, "I need someone to cheer me up a bit." These words
suffice to help us understand why he had so trustingly revealed his
feelings to his dear Father Barberis. To drive away such painful
thoughts, that evening after supper, he recounted some experiences of
past years. 1
The most pressing of Don Bosco's worries were then three: the
closing of the Oratory secondary school still being considered by the
Council of State, Father Bonetti's case concerning the Chieri oratory,
and a lawsuit pending from the publication of pamphlets libeling the
archbishop of Turin. 2 The first we have already narrated ahead of time
in Chapter 4 of the preceding volume; we shall go into the third later
'These details are gleaned from handwritten sheets inserted into the chronicle of the house of
San Benigno. Their contents were either dictated to someone or written by Father Barberis.
[Author]
2See Vol. XIV, pp. 189f. [Editor]
153

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154
THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
on, while here we shall resume the account of the second distressing
situation which we began in Volume XIV.
As we have seen, immediately after the first two phases of the case,
until then involving only the archdiocese, Father Bonetti initiated a
third when, wearied by delays cleverly contrived to block any recall of
the decree of his suspension, he decided to defend his own priestly
honor as well as the reputation of his religious community, and he
appealed to the Sacred Congregation of the Council. Three times he
had addressed that body in an effort to regain the full exercise of his
priestly ministry from the archbishop of Turin or, at least, to be given a
canonical reason for a denial. Again and again the Sacred Congrega-
tion wrote to the archbishop on this matter, only to receive, after a
lengthy silence, what it judged to be unsatisfactory reasons. Hence on
July 3, 1880, the Congregation decreed to take up the whole matter in a
full session of the cardinals, and on July 17 so notified Archbishop
Gastaldi. Finally on December 11 the archbishop was officially ordered
to inform Father Bonetti of this decision. He did this through his
secretary, Monsignor [Thomas] Chiuso, who on Christmas Eve sent a
memo to Father Bonetti which closed with the words: "His Excellency
grants you one month from this date in which to present your case to
the Sacred Congregation of the Council. "
The interval between December 11 and 24 had allowed the arch-
bishop time to draft a lengthy report and send it to the prefect of the
Sacred Congregation, Cardinal [Prospero] Caterini on December 29. It
was no more than a condemnation of the Salesians, though it opened up
as follows: "I am deeply pained at finding myself forced to lodge
complaints against an organization of the well-deserving Father John
Bosco, for I fondly recall that it was one of my most exciting priestly
ministries to help him with his newly formed institutions, and neither
then nor later as bishop of Saluzzo and archbishop of Turin did I ever
lessen my interest and efforts to favor those institutions which are still
thriving with heaven's evident blessing."
To prove his support of Don Bosco's works he then brought forth two
incidents as follows: "When the Valsalice College in Turin was about
to be shut down-he wrote-I did my best to help the Salesian Fathers
acquire ownership and to keep it open as a private school under the
direction of Don Bosco. To this end I personally used ten thousand lire
of my own money to pay off the outstanding debts contracted by the
college's former administration which the Very Reverend Don Bosco

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Father Bonetti's Appeal to the Sacred Congregation ofthe Council 155
refused to assume. Again, toward the end of February of this year
1880, I offered Don Bosco a house which I owned, next to the parish
church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Turin, valued at forty thousand
lire, my sole condition being that the Salesians should use it to run two
free elementary schools for boys. This request was never even ac-
knowledged." We have elsewhere contested this allegation. 3 As re-
gards Valsalice, certainly ten thousand lire was no mean sum, but his
generosity deserved the thanks of the former administrators since it was
their debt he was paying off, not that of the Salesians, who did not get a
single cent from it. Furthermore, the Salesians were given the use of
the building, not its ownership; in fact, they had to pay the Brothers of
the Christian Schools a yearly rental fee of eight thousand lire, and
when they finally bought the school, the archbishop made no more
than a token contribution.
This preamble was followed by the already known charges against
Father Bonetti: his violations of parish rights in the case of a nun's
funeral at Chieri; his dispute with the parish priest of Santa Maria della
Scala concerning the older girls' attendance at the festive oratory; his
suspension without previous canonical admonitions; the pamphlet en-
titled The Archbishop of Turin, Don Bosco and Father Oddenino,
which the archbishop asserted had been published "with Father
Bonetti's cooperation." The climax indeed was a hateful accusation
against Don Bosco himself. The archbishop charged: "The Very Rev-
erend Don Bosco, superior of the Salesian Congregation, who does so
much good in Turin and elsewhere, informed the canon curate of Chieri
in the course of a conversation that, should problems arise concerning
the girls' festive oratory, he, the canon, was not to go directly to the
archbishop but rather to him, Don Bosco, so that they might work
things out, in effect bypassing the archbishop. The canon was shocked
by this suggestion of the Very Reverend Don Bosco, whose virtues are
highly esteemed, for it could bring about the charge of insubordination
of a pastor against his ecclesiastical superior, the archbishop. ''
Actually the antagonistic canon had made a mountain out of a
molehill. The conversation had taken place in 1878, the year when the
archbishop had given Don Bosco permission to open a festive oratory
at Chieri. Aware that the canon was uncooperative and realizing that he
would go running to the archbishop for every trifle, Don Bosco in the
3/bid., pp. 419-423. [Editor)

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
course of conversation had told him, "Since the archbishop has
granted us permission to hold religious services, there is no need to
bother him about minor differences of opinion. Whenever you do not
approve of something we do in the running of the oratory, please write
to me a friendly note about it and we shall come to terms to our mutual
satisfaction."
This was the extent of the scandal that so gravely perturbed the
canon's delicate conscience!
Father Bonetti presented his case to Rome on January 8, 1881. A
month or so later, the archbishop sent the chancery's fiscal attorney,
Canon [Emanuel] Colomiatti, to Rome; he was to check on the state of
the case before the Sacred Congregation of the Council and make the
opportune rebuttals. He arrived on Friday, February 4, and was granted
a papal audience on the morning of February 8, thanks to the zealous
offices of Monsignor Macchi, papal chamberlain for private audiences.
Meanwhile, Archbishop Verga, secretary of the Sacred Congregation
of the Council~ had shown Father Bonetti 's appeal to Canon Colo-
miatti, allowing him to read it and take notes at will. The canon spent
the better part of a day scrutinizing Father Bonetti's entire presentation
and then drew up a memorandum summing up the account and rebut-
ting each charge.
In this report to Archbishop Gastaldi we find two items that are
hardly reconcilable. After scrutinizing Father Bonetti's presentation of
his case, the canon is quick to affirm that Father Bonetti will have the
worst of it, but then he shows a very great concern about meeting with
Cardinal Nina as soon as possible, excusing himself in the opening
lines of the letter to Archbishop Gastaldi for not having immediately
called on the cardinal the day after his arrival in Rome. ''I did not go
straight to Cardinal Nina," he states, "because my first care was to see
at what stage the case stood." Obviously, he had been charged with a
special mission to the cardinal, a mission plainly evidenced by what he
writes further on: "I am going to the cardinal today and will try to
bring about an out-of-court settlement to bypass the proceedings of the
Sacred Congregation of the Council.' '4
So shaky was his vaunted certainty of success that he was virtually
4Letter of February 8, 1881. The originals of the letters of Canon Colomiatti to the archbishop
from Rome are in the possession of Father [Dominic] Franchetti5 in Turin. [Author]
5See pp. xviii-xix. [Editor]

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Father Bonetti's Appeal to the Sacred Congregation ofthe Council 157
reaching out for support. He therefore called on the Salesians' cardinal
protector with the sole motive of soliciting his interest in the new
approach to the controversy. Indeed, he stated his anxious interest that
the conflict be settled in a fair and acceptable way between the two
parties without recourse to a court, saying that, as long as Father
Bonetti was willing to apologize to the archbishop, the way would be
open to a peaceful and mutually satisfying agreement. Cardinal Nina,
however, felt that it would be wiser to abide by the decision of the
Sacred Congregation which already had the matter in hand. Still the
canon insisted and pleaded with His Eminence to contact Don Bosco to
this end. After mature reflection, the cardinal did not deem it oppor-
tune to disregard the canon's plea, and so he sent a letter to Don Bosco,
appealing to his prudence and charity and assuring him that Canon
Colomiatti seemed well-disposed and would not reject an out-of-court
settlement. He immediately took action, presenting his viewpoint in
the matter, and sent the letter through Canon Colomiatti personally.
The canon, however, could not deliver it directly because Don Bosco,
as we know, was then in France,6 and so the letter was forwarded to
him. His clear-cut reply pins down the controversy to its basic
elements.
Your Eminence:
[No date]
Your kind letter concerning Father Bonetti's controversy has reached me by
a roundabout way at Roquefort near Toulon.
I most earnestly wish to see this conflict settled amicably. It has been nearly
a year since the archbishop sent for me and we came to the understanding that
he would revoke Father Bonetti's suspension while, for the sake of peace, I
would agree not to send Father Bonetti to Chieri for priestly service. When I
spoke to Father Bonetti he was quite satisfied; he is a truly exemplary, hard-
working priest. However, very early the following morning I was handed a
letter from the archbishop in which he retracted every single thought or word
of a friendly settlement, thus reinstating the former status quo.
At the present time an unacceptable condition precludes a settlement. Fa-
ther Colomiatti states that unless Don Bosco accepts it, the archbishop will
bring legal action against him as the author of the infamous booklets which
were published against the archbishop.
6See Chapters 2 and 3. [Editor]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
This means that if I agree to a settlement, I declare myself guilty of writing
those detestable libelous booklets, which I have always condemned. If there is
a real desire for an out-of-court settlement of this controversy, I see no simpler
way than to abide by our previous agreement and revoke Father Bonetti's
suspension. This would clear up the whole mess.
I should also point out to you that the threat of automatic suspension still
hangs over me if I ever personally or through others write or publish anything
which might touch unfavorably upon the archbishop. However, all this not-
withstanding, I shall write to the archbishop of Turin from here, and ask him
to tell me his mind on this matter.
I offer my humble thanks to Your Eminence for the interest you take in our
affairs and assure you of all our gratitude which we express in our prayers.
Meanwhile, I am honored to remain,
Your obedient servant,
Fr. John Bosco
At the same time, Don Bosco sent Father Rua some instructions on
what was to be done. Acting promptly, Father Rua called upon Canon
Colomiatti on March 4 and 5. He informed him that the Salesians, in
deference to their cardinal protector, would gladly settle Father
Bonetti's controversy in a friendly matter and withdraw the complaint
they had filed with the Sacred Congregation of the Council against their
archbishop. Actually, he added, this had always been Don Bosco's
desire and that of the other superiors. The appeal to the tribunal of the
Holy See had been made only because the archbishop had consistently
refused to revoke voluntarily a dishonorable penalty he had inflicted on
a religious in violation of an explicit decree of the Sacred Congregation
of Bishops and Regulars. After some reflections and exchange of
thoughts between them, the canon gave Father Rua reason to hope that
Father Bonetti's banishment from Chieri would also be canceled, but
only on condition that he apologize.
"For what offense should he apologize?" Father Rua asked. "For a
bit of reluctance in complying with the archbishop's orders, for letters
that were somewhat disrespectful, and also for having reiterated his
appeal to Rome last year, after his suspension had been commuted to a
simple prohibition to exercise his priestly ministry in Chieri," the
canon answered.
This was not altogether true. In fact, the archbishop's letter to Don
Bosco, dated May 27, 1879, expressly and plainly had stated: "I am

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Father Bonetti's Appeal to the Sacred Congregation ofthe Council 159
withdrawing Father Bonetti's faculties to grant sacramental absolu-
tion." Thus the archbishop made Father Bonetti appear guilty of trans-
gressions he had never committed, disgracing him before the whole
town. But Canon Colomiatti seemed ready to overlook and dismiss this
item as trivial; he insisted, however, on an apology for the derogatory
pamphlets against the archbishop, particularly one treating of the
Chieri affair. 7 Father Rua's reply was that the suspension had nothing to
do with the publication which had appeared several months later; the
Salesians, he said, had nothing to do with the pamphlets and declined
all responsibility for them.
In short, Father Rua inferred that: first, the archbishop, unable to
back up the charges he had brought to Rome, was trying to wrest from
the Salesians a more or less explicit admission of complicity in the
matter of the pamphlets so as to win sympathy for his cause; second,
fearing the consequences of having inflicted an uncanonical suspen-
sion, the archbishop hoped that the fear of a libel suit concerning the
pamphlets would delay the court case and suspend it indefinitely.
"These are suspicions of mine," wrote Father Rua to Don Bosco, "but
they are by no means rash. True, Canon Colomiatti has assured me that
during his stay in Rome, he was given to understand that, should the
case be heard, Father Bonetti would be found guilty, but I really
believe that he fears the verdict will be against the archbishop. 8
Two other items Father Rua was able to report with certainty to Don
Bosco. Although Archbishop Gastaldi might revoke the suspension, he
would do absolutely nothing to remove from Father Bonetti's name the
pall of calumny he had cast over it, since he kept insisting that the latter
be barred from Chieri for an indefinite period of time. Yet, he owed
amends to Father Bonetti for the harm done to his reputation, where the
problem had all begun. Secondly, Canon Colomiatti was trying to push
Father Rua into a settlement, bypassing Don Bosco, arguing that the
matter would otherwise unduly drag on. Hence, very wisely Father Rua
remarked, "I am afraid something underhanded is going on."
His fears were not without foundation. Assuming that there was a
sincere desire for a peaceful settlement, the path ahead lay open and
smooth. As a first step, the archbishop would have to lift the eccle-
1See Vol. XIV, pp. 189f. [Editor]
8Letter from Turin, March 7, 1881. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
siastical censure he had laid upon Father Bonetti contrary to a decree
prohibiting ordinaries from suspending confessors who are religious
except for reasons touching upon the sacrament of confession. A true
or alleged lack of respect was something that did not enter into that case
by any stretch of the imagination. Consequently, the archbishop should
strive to redress publicly the wrong done to Father Bonetti by at least
dispelling the ugly suspicions raised against him to the hurt of the
entire Salesian Congregation. Probably the only deterrent factor in this
procedure was the fear that the archbishop's authority could be jeopar-
dized, but this could very well be avoided by giving Father Bonetti
permission to preach occasionally in Chieri's churches or by granting
him in writing general faculties to hear confessions in diocesan girls'
institutions upon request.
To Don Bosco's observations, Cardinal Nina replied with a di-
lemma. 9 Either, on the one hand, Father Bonetti could morally and
juridically defend himself against alleged complicity with the defama-
tory pamphlets-and in that case his honor and the good name of the
Congregation ruled out any kind of settlement- or, on the other hand,
Father Bonetti did not feel totally above suspicion and feared that,
through incidental circumstances beyond his control, he might have
become involved indirectly in some sort of complicity. In such a case,
the cardinal believed that a well-worded and pointed apology, stating
the true facts with their circumstances and nothing more, would be
appropriate. Then he added: "Since you are well aware that we are
dealing with a peculiar personality, you should use your own good
judgment and prudently choose your course of action. Being far more
knowledgeable about people than I myself am, you will also be in a
better position to discern if the other party's offer of a compromise is
merely a disguise and a trap. Do not lose heart. Bear in mind that being
tested through adversities is an essential element of works acceptable to
God."
We cannot understand how a cardinal who wrote these lines, after
giving so many proofs of loving esteem for Don Bosco, could, on
February 8, actually air his views in such a manner as to lend credence
to Canon Colomiatti's written words to Archbishop Gastaldi: "Be-
9Letter, Rome, March 16, 1881. [Author]

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Father Bonetti's Appeal to the Sacred Congregation ofthe Council 161
tween us, the cardinal does not consider Don Bosco a saint, whereas he
regards as such Father Anglesio10 of the Little House. " 11
From Nice, Don Bosco forwarded the cardinal's letter to Father
Bonetti, who was then preaching at Aosta. He, in tum, realizing that
his adversaries were running scared because they were in the wrong,
urged Father Rua to stand firm on his demand that his good name,
compromised by an uncanonical suspension, be vindicated, and that
amends be made without any requirement for an apology, because the
alleged lack of respect for the archbishop's authority did not constitute
a canonical reason. He urged firmness too in the matter of the pub-
lished pamphlets. "We have been involved in them only as
scapegoats," he wrote. At the most, he did admit that in talking with
people intent on prying into what had actually happened, he might have
weakened to the point of opening his heart to them to prove his own
innocence. But, he said, no law of God or man forbids a slandered
victim to get a load off his chest and defend his honor among friends.
If, later, they had betrayed his confidence, he should not be held
responsible for their acts. He also urged Father Rua to stall for time as
long as Don Bosco was in Rome. 12
But the chancery in Turin could brook no delay. On March 29 Canon
Colomiatti wrote to Don Bosco urging him to come to a settlement
with the archbishop. Writing back from Alassio, Don Bosco laid down
two essential conditions if the matter was to be settled and peace
restored.
Very Reverend Canon Colomiatti:
Alassio, April 5, 1881
I had given Father Rua full powers to work out a settlement in the conflict
concerning our unfortunate Father Bonetti, pointing out that the simplest way
was to revoke a suspension whose legality is very questionable. I had already
come to an agreement on this point with our revered archbishop.
However, the following morning, His Excellency sent me a letter voiding
all pertinent negotiations and concessions.
On going more thoroughly into the matter, we discovered that some charges
10Father Louis Anglesio was at this time rector of the Little House of Divine Providence
founded by St. Joseph Cottolengo. [Editor]
HLetter, Rome, March 8, 1881. [Author]
12Letter from Father Bonetti to Father Rua, Aosta, March 20, 1881. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
had been made which only besmirched the honor and good name of a priest
who has always been above reproach morally and otherwise during his life
among us. What I fail to understand is the demand that Father Bonetti admit
guilt for something which he holds in utter horror; if there were a well-
founded suspicion on this matter, this alone would force me to expel
him immediately from our poor Congregation, which has faced so many
adversities.
In my opinion, the only way to end this most disgusting incident should be:
(1) to revoke Father Bonetti's suspension, as has already been done; (2) to
dismiss the grave charges lodged against him in Rome, unless they can be
proved beyond doubt. In such a case Father Bonetti would be expelled from
the religious congregation to which he belongs. He, however, assures me he
has not the least fear that the charges can stand up, and he asks only that he be
allowed to offer his explanations at the appropriate time.
This, my dear canon, is my friendly and confidential viewpoint and opin-
ion. Father Rua, who is handling this case, can better come to an agreement
with you. God bless us all and keep us in His holy grace.
Yours respectfully,
Fr. John Bosco
The letter was sent to Father Rua, and he promptly delivered it to the
canon. From his talk with him, Father Rua got the impression that the
whole matter could be settled amicably on condition that Father Bonetti
would write and publish in the Bollettino Salesiano a brief disclaimer
of all responsibility for the pamphlets against the archbishop, deploring
their content and publication,13 without any further requirement of
apologizing for what the archbishop called the "Chieri libel." When
informed of this, Father Bonetti rushed to Turin from Aosta, since
Father Rua was shortly to meet Don Bosco at Sampierdarena and
accompany him to Rome. They agreed they had no problem with a
written statement declaring that Father Bonetti had had no part what-
ever, directly or indirectly, in the unfortunate publications. Father Rua
wrote to the canon from Sampierdarena, because on the day of his
departure from Turin he had sat in the latter's waiting room two hours
without being able to see him. 14 However, he did not lessen his insis-
tence on his main contention. "It is my thinking," he wrote, "that
13Letter from Father Rua to Father Bonetti, Turin, April 8, 1882. [Author]
I4Letter, April 14, 1881. [Author]

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Father Bonetti's Appeal to the Sacred Congregation ofthe Council 163
there must be a clear-cut distinction between the suspension issue and
that of the pamphlets; likewise, the revocation of the suspension and
the amends to the archbishop's reputation must not depend upon our
declaration in the Bollettino Salesiano." Then, even more respectfully,
he added, "Since the suspension was issued in written form, would it
not be fair that it be revoked in the same manner? Better still, should it
not be stated that the suspension was not inflicted for the usual reasons,
that is, for dishonorable conduct, but rather for some other reasons?
Please do what you can."
The canon had sent to Father Rua a copy of the pamphlet about the
Chieri affair so he could read and see for himself that Father Bonetti's
hand was certainly in it. Father Rua expressed his opinion as follows:
"As for what I think, let me say that, although I have been too busy to
read the whole thing, from the part that I have read I feel that by no
stretch of the imagination can anyone conclude that Father Bonetti is its
author. If someone thinks he is, then all we can say is that unfortunately
we often err in our judgments." His letter, written on Holy Thursday,
ends in a manner which is typical of saints: "I admire your personal
interest in this controversy and I can't help expressing my sincere
esteem for you. Please, accept my best wishes for the coming celebra-
tion of Easter. "
Canon Colomiatti waited until Easter Monday to send Father Bonetti
a note inviting him to his office any morning that week to receive a
message. This gave Father Bonetti five days to consult Don Bosco at
Rome. His laconic reply was: "I believe you can go as asked, but
always stand firm on the two fundamental conditions: revocation of the
suspension and withdrawal of all charges lodged against you with the
Holy See. I shall hasten my return."
Just when and how the two opponents met we do not know, but on
April 24 a written message came from Canon Colomiatti, addressed to
Father Rua's office at the Oratory while he was still away. It was a
notice that Father Bonetti's faculties for confession had been issued,
and therefore either he or Father Bonetti should call at the chancery to
pick up the document. When Don Bosco was told, he gave this advice
to Father Bonetti:15 "You will be receiving another letter concerning
that well-known problem of yours. Make sure you neither say nor write
15Letter, Rome, April 29, 1881. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
anything that can get to others. They are out to frame us. Be cautious in
everything." These two notes of his show that he set the example.
We have no documents concerning the next two weeks, but then
came a letter from Archbishop Gastaldi for Don Bosco. He received it
while he was still in Rome and just about to leave for Florence. Again
the archbishop restated how well deserving he was of the Salesian
Congregation, but we shall limit ourselves to what really matters.
"How happy I would be-he wrote-if our relations could again be as
they were from 1848 to 1872, when they reached the very summit of
concord. I have never changed since then, and I have given glowing
proof of this to you and yours. If you and your Salesians wish to draw
upon yourselves the fullness of blessings of St. Maximus, bishop of
Turin, be willing to admit the wrongs you have done to his present
successor and ask his pardon. Promise that you will not do, say, or
publish anything anywhere concerning the diocese of Turin without
first checking it out with me. Then you will see how speedily peace
will be restored with the splendor of bygone days. " 16
Trusting the archbishop's word, Don Bosco bowed to his wishes.
Therefore, on May 27, Canon Colomiatti called on Don Bosco with
full powers from the archbishop to end the whole affair. Their meeting
was a long one, and Don Bosco believed in the honesty and sincerity of
the promises. Consequently, he and the canon verbally agreed that the
archbishop would drop all the charges lodged by him in Rome against
Father Bonetti, Don Bosco and the entire Salesian Congregation; fur-
thermore, Father Bonetti was to be free of all further vexation and
suspension from hearing confessions as he had been prior to February
12 and 14, 1879, and as the archbishop has also stated on the evening of
May 26 of that year [1881] though he retracted his word the following
morning. On the basis of these two conditions alone Don Bosco
handed a written statement to Canon Colomiatti as a basis for a peace-
ful settlement, but-let this be noted-his written statement was to be
returned to Don Bosco with a letter from the archbishop expressing his
acceptance of the two conditions. Both parties stipulated that this was a
verbal agreement. Don Bosco's statement read: "In my position as
rector of the Pious Salesian Society, I am happy that the controversy
between Father John Bonetti and His Excellency, the most reverend
archbishop of Turin, has been amicably terminated. I now ask His
16Letter, Turin, May 10, 1881. [Author]

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Father Bonetti's Appeal to the Sacred Congregation of the Council 165
Eminence, the cardinal prefect of the Council, kindly to return the
documents relating to this matter.'' His signature and the date followed.
As soon as the archbishop got Don Bosco's statement into his hands,
he sent it with one of his own, not to Don Bosco to have him check if
its wording was in conformity with the understanding he had reached
with Canon Colomiatti, but to the cardinal prefect of the Sacred Con-
gregation of the Council. In a covering letter the archbishop wrote: ''In
consideration of the statement made to my fiscal attorney by the Very
Reverend John Bosco, Rector Major of the Salesian Congregation,
concerning the girls' festive oratory operated by the Salesian Sisters at
Chieri-which to date has not been in any way exempted from the
ordinary's authority-and looking to the good of the Salesian Con-
gregation, I hereby state that it is my intent that no further action be
taken in my countersuit filed with the Sacred Congregation of the
Council against Father Bonetti; this countersuit was a necessary re-
sponse to the suit filed by the aforesaid Father Bonetti. I therefore ask
His Eminence the cardinal prefect to allow me to withdraw the docu-
ments pertinent to the case.''
Here several things must be pointed out. To start with, no mention
whatever is made of the two verbal conditions, nor is there a revocation
of the ban against Father Bonetti's hearing confessions in Chieri. The
charges against Father Bonetti were not the only documents that were
to be withdrawn, for the agreement with Canon Colomiatti, the fiscal
attorney, was that all other papers as well were to be withdrawn. Fur-
thermore, explicitly mentioning the girls' festive oratory operated by
the Salesian Sisters subtly insinuated that Father Bonetti had only been
suspended from hearing confessions in a sisters' private chapel, not in a
public chapel belonging to the Salesians. Finally, a simple draft which
was given in all confidence, and was to have been returned to the writer
once the archbishop had agreed to its conditions so that it could be
copied more presentably, could never be considered an official docu-
ment, so official that it could be sent off-hand to a cardinal prefect [of a
Roman Congregation].
But these were not the only irregularities. The oral agreement called
for the canon to give Don Bosco an oral answer in person. Instead, he
notified Don Bosco by letter and enclosed a copy of the archbishop's
statement. Furthermore, the canon let several days go by before notify-
ing Don Bosco that the archbishop's statement had been sent to Rome.
Worse still, rather than use the quickest way of sending the letter,

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166
THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
which would be by hand delivery, he mailed it. Consequently, a whole
week went by without Don Bosco's knowing anything, for the letter did
not reach him until shortly before supper on June 2. He suspected a
ruse whose purpose we can easily detect from the telegram which he
sent at about seven o'clock that very evening to Archbishop Verga,
secretary of the Sacred Congregation of the Council, to forestall any
untoward consequences. It said: "Please let no documents concerning
our case leave your office. Letter to follow. Bosco." That same evening
Don Bosco wrote to Archbishop Verga as follows:
Your Excellency:
[June 2, 1881]
Just moments ago I was informed by mail that the archbishop of Turin has
sent to the Sacred Congregation of the Council a paper written by myself
which was to be used as the basis of an amicable settlement in Father Bonetti's
case. This paper was a confidential communication to the diocesan fiscal
attorney, Canon Colomiatti, who was supposed to show it to the archbishop
and then return it to me with the archbishop's own statement on the matter at
hand. The archbishop's statement did get to me, but it does not match the
agreement which I reached with his diocesan fiscal attorney: that is, the
revocation of Father Bonetti's suspension and the recall of all documents
concerning him, as well as those casting discredit on me and my Congrega-
tion. On the other hand, I would never have sent my statement to Rome
without a covering letter befitting the cardinal prefect of such an important
Congregation.
.
I therefore beg you to hold this case at the stage where it is now. More
detailed explanation will follow by mail.
I am honored to remain, with esteem and respect,
Your most obedient servant,
Fr. John Bosco
Very anxious to let Canon Colomiatti know that the archbishop's
conciliatory gesture did not in the least correspond to their own agree-
ment, Don Bosco immediately wrote to the canon.
Reverend and dear Canon,
Turin, June 2, 1881
I have just received your letter by mail, informing me of the archbishop's
statement. With regret I must say that I fail to see how it conforms to the
agreement we made. Hence, I think we must confer together again and come

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Father Bonetti's Appeal to the Sacred Congregation of the Council 167
to a better understanding. I'll be available. If possible, please drop in to see
me, and I trust that we can come to a better understanding in a few minutes.
With great esteem, I remain
Your humble servant,
Fr. John Bosco
Don Bosco had his own reasons to move so quickly. Once the
documents were taken off the records, the controversy would be dealt
with out of court, and should no friendly settlement be reached, the
case would have to be reopened, starting again from scratch. Indeed,
had Don Bosco fallen into the trap, he would have run into a crucial
dilemma once negotiations fell through, for either he would have to
forego any redress or he would have to shoulder the racking burden of
reopening the case. Fortunately he caught on to the ruse in time and
prevented any suspension of the case.
Canon Colomiatti waited two days before calling on Don Bosco, and
when he did come he captiously denied that the two conditions for a
settlement had been orally agreed upon at their previous.meeting. This
astonishing about-face made the deceit even clearer to Don Bosco.
Anyway, as he escorted the canon out, he promised to give more
thought to the matter for several days before breaking off negotiations,
for he had had no intention to close the door on any other settlement.
He had asked for a meeting only to clarify the ambiguities he feared.
About a week after their meeting, he wrote to the canon as follows:
Dear Canon Colomiatti:
Turin, June 11, 1881
As you suggested, throughout the entire week I have reflected and prayed
and also consulted someone who is very devoted to our archbishop in refer-
ence to our controversy.
Yet I am more and more convinced that the archbishop's statement does not
conform to our agreement; it leaves Father Bonetti no better off than before,
and it does not revoke any of the charges filed with Rome against me and
against our Congregation which has been encountering so many difficulties.
This is further corroborated by the archbishop's attitude toward us, as you well
know. 17
17He alludes here to the archbishop's refusal to go to Valsalice College for confirmation, as
well as to his order to Father Francesia to take an examination in moral theology. See p. 134.
[Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
Perhaps, if you had respected our agreement to keep my paper as a confi-
dential document for you and for him only and then had told me what was to
be added to it, we might have cleared up this whole situation with but minor
modifications, but this was not done. Moreover, you told me that not a single
word of what had been written would be altered.
In view of this, I see no other course than to let the Holy See judge where I
am right and where I am wrong; I accept in advance their decision whatever it
may be. I believe that the archbishop too will be pleased about this because the
verdict will come from a higher authority which grants and limits powers and
regulates their use.
However, as for myself, I assure you that it is always my pleasure to remain
Your most humble servant,
Fr. John Bosco
In the meantime Father Bonetti had also written to Rome, letting
Archbishop Verga know how and why the conciliatory agreement had
dishonestly been sent to Cardinal Caterini. 18 It is undeniable that any-
one sincerely seeking a compromise should yield somewhat to his
adversary. But pretending to seek a compromise without any intention
of yielding on anything is nothing but forcing one's own will on
another.
Recognizing Don Bosco 's determined stand, Archbishop Gastaldi
wrote to Canon [Charles] Menghini and formally hired him as his
defense attorney. 19 Later Canon Colomiatti informed the cardinal pro-
tector of the Salesians, Cardinal Lawrence Nina, in his own way. In
those days, Don Bosco received a dateless letter which bore no indica-
tion of its origin and was illegibly signed. The writer, citing certain
impressions made in Roman circles by Don Bosco 's telegram and letter
of June 2 to Archbishop Verga, lectured him on the advisability of
settling the controversy amicably. The writer seemed to be a friend of
the archbishop and to be expressing the feelings of other friends who
wished to ward off a setback for Archbishop Gastaldi. One of them was
Cardinal [Gustavo] Hohenlohe, bishop of Albano; he too advised Don
Bosco to put an end to the controversy. 20 But each of the principals had
chosen his own path, and regardless of Archbishop Gastaldi's plans,
18Cardinal Prospero Caterini, prefect of the Sacred Congregation of the Council. [Editor]
19Father Francis Dalmazzo managed to copy the archbishop's prejudiced letter and sent it to
Turin. [Author]
20Letter from Attorney Leonori to Father Bonetti, Rome, August 14, 1881. [Author]

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Father Bonetti's Appeal to the Sacred Congregation of the Council 169
Don Bosco was determined to pursue matters to their end. The only
concern he expressed to his own lawyer was that the letter be conside-
rate of the archbishop.
Dear Attorney Leonori:
Turin, July 8, 1881
Despite my fervent wish to put an amicable end to the controversy which
has dragged on for more than two years between Archbishop Gastaldi of Turin
and Father John Bonetti, who is still under suspension, I nevertheless realize
that the problem must be brought before the plenary session of cardinals, and
soon. Hence I ask you to take up this matter and be our defense counsel. I urge
you to endeavor in every way to avoid any manner of speaking and feeling
which might be judged improper for a subject in addressing his superior.
I will see that you are properly reimbursed for expenses you may incur.
Very gratefully yours,
Fr. John Bosco
There is no better uplift for our spirits disheartened by this array of
sorry events than to break our narrative with a letter by Don Bosco to
his cardinal protector at the very apex of all these regrettable intrigues.
Your Eminence:
Turin, June 30, 1881
At least once in a while I have good news to send you. After a long series of
efforts, privations and sacrifices, we have finally managed to finish our new
church and residence in La Spezia, and we are already dwelling in it. We have
thus been enabled to attract over five hundred boys from the Protestant schools
and give them a Catholic education. With more space we could save a far
larger number. We shall see how we can do this, trusting that God's help will
never fail us.
Also, our new residence and church in Vallecrosia has been finished and
crowds are attending services. The Bollettino Salesiano is featuring a good
account of the bishop carrying the Blessed Sacrament in solemn procession
from its temporary chapel to the church. I am also glad to tell you that the
Protestant schools for boys and girls have been closed down once and for all
for lack of pupils. Now not a single Catholic attends the Waldensian church,
despite its standing offer of material benefits to lure unwary Catholics.
Our house in Lucca has been doing fine, despite grave difficulties which are
gradually clearing up. We are experiencing a more stormy time in Florence,
where the Protestants enjoy a vast outlay of money, while we have no resi-

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170
THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
dence and live in extreme poverty. Nevertheless, we fervently trust that before
long we shall be able to be self-sustaining and consolidate our position, but we
need your prayers and a special blessing from the Holy Father.
Father Dalmazzo will fill you in with details. I would be grateful if you
would inform the Holy Father of our progress in my name, for on several
occasions he gave me to understand that he took this very much to heart.
Please remember me in your kind prayers.
Most respectfully yours,
Fr. John Bosco
Father Bonetti's case apparently was due to come up in September,
but September came and went, without even the hint of a forthcoming
hearing. Father Bonetti, worried and fretful, kept pressuring Attorney
Leonori as though he were to blame for the delay, urging him to finish
his defense brief, have it printed and send it to the cardinals before the
autumn recess, so that on their return they could immediately hear the
case.
Suddenly, like a bolt from the blue, the unexpected occurred on the
last day of September. Don Bosco was presiding over the novices'
spiritual retreat at San Benigno as they prepared to take their vows,
when Canon [Charles] Menghini, the archbishop's attorney, turned up
officiously with the commission to work out a basis for an accommoda-
tion. Don Bosco sent for Father Bonetti, and the following three funda-
mental conditions were agreed upon:
1. Father John Bosco, Superior of the Salesians, agrees to withdraw the
charge brought by Father John Bonetti to the Sacred Congregation of the
Council concerning the suspension imposed upon him three years ago by the
archbishop of Turin, in connection with the [Festive] Oratory of St. Theresa in
Chieri. He also promises to enjoin Father Bonetti from hearing confessions in
that oratory until the real or imaginary fears of conflict with the local parish
priest have been dispelled.
2. On his part, His Excellency the Most Reverend Lawrence Gastaldi,
archbishop of Turin, declares in writing that Father John Bonetti was sus-
pended for no reason touching upon the sacrament of confession or for having
violated an interdict, but because of clashes with the local parish priest. His
Excellency also declares that he is now fully reinstating Father Bonetti to hear
confessions in Chieri as well; also that he is withdrawing all charges and
printed statements which cast discredit upon Father John Bosco and the Sale-

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Father Bonetti's Appeal to the Sacred Congregation of the Council 171
sian Congregation not only in the above-mentioned but in any other matter as
well.
3. As a canonical reparation the archbishop of Turin will also grant Father
John Bonetti faculties for hearing confessions of even cloistered religious
subject to episcopal jurisdiction according to the prescription of the Superna
constitution of Clement X.
An exercise in frustration! Canon Menghini submitted the results of
that discussion to the archbishop who immediately made his way to
Rome, and that was all! Don Bosco waited in vain for some commu-
nication. On the contrary, Archbishop Gastaldi dispatched his fiscal
attorney, Canon Colomiatti, to Rome to file another lawsuit against
Don Bosco crisscrossing the first. However, he did so without losing
sight of the former, for, while pushing the second suit, he had to keep
delaying action upon the first as long as possible. To this end, he
enlisted the aid of Cardinal [Innocent] Ferrieri, and so it was ruled that
the Sacred Congregation of Bishops and Regulars would look into four
basic points at issue: 1. Were the Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians
exempt from the archbishop's jurisdiction? 2. Were their convents and
oratories also exempt? 3. Did exemption apply to the Salesians who
ministered to those convents and oratories? 4. Were the Salesians in the
convents and oratories of the Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians to
be considered as residing in houses belonging to the Salesian
Congregation?
Canon Colomiatti drafted the necessary papers introducing the in-
quiry, which, being presented as a matter of principle, took precedence
over the first case still pending before the Sacred Congregation of the
Council. 21
The reader must not lose sight of the true facts of this controversy,
which, briefly stated, are these: On February 12, 1878, the archbishop
of Turin, on the pretext of protesting the lack of respect shown to the
parish priest of Chieri, and the consequent friction, without prior warn-
ing to Father Bonetti or to his superior, had, contrary to canon law,
suspended the former from hearing confessions both in Chieri and
throughout the archdiocese, to the shame of the priest and his Con-
gregation; later this suspension was limited to Chieri. Hence, we ask:
21We are omitting a long footnote by the author as irrelevant to this controversy, but showing
how Canon Colomiatti did distort facts in other matters. [Editor]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
What did Father Bonetti's case have to do with these questions pro-
posed to the cardinals? Nothing whatsoever. They were merely a ruse
to tire out the opposition. But the delay also worked in Father Bonetti's
favor, for it gave him time to take further action. In October he had a
memorandum printed which he respectfully submitted to the Holy
Father and to the cardinals. It was a dossier of fifteen large-size pages,
giving a restrained account of what had anteceded the case and the facts
themselves, as well as a dignified refutation of the archbishop's reasons
for not fully reinstating him to his ministry.
The foot-dragging brought another advantage as well. On November
10, on the death of the aged Cardinal [Prospero] Caterini at eighty-six,
Cardinal [Lawrence] Nina, who knew Don Bosco very well, was ap-
pointed prefect of the Sacred Congregation of the Council. Don Bosco
hastened to congratulate him. His Eminence replied on November 24:
"I attribute to your goodness the extremely gracious sentiments you
expressed in your letter of the 11th congratulating me on my appoint-
ment as prefect of the Sacred Congregation of the Council. I thank you
with all my heart. Always wary of my remaining feeble strength, I now
feel a greater need than ever of appealing to your kindness to ask the
Lord to lend me the aid and support I need to carry the burden which
the Holy Father has benevolently laid upon me. Yet despite my limita-
tions, I will never lessen my efforts to live up to the expectations and
demands of my office."
At the beginning of November Don Bosco was deeply grieved to find
he was being made the public target of the archbishop's indignation.
On November 10, during the diocesan synod, Archbishop Gastaldi
delivered two speeches in the cathedral, during which he used far from
kind words about the Salesians and their superiors, without however
actually naming them. That morning, while stressing the validity of the
festive oratories for boys, he never even mentioned the oratories in
Turin directed by Don Bosco over the past forty years, but he enthusi-
astically heaped praises upon those run by the Oratorians [founded by]
St. Philip Neri, who, he declared, were everywhere outstanding and
helped their bishop, causing him no problems. His listeners instantly
grasped his meaning. Even more clearly he expressed himself that
evening: "I recommend to you obedience and respect to your bishop.
Do not act like some religious, who are quite reverent and devoted to
the far-off Pope, but show little or no respect to the bishop in their
midst. They pay homage to St. Peter's Chair, but none at all to ours of

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Father Bonetti's Appeal to the Sacred Congregation ofthe Council 173
St. Maximus. Such unfortunately is the case of a certain priest in this
diocese, who, flaunting his loyalty to the Pope, gets involved in matters
hardly acceptable to his archbishop, causing him annoyance." He also
attacked the Catholic press for opposing the teaching of Rosminian
ideas, expressing himself in even harsher language about "periodicals,
newspapers, yes, shameless rags which vaunt the name Catholic and
are a disgrace to the Church! There is hardly one which does not
overstep its bounds and butt into affairs not its own, doing more harm
than good and causing the faithful to be scandalized." One of his
listeners, Father Louis Fiore, was so angered by the speech that he
reported the whole thing directly to the Pope. 22
It became critically important to dissipate the malicious gossip
against Don Bosco fomented by evil tongues in Church and govern-
ment circles of Rome. With this aim Attorney Leonori had begun
putting together a pamphlet on Don Bosco and his Congregation for
wide-scale distribution throughout the city. This pamphlet appeared
toward the end of the year. 23 Its seven chapters covered Don Bosco and
the Salesian Society with its growth in Italy, France and the foreign
missions. It also cited some of the more outstanding tributes paid to
Don Bosco's work, closing with the comment that through his under-
takings Don Bosco had blazed a sensible path for the clergy to take in
keeping abreast of the times.
The noisy outbursts made against him at the synod convinced Don
Bosco more forcefully that he had to take up his own defense in a field
that was more restricted yet more important. Woe to the Salesian
Congregation if in the higher ecclesiastical circles and among the
bishops of Italy and the Holy See's cardinals a notion should take hold
that the Salesians and their founder were unruly and contested their
bishop's authority. Regardless of anything, some kind of an exposition
paper was needed to reach the higher prelates and enlighten them
thoroughly about the true state of affairs between the Salesian Oratory
and the Turin chancery, between Don Bosco and Archbishop Gastaldi.
The assignment was entrusted to Father John Bonetti and Father
Joachim Berto, the latter being also the Congregation's archivist and
22See Appendix 3. [Editor]
23Costantino Leonori, Cenni sulla Societa di San Francesco di Sales istituita dal sacerdote
Giovanni Bosco [Outline of the Society of St. Francis de Sales Founded by Father John Bosco],
Roma, Tipografia Tiburtina, 1881. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
Don Bosco's secretary. 24 The result of their work was a monograph
entitled: To the Most Eminent Cardinals of the Sacred Congregation of
the Council: A Statement by Father John Bosco. The reasons for this
statement were clearly set down in the first few pages which formed an
introduction written by Father Bonetti and edited by Don Bosco, who
made it his own.
Turin, December 15, 1881
Octave of the Feast
of the Immaculate Conception
REASONS FOR THIS STATEMENT
For the past ten years the newly founded Salesian Congregation and I
personally have endured grave vexations at the hands of the archbishop of
Turin, the Most Reverend Lawrence Gastaldi, so that, besides l?eing endlessly
harassed, we have been hindered in ministering to souls. This prelate has
forbidden us to use the faculties granted us by the Holy See; contrary to the
Church's prescriptions he has claimed the right to interfere in the internal and
disciplinary running of our Congregation, as though it were only a diocesan
congregation; often without reason he has refused to admit our candidates to
holy orders and for trivial pretexts has withheld from our priests faculties to
preach, hear confessions, and even celebrate Mass in his diocese; at times he
has suspended them without canonical grounds and in disregard of canonical
procedure; he also has forbidden us to publicize in his diocese papal briefs
issued on behalf of our works; he has denigrated charitable institutions which
have received the Holy Father's commendation and blessing; he has written
letters to persons of high and low station, and he has even published defama-
tory writings against the Salesians and the superior. All of these deeds would
seem to stem from the enemy of all good who strives to stifle and destroy our
helpless Congregation or at least to overwhelm it with obstacle after obstacle,
in order to keep it from attaining that goal for which it was founded and
approved by the Holy See.
Hitherto, we have endured all these and innumerable other vexations in
silence. Our Holy Church is going through trying times, and I did not want to
trouble you with additional problems by officially calling for the authoritative,
supreme judgment of the Church on our behalf. I was disinclined also to have
24The original manuscript of the two compilers contains a number of deletions, additions and
modifications in Don Bosco's hand; there are also frequent pen strokes deleting long passages.
[Author]

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Father Bonetti's Appeal to the Sacred Congregation of the Council 175
to file charges against a person whom I have always highly esteemed and
revered.
We were ready to endure further similar vexations and difficulties in si-
lence, but recently the archbishop had recourse to the Sacred Congrega-
tion of the Council, calling for action against us, and he published defamatory
charges against me and the entire Pious Salesian Society. I therefore feel
bound by obedience to present this list of complaints to the Holy See. Since it
is with a sad heart that I carry out this duty, I shall pass over in silence many
acts and statements which touch upon my humble person alone, and I have
proffered only charges which concern the Congregation or myself as its head
and superior.
Fr. John Bosco
The statement, running more than seventy pages, lists the malignant
acts of the archbishop of Turin against Don Bosco and the Salesians
from 1872 until 1881 while a two-page summary points out the harmful
consequences of these acts. It closes with an appeal and a declaration:
an appeal to the Holy See for help and protection; a declaration of
unconditional acceptance of any and every judgment, counsel and
advice the Holy Father would graciously give.
Don Bosco's words that he was "bound by obedience to present"
this report does not mean he received an order from a higher authority.
In fact, if we compare the statement's initial draft with its final wording
we are reminded that the Holy See itself, in approving the Congrega-
tion and entrusting its care and direction to him, had placed upon him
the duty to safeguard its interests and defend its good name. He had
this report printed in maximum secrecy and security, keeping to him-
self the original manuscript, the galley proofs and all copies. He also
exercised every possible precaution in mailing it only to high-level
prelates. This report, printed around the end of 1881, was sent also to
Leo XIII, who, after leafing through it, became so upset that he ex-
claimed: "Let's put an end to this quarrel; otherwise Archbishop Gas-
taldi will have a bad name in history.'' It was then that he first thought
of reserving the whole matter to himself, as we shall see in the next
chapter.
As the day of the hearing drew nearer, Archbishop Gastaldi went to
Rome, drawn there also by a very important occasion. The Holy Father
had chosen the feast of the Immaculate Conception for the canonization
of Benedict Joseph Labre, Lawrence of Brindisi, John Baptist Rossi,

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176
THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
and Clare of Montefalco. Archbishop Gastaldi used this opportunity to
study the situation at close range and to win as many supporters to his
cause as he could.
He had two audiences with the Holy Father. At the second, which
lasted an hour and a half, the Pope went into his relationship with the
Salesians. Cardinal Nina was present throughout the audience, and
from him we learned the details. 25 At one point Leo XIII asked, ''What
is this ongoing conflict with Don Bosco and the Salesian Congrega-
tion? When will it end? Poor Don Bosco! He works endlessly and does
so much good! I hear nothing but praise on all sides for the Salesians,
and I am very fond of them. Why do you treat them as you do? Stop it
once and for all! Rather than support and help them, all you do is block
their progress!''
"Holy Father, that is not true," the archbishop answered. "I am very
fond of Don Bosco and his Congregation, and I have tried to help it in
every way. God knows how keenly I desire a settlement. If only Don
Bosco would come to me, I would gladly embrace him. I have always
preferred a friendly settlement, but Don Bosco turned me down and
brought action against me to the Sacred Congregation of the Council.
Let Don Bosco come to me, and he will see how I welcome him."
"How can you expect him to come if you will not even receive him
when he calls on you? Is this the way to treat a priest imbued with zeal
and the spirit of God?"
"I will immediately receive him, and I am prepared to settle
everything. "
"Then go, but let this matter be settled once and for all. Otherwise I
shall have to take steps I would prefer not to."
Don Bosco 's attorneys had already drawn up and printed their de-
fense. [Charles] Menghini's seemed quite moderate and called for a
"reconciliation of the two luminaries of the Turin diocese. " 26 Both he
and [Constantine] Leonori agreed on formulating the issue as follows:
Whether in this case the local suspension or prohibition to hear confes-
sions is to be upheld or nullified. Menghini restricted the first part of
his defense to a statement of facts, and in the second he showed why
the archbishop's censure should be declared null because it was unjust,
25Letter from Father Dalmazzo to Don Bosco, Rome, December 21, 1881. [Author]
26Letter from Attorney [Constantine] Leonori to Father Bonetti, Rome, November 10, 1881
and from Father Dalmazzo to Don Bosco, Rome, November 29, 1881. [Author]

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Father Bonetti's Appeal to the Sacred Congregation ofthe Council 177
prompted by hatred of the Salesian Congregation, and contrary to
canonical procedures. The third part of his defense was a refutation of
some objections. The archbishop's defense presented the case not as a
canonical suspension, but as a simple limitation of faculties, the in-
ference being that it was the ordinary's right to withdraw faculties when
and how he pleased, even without formal procedures. Shortly before
the closing of the hearing, Father Bonetti saw fit to submit some
thoughts of his on this and other points to the cardinal prefect of the
Sacred Congregation of the Council, clearly and concisely sketching
out the true situation. Then, on being told that an issue was being made
of the charge that Salesians had been sent to Chieri to administer the
last rites to a Daughter of Mary, Help of Christians, he sent the cardinal
a statement from Canon [Matthew] Susa who declared that he had
personally given the last sacraments to the dying sister. This document
indirectly alerted the Sacred Congregation to other assertions, caution-
ing it at least to have some reservations.
The case came to trial on December 17. Two of the eight cardinals
voted in the archbishop's favor; the most forceful defenders of Don
Bosco's cause were Cardinals Randi, Chigi, Hergenrother and
Ledochowski. When the Pope was told of the trial's results, he restated
what he had already said in other words to Archbishop Gastaldi: "Pass
no verdict, but rather propose a settlement so as to safeguard the
archbishop's authority. Don Bosco is so virtuous that he will fully
cooperate. The archbishop may or may not accept it. If he does, Don
Bosco will be satisfied because he seeks only peace, and once peace is
attained, the conflict is over. If not, we shall at least have taken the bull
by the horns21 and he will be done for."
At this point Cardinal Nina became somewhat upset and said that the
time had come to stop wagging tongues in other places too because also
in Rome some people were taking their cues from Turin and supporting
the archbishop's stand, persecuting Don Bosco and nullifying all the
good work of the Salesian Society by depriving it of the privileges
[enjoyed by religious congregations]. As cardinal protector of the
Salesians, he made other remarks as well.
The Holy See's tribunal suspended sentence as follows: "Deferred
27"Exact words" as reported by Cardinal Nina in repeating this conversation to Father
Dalmazzo. Letter already quoted, December 21. [Author]

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178
THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
as explained by the most eminent Cardinal Prefect." The latter
promptly informed Don Bosco confidentially in this letter:
Rome, December 20, 1881
CONFIDENTIAL
Reverend Don Bosco:
You will very shortly receive a letter from the Sacred Congregation of the
Council regarding the contention you are involved in. Sentence has been
deferred, because, without prejudging merit, it is also the Holy Father's view
that this be handled in the manner which will be duly indicated to you, since
the archbishop has personally informed His Holiness orally of his deep desire
to reach an agreement. In the hope that the archbishop will this time accept the
proposal with all sincerity, let me ask you, in my concern for your Congrega-
tion, not to block a settlement in any way, but to agree wholeheartedly with
everything that will be proposed to you, without straying in the least from the
instructions you will receive. When you will call on the archbishop I know
that I don't have to appeal to your virtue, for I trust that your manner of acting
and speaking will be respectful and so tempered that you will not compromise
yourself in any way, but will, if it is possible, even force him to be gracious.
Briefly, you will say that you are quite pleased that the Holy See has given you
an excellent opportunity to come to a meeting with His Excellency whom you
have never ceased loving and respecting. You will refrain from any discussion
of questions or complaints and will merely present a petition on behalf of
Father Bonetti in the terms which will be suggested to you. Show your will-
ingness to come to an agreement on the running of the girls' oratory within the
limits permitted by law and in your mutual desire to benefit souls. Advise
Father Bonetti to be very reserved in speech and in everything touching upon
the archbishop and the local parish priest. In these circumstances, courteous
conduct, even at the cost of sacrifice on your part and on that of your people,
will only win higher esteem for your Congregation and will smooth the way to
solve other difficulties which are being raised against you at every step,
perhaps even unwittingly, so as to obstruct God's work. Make sure you keep
meticulous records of everything that will take place between you and Arch-
bishop Gastaldi, so that you may faithfully make a report to this Sacred
Congregation.
I felt I had to tell you this without delay. I take this opportunity to wish you
from my heart all spiritual and temporal blessings from the Divine Child, who
will welcome, I am sure, the gift of your many trials and sorrows, which He
will compensate with a high degree of comfort and courage to continue in

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Father Bonetti's Appeal to the Sacred Congregation ofthe Council 179
your work. I implore abundant blessings on your Congregation from the Lord
and am pleased to remain, with great esteem,
Most affectionately,
+ Lawrence Cardinal Nina, Prefect
The intent therefore was that, before a verdict should be passed,
efforts should be made to resolve the conflict fairly and honorably for
both parties. The Sacred Congregation formally informed Don Bosco
of this, even detailing what he was to do: he was to call on the arch-
bishop, present Father Bonetti's petition to be reinstated as confessor in
the girls' oratory at Chieri and ask his pardon for any unpleasantness he
might have caused him; Don Bosco was to come to some understanding
on running the girls' oratory in such a way that the Salesians would not
interfere with parish services and that they themselves would not be
hindered from ministering spiritually to souls, as they had done so
faithfully before.
The official letter sent at the same time to the archbishop was slightly
longer. It listed five items: 1. The measures taken against Father Bonetti
had been excessively severe. 2. He was given the cardinals' decision
and how it was to be carried out. 3. He was to welcome Don Bosco
immediately and graciously and grant Father Bonetti the faculties re-
quested without any delay. 4. He was to admonish the parish priest at
Chieri and his assistants to exercise greater charity toward the Sales-
ians. 5. He was to revoke the automatic suspension which threatened
Don Bosco were he to write or print anything in defense of himself or
his Congregation. Lastly the archbishop was asked to show docility
and efficiency in doing everything with utmost solicitude.
Before receiving the rescript from Rome, Don Bosco had already
answered Cardinal Nina as follows:
Your Eminence:
Turin, December 28, 1881
How kind Your Eminence is to this humble Congregation! I thank you with
all my heart. So far I have not received the letter of the Sacred Congregation of
the Council, but as soon as I do, I shall faithfully follow the fatherly advice
you so kindly gave me. But coming to any agreement will be very difficult.
Three times in the past I have been summoned by the archbishop, but our talks
always ended up in my being scolded and branded a liar. Nevertheless, I am

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180
THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
willing to try again, and I hope I shall not provoke his ire. But from all that has
occurred, the outlook seems dim. On the 17th of this month a settlement was
reached. On the 20th he issued an admonishment, returning Father Bonetti's
case to its beginnings in terms far from pacifying.28 On the 23rd Turin's
seminarians who had been our students asked to be allowed to visit me to
present their Christmas greetings, since I had been their father both spiritually
and materially, but this year they were strictly forbidden to come to me either
singly or in a body. 29
Yesterday, one of our former pupils, now a priest in the seminary,30 asked
the rector if he might pay a visit to Don Bosco and confer with him, explain-
ing that for years he had cherished the hope of becoming a Salesian and going
to the foreign missions. He was given a lecture far from fatherly, which
concluded with these words which I will quote verbatim if you do not mind:
"If you become a Salesian or go to the missions, you will be rushing pell-mell
to the devil." Well, I trust that a simple act of contrition will win pardon for
the sin of becoming a Salesian or of going to the foreign missions.
From everywhere friends come to sympathize with me, because the arch-
bishop has been flaunting his complete victory over Father Bonetti, Don Bosco
and all the Salesians.
At any rate, I have been and am ready for any sacrifice which will make it
possible to end a situation which has caused me such a waste of time.
Please do not take offense at my confidential tone of writing to you. I
remain in profound respect,
Your most obedient servant,
Fr. John Bosco
Leo XIII felt that this time he would not be forsaking his usual
aloofness if he were to send a message to Don Bosco. He instructed
Monsignor Boccali, his private chamberlain, to write on December 27
in the name of His Holiness. The first part of the letter is diplomatic:
"When His Excellency, the archbishop of Turin, was in Rome to take
part in the canonization ceremony, he told the Holy Father that he
uwe shall speak further of this in the next chapter. [Author]
29Letter of December 23 from the seminarian Bartholomew Gillio to Father Bonetti: "This
year the seminarians of Turin who were once pupils of Don Bosco regret to say that they may not
visit their dear superiors again to wish them a Merry Christmas, because Canon [Joseph] Soldati
has forbidden them to do so. We are truly grieved, particularly since the other seminarians are free
to go to the secondary schools they attended to present their greetings to their former superiors.
So I quickly decided to write this letter without my superiors' knowledge.... These are the
feelings of all the seminarians who were told today they could not call at the Oratory where they
spent the happiest years of their lives." [Author]
30father Cravero. [Author]

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Father Bonetti's Appeal to the Sacred Congregation ofthe Council 181
wished to see a settlement in the dispute pending before the Sacred
Congregation of the Council concerning himself and the Salesian,
Father [John] Bonetti, in reference to a situation that took place in
Chieri. The Holy Father was pleased, and specifically to facilitate such
a settlement the Sacred Congregation suspended its judgment in this
dispute at its last session and deferred passing a verdict. It also directed
that both parties meanwhile be informed of the suitable way to reach
such a goal. You will receive the official statement of the Sacred
Congregation of the Council, as will also the archbishop."
The second part of the letter reveals the Pope's high regard for Don
Bosco: "The Holy Father knows that you have always shown yourself
ready to bow not only to his orders, but to his wishes as well, and he
has no doubt that you will comply docilely and readily to the directions
you will receive in the letter. Among other things, you will be asked to
call on the archbishop. Please do so in a manner duly becoming and
considerate of his high office. Once the Bonetti case has been settled, it
may not be too hard to move on to further agreements and thus end all
these hard feelings." The secretary's closing advice was: "I would like
to be kept informed of the result of your interview and of the steps
being taken, for I am expected to give His Holiness a full report." Don
Bosco's reply to Monsignor Boccali and through him to the Pope reads
as follows: 31
Your Excellency:
Turin, December 30, 1881
I have been honored to receive your letter concerning the conflict between
Father John Bonetti and Archbishop Gastaldi. I assure you sincerely that on
receiving the directives of the Sacred Congregation of the Council, I shall
follow them faithfully and take Your Excellency's advice. As yet that letter
has not come.
However, I fear that the archbishop will raise difficulties because he has
been letting me know in several ways that he won a full victory in Rome. In
fact, on the 20th of this very month, he issued a new admonition against
Father Bonetti, ordering him in threatening terms to report to the chancery for
the very same charges covered by the deferred judgment of the 17th.
At any rate, please assure the Holy Father that I am ready to make any
sacrifice to end an inane situation which has already caused me to lose so
31This reply was donated to the Salesian school at Faenza on October 16, 1926 by Mr. Pasquale
Piancastelli of Bologna. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
much time just when I most need to spend it on my distressed Congregation
and in the sacred care of souls.
Please assure the Holy Father of the filial love our eighty thousand boys
have for him. Tomorrow, New Year's Eve, 1882, they will receive Holy
Communion and pray particularly for a long and happy life for our Holy
Father, for the benefit of Holy Church and of our lowly Congregation.
With many thanks, I am
Your most obedient servant,
Fr. John Bosco
Truly, Don Bosco knew his adversary. The archbishop seized upon
the Roman rescript and sent Cardinal Nina a stiff, biting, critical ap-
praisal. "What settlement?" he exclaimed at one point. "It sets down
unequivocally the time in a commanding tone, demanding my obe-
dience and all the docility I can muster. Your Eminence, what dif-
ference is there between a settlement and a judgment issued by the
Sacred Congregation? I will tell you: a judgment is never caustic
against the guilty party. This enforced settlement tells me to 'receive'
him 'graciously.' Again, it later states: 'Furthermore the terms of the
settlement are not fair and just... .' This is an uncalled-for order. It
has no parallel in the acts of the Sacred Congregation. This imposed
arbitration is no more than a subterfuge which I leave to others to
qualify. . . . I should be clearly told that there is no intention to mete
out justice to me, rather than have the guilty shielded with a mantle that
weighs more heavily upon me than the capes of which Dante speaks in
the Inferno( . ..) Look at the enormous injustice of the settlement! No,
I cannot and I must not believe that the Holy See sanctions the contents
of this revered letter of yours.'' Then, heaping insult upon insult he
climaxed his abusive letter with the words: "Your Eminence, as car-
dinal protector of the Salesian Congregation, you have proven yourself
to be its capable advocate, and I take exception to the protector's
standing in as my judge, taking advantage of his office and authority as
prefect of the Sacred Congregation of the Council to lay upon me an
order which the eminent cardinals in plenary session would never
impose. . . . Yours respectfully, etc."
After this angry outburst, the course of events was as to be expected.
Father Bonetti composed his apology as directed. Its two essential
elements were: "Deferring to the supreme authority of the Holy See
and revering Your Excellency, I once more implore you to have the

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Father Bonetti's Appeal to the Sacred Congregation ofthe Council 183
goodness to reinstate me to hear confessions throughout the entire
Turin archdiocese, particularly in the city of Chieri and the St. Theresa
Oratory. At the same time, I humbly beg your pardon for any unpleas-
antness which I may have for any reason, even unintentionally, caused
Your Excellency. I promise that my relationship to you shall always be
that becoming an obedient and respectful priest, as religious profession
requires.'' Taking this apology with him and accompanied by Brother
Joseph Rossi,32 Don Bosco called on the archbishop on January 2 at ten
in the morning. We will let him tell us what happened in the letter he
immediately wrote to Cardinal Nina:
Your Eminence:
[Turin, January 2, 1881]
On receiving the letters of the Sacred Congregation of the Council concern-
ing the controversy between Father Bonetti and Archbishop Gastaldi, I imme-
diately had an apology drawn up and personally brought it to the archbishop,
ready to meet any reproof or tirade of his with proper calm and respect.
This morning I went to his residence at ten-thirty. Though it was his day to
receive visitors, I found the waiting room empty. The archbishop's secretary, a
former pupil of ours, told me that I could see the archbishop as soon as a
priest, also a former pupil of ours and now a parish priest, came out of his
office. Out he came, but we were signaled to wait. Meanwhile a layman
arrived and was immediately ushered in. After we waited about an hour,
Archbishop Gastaldi had his secretary inform me that he had an appointment
with the king's attorney general and after that a meeting with his fiscal at-
torney, so that he could not see me that day.
I asked if the archbishop had set another day and hour when I might call on
him again. Embarrassed and mortified, the secretary replied, no, he had not.
I then realized it was best to ask the secretary to hand over Father Bonetti's
apology to the archbishop, informing him that this was the reason for my visit
and that it was prompted by the official cited in the petition. I was given no
further reply. We shall see. If I can get anywhere, I shall immediately inform
Your Eminence, and should you in turn have any counsel for me, I assure you
that I shall follow it faithfully with all the calm and respect due to the head of
the diocese.
Please note that several times in the past I went through the same experience
of being shut out of an audience; sometimes I was admitted, but got nothing
more than a humiliating tirade.
nsee Appendix 1. [Editor]

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184
THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
I have given Monsignor Boccali an almost identical report, as he requested.
May God recompense Your Eminence for all the trouble I am giving you.
Please be assured that the Salesians will not prove ungrateful. They have
labored tirelessly and will continue to do so for the good of Holy Church, as
Your Eminence, the kindly protector of our humble Congregation, may see for
yourself in the report I will send you.
Please give us your blessing and accept the humble homage of the prayers
of the Salesians and their pupils (eighty thousand and soon a hundred thou-
sand). They all offer their prayers to heaven for your good health and a long,
happy life. I am honored to remain,
Your most obedient servant,
Fr. John Bosco
The report sent to Monsignor [Gabriel] Boccali, drafted by Father
Bonetti and touched up by Don Bosco, goes on to describe the as-
tonishment of the archbishop's household staff and of those who wit-
nessed or heard of what had happened; it also speaks of further serious
harassment, to which we shall return in the next chapter. A copy of
Father Bonetti's petition was also enclosed. "Both documents I have
sent to the Sacred Congregation of the Council by order of higher
authority," Monsignor Boccali answered. 33 "I will pursue the case now
that an out-of-court settlement is out of the question." Canon Colo-
miatti and the archbishop's secretary, Father Como, who had been on
duty in the waiting room the morning of January 2, both endeavored at
the apostolic process [of Don Bosco's beatification] to convey the
impression that Archbishop Gastaldi was "most willing" to receive
Don Bosco at any time on any day. They would have done better to
keep silent. Father [Peter] Cossu34 makes two very apt comments:
"Archbishop Gastaldi knew the reason for Don Bosco's visit.... But
his letter to Cardinal Nina makes it extremely clear with what frame of
mind he was ready to receive him. " 35 Certainly, after that letter, he
could not then or ever again be disposed to welcome Don Bosco in
reconciliation. In fact, his letter says as much with no attempt at a
331..etter, Rome, January 9, 1882. [Author]
34Father Peter Cossu (1885-1949) was a member of the secretariat of the Superior Chapter, now
called "General Council," for forty years. His deep knowledge of canon law and allied subjects
made him extremely helpful to the major superiors. [Editor]
35Confatazione delle accuse formulate contro la causa del Venerabile Giovanni Bosco, #93
[Rebuttal of the Accusations Lodged Against the Cause of the Venerable John Bosco], Poly-
graphic Institute for the War Department, Rome, 1922. [Author]

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Father Bonetti's Appeal to the Sacred Congregation of the Council 185
cover-up: "Moreover, as long as the Salesians have not been granted
very special privileges, and in view of the duties and rights of my
episcopal office, which I bear, though unworthily, I cannot agree to this
settlement which does not live up to its own requirements of fairness
and equity for both parties. "
The case therefore came up once more before the Sacred Congrega-
tion of the Council on January 28, 1882. To the issue: Is the suspension
or prohibition from hearing confessions in this case to be upheld or
nullified? the cardinals replied in the negative to the first part; to the
second, affirmatively and as explained. The Council's intent was that
the archbishop was to be censured severely in the name and by order of
the Sacred Congregation of the Council for his ill-advised letter of
December 31, 1881, to the cardinal prefect, a letter which the Sacred
Congregation seriously condemned. Informing Father Bonetti of the
outcome, Attorney Leonori commented:36 "I think you should be satis-
fied. . . . Yet with a lawyer's freedom, I shall always insist on utmost
reverence and prudence. Pardon my bluntness, but I am very fond of
Don Bosco."
Official communication was sent to the archbishop on January 31
[1882]. Father Bonetti immediately wrote to Don Bosco, who was then
in France, to tell him the good news. 37 Archbishop Gastaldi did not
yield, but immediately filed an appeal; this required another session of
the Sacred Congregation and suspended the effects of the verdict. Thus
Father Bonetti was left in his painful situation, under a cloud of evil
suspicions. He pleaded with Cardinal Nina that if a retrial was neces-
sary, it be done as soon as possible. On April 12 he insisted again with
Don Bosco, who was then in Rome: "I beg you, Father, remember me,
too. Four years I have been under censure in the name of the Church
and yet contrary to its laws. How long must I remain in this situation? I
am tired and beg for compassion." However, procedure called for a
wait of three months before the case could be retried. The final, really
definitive verdict was to be passed in May [1882], thanks to the Pope.
As we have said and shall see shortly, Leo XIII had reserved the case to
himself.
36Rome, January 29, 1882. [Author]
37Letter, Turin, February 2, 1882. [Author]

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CHAPTER 7
Libel Suit against Don Bosco
for Defamatory Booklets
( I IE now enter upon the most painful period of Don Bosco's
life. His deepest afflictions did not come in a row but rather tumbled
upon him all at once. Only a true man of God could have held up under
that onslaught of adversities. It was a veritable struggle for survival.
Although he was not inclined to credit the rumor that a plot was afoot to
destroy his Congregation, he was certain of one thing-that any dis-
grace falling upon him would also deal his Society a mortal blow.
While not a few of its members would leave and many candidates
would be deterred from entering, the perilous disgrace of being dis-
credited in the eyes of the world would more than suffice to bring about
its total fall.
It is touching to see how gentle and kindly souls, sensitive to his
suffering, were quick to offer him Christian comfort. A young priest, a
Salesian cooperator, wrote from Rome: 1 "With you I share all the ill
fortune that has befallen the Salesians over the past eleven years. God,
who has designed the Salesian Congregation as a mighty force of
apostolate, is irrigating its roots in the waters of tribulation.... God
has allowed it to happen that the Salesians should find a powerful
adversary in one who should be their natural protector. He alone knows
why, but the Salesian Congregation shall not fail to realize its belated
victory." Another Salesian cooperator, speaking on behalf of her col-
leagues at Acqui, touched a sensitive nerve:2 "To our great sorrow we
have come to learn that many enemies are warring against you and your
1Letter from Father Andrew Maggia, May 3, 1882. He was on the staff of the orphanage in
Piazza Capranica. [Author]
2Letter from Joan Bosio Saladino, June 15, 1882. [Author]
186

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Libel Suit against Don Bosco for Defamatory Booklets
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holy undertakings; but, on the other hand, to show you how whole-
heartedly we strive to abide by your principles and sentiments, these
attacks, far from discouraging us, only strengthen our courage, kindle
our zeal, convince us all the more that the Lord is pleased with your
works, and afford us such consolation as comforted St. Teresa, who
grieved when she was neither thwarted nor persecuted."
We have often mentioned controversies concerning pamphlets. Now
it is time to take a longer look at them, for also this controversy is
interwoven with those we have already seen.
In 1878 a booklet entitled A New Year's Gift to the Clergy: A Cri-
tique of the 1878 Liturgical Calendar of the Archdiocese of Turin by a
Chaplain, was published by the Bruno Press of Turin. A year later the
same firm issued a second booklet entitled The Archbishop of Turin,
Don Bosco and Father Oddenino, or Some Comic, Serious and Sor-
rowfal Events Narrated by a Resident ofChieri, who signed the preface
as Father of a Family. But we have said enough about the booklets
already. 3
Once begun, the conflict intensified since there was no lack of fuel.
That very year, 1879, again in Turin, under the imprint of Fina Press, a
third pamphlet appeared entitled A Brief Essay on the Teachings of
Archbishop Gastaldi of Turin; the author, "The Chaplain." A wordy
introduction facetiously criticized several moves of the archbishop;
then it listed the more noteworthy clergymen hounded by Archbishop
Gastaldi, the last one being "Turin's most humble, meek and hard-
working priest, Don Bosco." The bulk of the book was a lengthy,
scholarly, and well-documented refutation of some twenty-four [philo-
sophical] theories culled from various writings of the archbishop. This
was followed by four Appendices written in the style of the Introduc-
tion. The first concerned certain liberal leanings of the then Canon
Gastaldi. The second narrated how the Convitto Ecclesiastico's4
demise came about through the archbishop's doing, using a lengthy
quote from the Bollettino Salesiano5 on the history of that important
institute. The anonymous author recalled that Don Bosco had been a
3See Vol. XIII, pp. 482f; Vol. XIV, p. 190. [Editor]
4An ecclesiastical college in Turin specializing in pastoral theology. It was here that Don
Bosco started his work for boys while attending courses immediately after his ordination. See
Vol. II, pp. 31ff, 54-61. [Editor]
5January issue, 1879, p. 7. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
student of Father Cafasso6 at the Convitto and had often been heard to
say, "If I have done any good, I owe it all to Father Cafasso, in whom I
trusted for all my decisions, my plans, everything I did." The third
Appendix reprinted the archbishop's letter of August 4, 1877, in which
he downplayed religious life in general, but with allusions to Don
Bosco as one who deliberately dissuaded boys from entering the
[junior] diocesan seminaries of Giaveno and Bra. In this regard "The
Chaplain" ironically commented: "When the need arises to malign
someone,7 one can readily create confusion by making a travesty of the
Gospel, of history, tradition and anything else." The fourth Appendix
told the story of St. Teresa's Oratory in Chieri, coupling it to Canon
Gastaldi's enthusiastic praise of the Valdocco Oratory; his closing com-
mendation, which is worth quoting, 8 was printed in large letters:
"Greetings, you second Philip [Neri], greetings, excellent Father! May
your lead be followed in every city, may priests everywhere arise to
tread in your footprints, may they open to all young people sacred
premises where holiness goes hand in hand with clean fun. Only thus
can healing come to one of the most grievous hurts of society and
Church, the corruption of the young."
Finally, under the imprint of the Bruno Press, bearing the date of the
first pamphlet, March 1879, "The Chaplain" brought out a fourth
pamphlet entitled The Rosminian Question and the Archbishop ofTurin
as a second New Year's Gift to the Clergy. The author wrote a brief
preface, a slightly longer conclusion and a variety of scattered remarks
in either caustic footnotes or in briefly worded polemical slogans mer-
ged with the text. The bulk of the pamphlet was a compilation and
reprint of a series of charges and answers exchanged between Arch-
bishop Gastaldi or his colleagues espousing Rosminian philosophy and
the historian Father Peter Balan.9 His remarks had appeared in a heated
Rosminian debate begun in Unita Cattolica, taken up again by Father
Biginelli in the Rosminian journal Ateneo of Turin, and finally carried
to extremes by Father Balan himself in Milan's Osservatore Cattolico.
The last part of the publication was a collection of a number of articles
6Now St. Joseph Cafasso. He was canonized by Pope Pius XII in 1947. For further information
see the Indexes of preceding volumes. [Editor]
7The italics were the chaplain's own. [Author]
8From Turin's Conciliatore, April 7, 1849. [Author]
9Archivist of the secret Vatican archive and author of the Storia della Chiesa, a continuation of
the Histoire Universelle de I' Eglise Catholique by Rene Fran~ois Rohrbacher. [Editor]

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Libel Suit against Don Bosco for Defamatory Booklets
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published by Canon Gastaldi in Conciliatore in 1848 and 1849 defend-
ing Rosmini 's work Le Cinque Piaghe della Chiesa [The Five Sores of
the Church] which had not yet been condemned by Rome. 10 Here too
we find references to Don Bosco. A footnote on page 79 recalls the
question of La Nuvoletta def Carmelo [The Little Cloud of Carmel];11
another footnote on page 94 remarks that the diocese of Turin was
"scandalized by the fact that the founder and superior general of a
religious congregation approved by Pius IX was being cruelly per-
secuted." Then, in a Foreword prefacing the book's third section, the
author, citing Archbishop Gastaldi 's statement that he had known
Rosmini to be a holy, pious priest, recalled the praise given to Don
Bosco in the previous pamphlet and remarked, "He aJso knew and
declared another priest, still living, to be holy and pious; nevertheless,
were it not that you and I have proof of this distinguished priest's
holiness, we could no longer believe Archbishop Gastaldi, because
with the passage of time he has changed his opinion and now calls this
priest proud, ignorant and even worse."
Also, as we have elsewhere stated, 12 the first booklet mentioned Don
Bosco several times. The title of the second pamphlet speaks for itself.
We found it necessary to stress this on-going reference to Don Bosco
because it sheds more light on the events that followed. Another obser-
vation is also in order. Archbishop Gastaldi always referred to these
pamphlets as notorious or defamatory. However, the censor of the
Sacred Congregation of Rites, whose duty it was to examine the docu-
ments concerning the controversy between the archbishop and Don
Bosco, expressed the opinion that it would in no way be correct to label
them definitely as such. 13 Now let us consider the heavy crosses which
poor Don Bosco was forced to bear as a result of these unfortunate
publications.
The chancery of Turin, to be sure, restlessly sought to discover the
source of such scorching publications. A simple comparative study
showed that they were not the work of a single writer, but the force
behind them all was obviously a single person who signed himself
"The Chaplain." The search pointed to the Valdocco Oratory and
10See Vol. ill, p. 369. [Editor]
II/bid. [Editor]
12See Vol. Xill, pp. 482f. [Editor]
13Positio super rev. script., 1906, p. 17. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
focused upon Father Bonetti and Don Bosco. Countless attempts and
tricks were used to wrest from them a single line or word which might
incriminate them. Hence the insistence that Don Bosco apologize for
the second pamphlet and repudiate it. Had he done so for the sake of
peace, he would have exposed himself to the charge that he admitted
his guilt in regard to one of them, and raised the suspicion that he was
partially responsible for the others as well. But wisely he never yielded
to such an injunction. Subsequently Canon Colomiatti, who in this
investigation had been appointed deputy judge for starting legal pro-
ceedings, made it known that he would be satisfied if Father Bonetti
would at least give him a hint of his suspicions, but Father Rua, who
represented both Don Bosco and Father Bonetti in their absence, dis-
suaded him from complying with such a demand. 14
As far back as December 29, 1880, in his letter to Cardinal [Pros-
pero] Caterini, 15 Archbishop Gastaldi had stated his conviction that
Father Bonetti, if not the author, had certainly collaborated in compil-
ing the second pamphlet and that therefore by inference he was also
responsible for the others, since the archbishop found their style quite
identical. He therefore declared unhesitatingly, "I feel I am in duty
bound to take action against Father Bonetti and against Don Bosco too,
for, as rector major of the Congregation, he had to be knowledgeable
about all its doings and could therefore have prevented all this scandal,
punished the responsible person and informed me of that punishment."
Then, warming to the topic, he continued, "Your Eminence, this is a
very serious matter. Please see to it therefore that due amends are made
to offset the evil consequences of this libel on the part of the Salesians
who are involved. I trust that the Sacred Congregation will take to heart
this request of mine and, as justice demands, will rally to the defense
of the episcopal dignity so shamefully disgraced."
To be positively sure of his next step, Archbishop Gastaldi showed
the now famous defamatory pamphlets to Attorney General Demis-
soglio, requesting that he examine them and determine whether they
constituted matter for criminal proceedings against Don Bosco or any-
one who was their author. After studying them, the magistrate replied,
"One can of course find enough material for action, but isn't there any
truth at all in all those accusations?"
14Letter from Father Rua to Father Bonetti, Turin, April 8, 1881. [Author]
1ssee pp. 154f. [Author]

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"Naturally," the archbishop replied, "certain things are open to
different interpretations.... Misunderstandings are possible....
Certain things cannot be denied."
"Then let the matter die!" the magistrate advised. "Let's not stir up
a hornet's nest from which we could never free ourselves with honor."
Meanwhile the investigation continued. On July 11 and 13, 1881,
Canon [Thomas] Chiuso, chancellor, and Canon [Emanuel] Colomiatti
summoned Father [John] Turchi, a former pupil of the Oratory, who
was then rector of the local Institute for the Blind, and subjected him to
a detailed cross-examination regarding Don Bosco 's culpability in the
libelous publications. A former Jesuit, Father [Anthony] Pellicani, was
likewise summoned on July 12. Here we run into a rather tangled
situation which had grave consequences.
In 1880 Father Louis Leoncini, a Piarist, 16 had gone to Turin from
Savona and had called upon the archbishop to inform him that he knew
something which he thought he should tell him about. Some time
before, he said, he had met on several occasions with Father Pellicani
at Piacenza, and the latter had disclosed to him as something absolutely
true that Don Bosco had pressured him to write against Archbishop
Gastaldi, promising to supply him with all the material he needed.
Further, he said, Father Pellicani had assured him that he had rejected
the request; however, he, Leoncini, recognized Pellicani's style while
comparing A New Year's Gift to the Clergy with a book recently au-
thored by Pellicani and felt he was right in believing that the latter had,
after all, yielded to Don Bosco's instigation and was the anonymous
Chaplain. Archbishop Gastaldi did not forget this precious bit of infor-
mation. On June 6, 1881, he wrote to Father Leoncini, asking him to
confirm his statement and assuring him that he, the archbishop, would
be very grateful to him. 17 Father Leoncini's reply no longer spoke of a
single pamphlet but of all the anonymous pamphlets written against
Archbishop Gastaldi, stating that Father Pellicani had given them to
him to read and then had told him that Don Bosco had on one occasion
urged and begged him to write about those incidents against Turin's
archbishop. However, considering this a highly dangerous task, he had
16An order founded in 1597 in Rome by St. Joseph Calasanctius for the education of poor
boys. [Editor]
17We find this in an unsigned letter written in the archbishop's hand and bearing this note in the
same writing: Copy of letter. It is in the possession of Father [Dominic] Franchetti. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
replied that he didn't have the material for such a task. He had said
this, he stated, to slip out of such an obligation without offending the
asker. Don Bosco, he claimed, had then said he could get him all the
material he needed. Shortly after, he continued, he encountered Don
Bosco and heard from his own lips that, since he had refused· the
assignment, Don Bosco had found someone else to write those pam-
phlets. Summoned without prior warning to the chancery, Father Pel-
licani swore to the truth of this secret accusation. Thereupon Father
Leoncini's letter and the ex-Jesuit's testimony, though not exactly quot-
ing from his sworn statement, were sent to Rome and constituted the
primary evidence for the accusation.
When Don Bosco found this out several months later, he sent for
Father Pellicani and made him realize his complicity in the false accu-
sation, persuading him to retract his falsehood. Then, not satisifed with
the spoken word, only too apt to be borne off by any wind, he wrote
him a letter whose significance would last, stating the facts as they
were. 18
Reverend and dear Father Pellicani:
Turin, October 14, 1881
I have thought about our conversation, and as far as I can remember, I
believe that the following can be stated in writing with factual certainty.
You came to the Oratory to discuss some particular works of yours then in
print or being printed. In the course of our conversation several deplorable
incidents concerning our ecclesiastical superior happened to be mentioned.
You remarked that it would be most useful to bring them to the attention of the
Holy Father. I replied that you might do so since you had both the time and
capability. That was all.
It may be that different words were used, but this was the precise meaning. I
feel that rectifying this matter is necessary, because, from the investigation
being conducted by the archbishop, it is most probable that I shall have to ask
you to testify again. You might say that, having given more thought to our
conversation, you feel bound to modify your testimony as above.
Yours respectfully,
Fr. John Bosco
18Father Berto was able to copy it, and the copy is in our archives. [Author]

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The previous day Canon Colomiatti, the diocesan attorney, had gone
to Rome. Relying on his correspondence with Archbishop Gastaldi, we
can follow him step by step in his visits to cardinals, bishops, and other
important persons. On October 14 he wrote: "This morning, on my
visit to the Vatican, Cardinal Jacobini's secretary and I arranged for an
audience with His Eminence this evening. I also called on Attorney
Achille Carcani, who has seen the documents implicating Don Bosco
in the libel case, and he was quite surprised by Don Bosco's conduct.
However, since he is to be the reporting magistrate in this case, he
requested me not to ask him for his opinion. Instead, he sent me to a
friend of his, a highly esteemed attorney for criminal suits, [John]
Sinistri by name, to get all the advice I might need." On October 16 he
wrote: "Last Friday evening, the 14th, I went to see Cardinal Jacobini,
and hardly had I given him Your Excellency's letter and the Peter's
Pence donation than the Pope called for him. The cardinal graciously
asked me to return in the early evening of the next day. I did so and
together we went through the whole story of Father Bonetti and Don
Bosco at great length. His Eminence, on reading Father Leoncini's
letter, was convinced of the seriousness of the situation and asked
whether I had already spoken with Cardinal Ferrieri about it. I replied
that I had talked with the cardinal that very morning and that Cardinal
Ferrieri had told me not to be at all surprised at the criminal act imputed
to Don Bosco by Father Leoncini, because from the various matters
discussed by the Sacred Congregation of Bishops and Regulars con-
cerning Don Bosco, he had come to realize that he is not a man you can
in any way deal with. He added that the chancery would do well to start
a fact-finding process in order to unmask him. Cardinal Agnozzi,
secretary of the same Sacred Congregation, was also present. When
Cardinal Jacobini heard of this, he remarked to me, 'I would agree. All
the necessary documents should be assembled and produced as evi-
dence in cross-examining Don Bosco, in the hope that he will bow to
and acknowledge authority.'''
On October 17 he wrote: "This morning I had the ineffable comfort
of kneeling in homage before the Holy Father. Before that, I saw
Cardinal Nina. While reading Father Leoncini's letter, he kept repeat-
ing, 'Is it possible, is it possible?' He then said, 'It might be ... here
is the original letter. ' I remarked that the documents implicating Don
Bosco in the libel case would not have come to light had he not behaved

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
as he did during the negotiations for a settlement. Now, since Don
Bosco (I went on), who is not in the dark about any one of these
documents, rather than calling on the archbishop, maintains he has
been calumniated, Archbishop Gastaldi is forced to defend himself by
producing the pertinent documentation. That is why Cardinal Ferrieri
and Cardinal Jacobini, once they learned this, told me it was necessary
to initiate a fact-finding process. When Cardinal Nina heard this, he
said, 'I have no objections. It is the correct thing to do. Please let me
know in writing what will come out of it.' As you see, Your Excel-
lency, it is good that the situation has come to this stage for the triumph
of truth and justice, that the Salesians may once and for all submit to
lawful authority. "
On October 19 he wrote: "I have just come back from Attorney
Sinistri, a counsel for the criminal section of the papal lay court of
Rome, who refused to accept a position in the present [Italian] govern-
ment. I showed him all the documents compiled by the Turin chancery
relative to the case of Don Bosco and the Salesians. He found them all
in order and gave me satisfactory answers to all doubts and questions I
put to him as to whatever preparations might still have to be made for
the trial. I was quite pleased with him, all the more so because he told
me to write to him whenever in the course of the trial I might need
advice or some clear directive as regards the sentencing. Then he told
me himself that, should Don Bosco appeal the decision, he would take
up our defense. His name is highly respected and carries weight with
the Sacred Congregation of Bishops and Regulars, for which Attorney
Carcani, who sent me to Sinistri, is the judge in criminal cases. I have
thus covered myself on every side, also because the Salesians here are
already printing their position in the case, 19 and this means they are not
looking for any kind of settlement-fine, let it be.... After talking
with the key persons here, mentioned in this and in my former letter to
Your Excellency and after listening to their opinion, I have identified
three distinct elements in this entire controversy: the Bonetti question
facing [the Sacred Congregation of] the Council, the question of the
policy to be followed by the Congregation of Bishops and Regulars,
and the question of criminal proceedings. This has prompted Attorney
19The case of Father Bonetti's suspension. (See the previous chapters.) [Author]

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Libel Suit against Don Bosco for Defamatory Booklets
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Menghini to say that everything is moving well and that no problem
should arise. Divide et impera! [Divide and rule!]"
Once Canon Colomiatti got back to Turin, his most pressing concern
was to get his hands on evidence of Don Bosco's guilt. Since the moral
pressure put upon several priests, among them Father Vincent Minella
and Canon Matthew Sona, to force them to testify against the Salesians
had failed, the chancery bribed an inspector20 of Turin's police depart-
ment who eagerly set about investigating on his own without informing
his chief. No detective technique was spared until suspicion finally
centered upon a printer, a former Oratory pupil. Several times un-
known agents descended upon his home in his absence, pestering his
wife with biased questions such as the names of her family's visitors
and her husband's friends, and whether he had any dealings with
priests, and, if so, with whom? They also tried to intimidate her by
threatening to arrest her husband unless she told all she knew. But
since they could get nothing out of her, the police inspector summoned
the poor fellow to his office on October 23 and subjected him to a
lengthy cross-examination marked by abusive language, threats of a
lawsuit and imprisonment, and promises of rewards. Everything was
tried as on a seasoned criminal who had fallen into the clutches of the
law, all in an effort to force him to say what they wanted to hear. Don
Bosco did not leave his former student defenseless when he turned to
him for help. He wrote to the inspector as follows:
Turin, October 24, 1881
To the Inspector of Public Security of the Borgo Dora Precinct:
Mr. Ferdinand Brunetti has just come to see me, frightened and trembling
because of repeated house searches so threatening as to cause his wife consid-
erable anguish. Let me tell you for your own information that Mr. Brunetti
attended this school for five years, during which time his conduct was
blameless. Throughout the past twenty-two years after graduation, he has
always been known to be an honest, hard-working man earning his living by
the sweat of his brow. I therefore respectfully urge and most warmly request
you to respect the immunity of his home as guaranteed by our prevailing laws
and to stop the endless annoyance caused by persons unknown who force their
way into his house.
Fr. John Bosco
20Nowadays [1934] known as a police deputy. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
Don Bosco also demanded an explanation from the chief of police,
but he knew nothing about it and most probably would never have
allowed his officers to tangle with matters outside their competency.
Realizing that his problem was not with the police after all, Mr. Bru-
netti wrote to the Minister of Grace and Justice at the beginning of
November, asking to be freed from the harassment. However, when he
was next visited by a detective dressed as a priest and claiming to be a
Salesian, he had no further doubt that his so-called clerical visitor had
been illegally authorized by the diocesan authorities, and, furiously
indignant, he wrote to the Pope [on November 9, 1881].
But it was Father Pellicani who, more than anyone else in this sordid
business, was morally bound to give an explanation. On November 23
he called on Canon Colomiatti to clarify his previous testimony; he
also left Don Bosco 's letter with him. Canon Colomiatti reported to
Archbishop Gastaldi who was then in Rome: "Father Pellicani came to
my office yesterday and confirmed his former testimony; furthermore,
he stated that Don Bosco tried by word and writing to get him to alter
his testimony. Father Pellicani gave me a letter to that effect. Alas, for
the age we live in and its manners. 21 Father Pellicani's new testimony
could not have been more fatal to Don Bosco! Besides, he also told me
that Father Secondo Franco22 too was solicited by Don Bosco to write
defamatory pamphlets against Your Excellency, but, like Father Pel-
licani, he refused. I have asked Father Franco to see me next Monday."
How striking it is that Father Pellicani's testimony was by far the
most damaging bit of evidence implicating Don Bosco in the conspir-
acy of those libelous publications, and yet what he really said has never
been revealed. Even at the beatification process Canon Colomiatti lim-
ited himself to saying it was "damaging to Don Bosco," but he never
even hinted at its substance, much less produced it. And was Father
Franco mentioned again throughout the rest of the controversy? Such a
man's witness would have crushed the defendant for good. However, if
indeed he was interrogated, he-great man that he was, and no one
could deny it-must have so confounded his questioner that his very
name was neither then nor ever again even brought up during the trial.
21From Cicero's O temporal O mores! [Editor]
22Father Franco, S.J. (1817-1893), after graduating from the Pontifical Gregorian University in
Rome, distinguished himself as a spiritual director, writer and preacher. He was a good friend of
Don Bosco. See Vol. vm, p. 185; Vol. X, p. 212; Vol. XI, p. 147; Vol. XII, p. 367; Vol. XIII, p.
219. [Editor]

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Libel Suit against Don Bosco for Defamatory Booklets
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If he was never interrogated and Canon Colomiatti did not introduce his
testimony, then the canon must have had his good reasons. As for
thinking that a man like Don Bosco could have made such a proposal to
a person like Father Franco and, assuming the worst, that the latter
should have disclosed that to an ex-confrere, it is so implausible that
the very concept points at least to a sick mind. The only credible
explanation of Canon Colomiatti's written statements to Archbishop
Gastaldi is that Father Pellicani meant one thing and the canon under-
stood it to favor his own thinking. We shall soon see a striking proof of
this.
Canon Colomiatti's aforesaid letter continued: "Your Excellency
understands that for the moment not a word must be said to anybody of
this testimony of Father Pellicani, because as long as no one knows of
it, Don Bosco will have no way of squirming out of it. Should the
secret leak out, he will certainly hear of it and use every expedient to
protect himself. Allow me then, Your Excellency, to ask you not to
breathe a word of this to any cardinal or anyone else in Rome." Such
meticulous precautions arose from his fear of being forced at some
time to lay his cards on the table and find himself disgraced. Don
Bosco eventually got wind of these intrigues, and toward the end of
November or the beginning of December (our copy of the letter is
undated) he wrote as follows to the Holy Father:
Most Holy Father:
In the midst of my busy preparations for another missionary expedition of
Salesians to South America, more precisely Patagonia,23 word has reached me
of a certain charge being filed against me and my unfortunate Congregation
with the Holy See by the Most Reverend Lawrence Gastaldi, archbishop of
Turin, in connection with some anonymous pamphlets. The archbishop is
accusing me and my Salesians of having authored those publications, and I
have heard that a verdict is to be passed within a few days. Since I have
insufficient knowledge of the charges being brought against me and have been
told that all is based on conjecture and speculations, I am in no position to
offer classifications. Consequently, I cannot possibly defend either myself or
my Congregation as my conscience demands. Therefore I respectfully ask that
at its December 17 session the Sacred Congregation consider only the matter
of Father Bonetti's suspension and that I be given a hearing before any final
23The departure ceremony took place on December 10. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
decision is made concerning charges which are utterly baseless, in the matter
of the above-mentioned pamphlets.
Meanwhile, let me state at the very outset that I never took part in any way
directly or indirectly in the publication of these pamphlets, which I have not
even read. Two things alone I know about them: first, they deal with some
Rosminian teachings espoused by the archbishop; second, some time ago
Archbishop Gastaldi wanted me to issue a statement disapproving, indeed
condemning, these pamphlets. However, since I was assured on investigation
that there was nothing reprehensible in them, but that rather they were
praiseworthy as conforming with Catholic teaching and opinions which right-
fully enjoy your approval, I refused to put my name to any statement of
disapproval, nor would I allow any of my confreres to subscribe to it either, for
fear we might be disapproving something worthy of approval. I therefore
believe that my refusal may have led Archbishop Gastaldi to suspect that either
I or my Salesians were responsible for those pamphlets.
Most Holy Father, I am willing to abjure and deplore anything in those
pamphlets which the Holy See considers reprehensible and worthy of censure.
Further, since these booklets have been and are still being read by a number of
people and have raised doubts concerning several major articles of faith, I
humbly but insistently beg Your Holiness to have them examined and to issue
appropriate guidelines for those who have read them or will do so.
Confidently trusting that your usual gracious charity will prompt Your
Holiness to grant my humble request, I join with all my Salesians and kneel
before you, asking for your apostolic blessing. I am your humble and devoted
son,
Fr. John Bosco
Privately and without mincing words, Leo XIII usually expressed his
opinion whenever the occasion arose, as for example when Baron
[Amato] Heraud, the distinguished Salesian cooperator of Nice, came
to Rome to discharge his two-week duty as chamberlain of sword and
cloak. Received in private audience on November 30, he brought His
Holiness Don Bosco's respects. The Pope smiled on hearing the name
and remarked, "Ah, yes, Don Bosco! The things he does ... and how
he does them. . . ."
"Divine Providence is with him, Holy Father," the baron
commented.
"Could you possibly tell me why he is having so much trouble in
Turin?" the Pope went on.
"Ah, Holy Father, his charisms steal the spotlight from others."

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"All the bishops and the entire clergy for whom he trains semi-
narians side with him save one,'' the Pope remarked. ''But why? ... I
think it is some petty jealousy ( 'the exact word used by His Holiness,'
the baron commented in parentheses). Yes, of course, I bless him, and
I bless all his undertakings, most particularly the one here in Rome. " 24
As we have said, Archbishop Gastaldi went to Rome for the can-
onization ceremonies of December 8, but that was not the sole purpose
of his trip. In fact, on meeting Bishop Ronco, newly appointed to Asti,
he told him, "I came to Rome several days early because I have
lawsuits pending before the Sacred Congregations. You surely are
aware of the pamphlets published in Turin. Well, it will be proven quite
simply and beyond all doubt that Don Bosco was their author." On
hearing that, his auxiliary bishop, who knew Don Bosco well, was
shocked. 25
Meanwhile, as was urgently necessary to clear the way for the forth-
coming trial of Father Bonetti's suspension, the libel suit for the defam-
atory pamphlets had to be set aside as irrelevant to it. As soon as Don
Bosco received and reviewed a copy of Attorney Menghini's defense
from his own attorney, Leonori, and saw that it also dealt with the libel
suit, he wrote an exhaustive explanation of his view of the matter to
Cardinal Nina.
Your Eminence:
Turin, December 10, 1881
Right in the midst of my busy preparations for another missionary expedi-
tion to South America and Patagonia-they leave Turin this very day-I
received a statement from the archbishop of Turin concerning the controversy
between him and Father John Bonetti, a member of our Salesian Congrega-
tion. I was surprised to read that my most revered archbishop, instead of
limiting himself to proving the legal basis of his censure of suspension against
Father Bonetti, chose to involve me and the entire Salesian Congregation,
accusing us of having published pamphlets which have absolutely nothing to
do with this case, basing his entire charges solely on groundless conjectures
and assertions. Since this case is to be tried before the full court of the most
eminent cardinals on the 17th of this month, and since I cannot possibly
24Baron Heraud wrote down this little dialogue to Don Bosco on December 23, as soon as he
returned to Nice. [Author]
25Letter from Father [John Baptist] Anfossi to Father [John] Bonetti, Turin, December 5, 1881.
[Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
supply all the required explanations or draw up a proper defense for myself
and my confreres, as I am in conscience bound, I humbly request, because of
lack of time and the considerable load of work in connection with our mission-
aries' departure, that the forthcoming session of the Sacred Congregation
consider only the question of Father Bonetti's suspension imposed some three
years ago, and not any other irrelevant matters.
I think this a reasonable request because: (1) The pamphlets in this case are
in no way the cause of the suspension which is the heart of this trial, since they
were not yet in existence. (2) Readers state clearly that they contain nothing
contrary to faith or morals or Church discipline. Rather, I am told they are
orthodox and only refute certain teachings and lifestyles not conforming to the
Holy See's wise decisions. (3) To make a correct judgment on the guilt of the
person or persons responsible for their authorship and publication, we must
first know if the pamphlets are good or bad. Some time ago Archbishop
Gastaldi insisted that I sign a statement disapproving, indeed condemning
them, but, lest I censure something which might be approved, I refused to
sign any such condemnation nor would I allow any of my confreres to sign
it-something that has harshly irritated the archbishop.
Since these pamphlets have been read by many people and are still in
circulation, disturbing consciences, I intend to write to the Holy Father and
respectfully ask him to have them examined and then issue guidelines for
people who have read them or may still do so.
Meanwhile, at the very outset I categorically state that I had nothing at all to
do with either their writing or their publication, nor have I issued any orders
relevant to them.
I therefore disclaim the account given on page 47 of the document by my
revered adversary. It has been substantially misrepresented. The facts are
these: Some time ago, Father Anthony Pellicani, an ex-Jesuit, visited our
printshop in Turin to have some of his book done there and came to see me in
my room. In the course of the conversation, some incidents were mentioned
which are well known throughout the archdiocese and have caused malicious
gossip to the detriment of God's greater glory and the welfare of souls. Father
Pellicani remarked, "It would be advisable to compile and send a report to the
Holy Father to inform him of the situation and thus remedy it." "Father," I
replied, "since you have the time, why not write to His Holiness?" That was
all. I did tell him to write, yes, but only to the Holy Father. It is untrue that I
urged and begged Father Pellicani to write and publish libelous pamphlets; it
is untrue that, after their publication, I met this priest and told him that on his
refusal I had found someone else to take on this commitment and write those
pamphlets. One need have but an ounce of common sense to realize immedi-
ately that even had the events happened as recounted, I would never have been
fool enough to speak in such terms with an ex-Jesuit or anybody else.

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What then are we to make of the letter written by the Piarist, Father Leon-
cini? One of two things: either he distorted or misinterpreted Pellicani's ac-
count, or the latter, realizing that some people suspected him to have authored
the pamphlets because he had even been summoned by the chancery of the
archdiocese, manipulated his story to draw fire from himself and direct it
toward poor Don Bosco. God, who sees and knows all things, see and knows
that I am not lying, and that's enough for me. 26
Page 22 of the archbishop's testimony also mentions a letter of Father
Vincent Minella incriminating me, but, since I do not find it among my
documents, I have no idea of its contents and do not know how to respond to
it. Let me point out also that Turin's archdiocesan chancery has shown little
sensitivity and tact in this matter. It summoned several diocesan priests,
former students of mine, and subjected them to odious cross-examinations,
even resorting to threats so as to wrest from them or persuade them to give
false witness against me in favor of the archbishop, a party herein concerned. I
think the chancery should not play both judge and prosecutor, as it has actually
done. In fact there are those who maintain that individuals who are friendly to
us have been subjected to serious vexation, house searches, and threats from
Turin's security police at the archbishop's own instigation.
I think too that Canon Colomiatti's report to the most revered archbishop
concerning his efforts to reach a friendly settlement errs seriously in several
statements. I have just one question. If it were true, as alleged, that the canon
and I agreed that Father Bonetti would no longer go to Chieri, what need was
there for an amicable settlement? If the situation was going to remain exactly
as it stood, all that talk and all those letters were useless.
Another consideration. Page 42 of the fiscal attorney's report quotes from
my letter of June 2 and from Father Bonetti's letter [of June 7] to the most
reverend secretary of the Sacred Congregation of the Council. Both letters
requested that no documents be returned and that the trial be resumed. How-
ever, Canon Colomiatti omits the most important part, namely, my statement
that the document I was sending him was confidential and was meant to be
only a working paper for the archbishop to draft his own statement in accor-
dance with our oral agreement; it was not to be sent to Rome. Had that been
my intent, I would certainly not have written it on loose leaf paper but on
official stationery. Since the fiscal attorney's report does not quote these words
of mine, it is far from honest and in some places is very untrustworthy.
As for the so-called second document cited on page 44, I ask: What has this
to do with the matter at hand? Are we to suppose that the archbishop inserted it
just to discredit our Congregation? And if such were not his intent, why did he
26In the proceedings of this lawsuit, Monsignor Marini, promoter of the faith, labeled Pellicani
"inconstant" and Leoncini "too naive." [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
not include the glowing tribute of praise written in response to that letter by
the bishop of Casale in his own name and mine? This way of citing documents
is far from fair in my opinion. 27 Lastly, let me say that rather than cite
documents irrelevant to the case, Archbishop Gastaldi would have been wiser,
and it was in fact most necessary, to cite documents on which the case is based
and which the archbishop so forcefully uses to discredit us. Why, among
others, did he not produce the well-known declaration of Father Michael
Sorasio, chancery secretary, which-so the archbishop asserts-is so in-
criminating for Father Bonetti? Why does he not quote this very incriminating
statement? We are entitled to know it, so that we may check out its validity
and study whether it has been tampered with as it passed through the hands of
an interested party.
I should state here that on May 26, 1879, the archbishop summoned me and
together we smoothed the whole matter out satisfactorily, but early the next
morning he sent me a letter which retracted everything we had agreed on the
previous evening. I should add too that since December 1877, while he was
writing and publishing statements against our humble Congregation, he threat-
ened me with automatic suspension should I ever, directly or indirectly through
others, write anything unfavorable about him, even though I might do so in
legitimate self-defense or to vindicate my confreres.
In view of the above, now that fortunately I can write to you, I respectfully
implore Your Eminence compassionately to order the withdrawal of this sus-
pension which has been hanging over my head for four years like Damocles'
sword. Your Eminence, there is more I could tell you, but the matter is
pressing, and, as far as I have explained, time is running short.
While I respectfully ask your pardon for all this latest bother, I ask you and
through you all the eminent cardinals to give their enlightened judgment upon
the one main point, that is, Father Bonetti's suspension, and to table the
pamphlet issue to a more suitable time.
Trusting that Your Eminence will sympathetically understand my grief and
continue as always to treat our new-born Congregation with great kindness as
it faces such a trying ordeal, I pray that Your Eminence may be abundantly
blessed. I remain with warmest esteem and deepest veneration,
Your most devoted and humble son,
Fr. John Bosco
Events came to a head rapidly. On December 17 the Sacred Con-
gregation of the Council voted to suspend judgment on the merits of
Father Bonetti's plea and to bring both parties to the settlement table.
27This episode had occurred in December 1869. See Vol. IX, pp. 358, 364. [Editor]

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This decision was rated a partial victory for Father Bonetti; hence the
archbishop hastened to offset the untoward effect which this news
would doubtless create in Turin. What was his plan? To trap Father
Bonetti in a criminal trial before the official notice of the Council's
decision should reach him. The Council's formal communication was
ready for mailing on December 22, but on December 20 Father Bonetti
was subpoenaed to appear before the ecclesiastical court and respond
to charges of libel in connection with the booklet The Archbishop of
Turin, Don Bosco and Father Oddenino. The charges were filed by
Canon [Michael] Sorasio, fiscal promoter of the archdiocesan chanc-
ery, Canon [Emanuel] Colomiatti being the deputy judge. This court
was made to appear as having been constituted as far back as Jone 22.
The accused had thirty days to report; if he delayed beyond that time
without just cause, he would be judged by default. Don Bosco in-
formed the cardinal protector and sent him a copy of the subpoena.
Your Eminence:
Turin, December 22, 1881
I take heart in sending you a summary of the vexations caused us by our
archbishop; it will also serve as a rebuttal to the vehement and completely
unfounded charges which he has deliberately filed against Don Bosco and the
Congregation. I have said nothing of his attacks upon me as a person, which
have smeared my position.
Can you believe this? Yesterday, while the matter is still pending before a
higher court, he issued a writ to Father Bonetti, threatening him with a lawsuit
and ordering him to appear at the chancery to respond to the charge of
conspiracy in writing or publishing those libelous pamphlets of which Father
Bonetti is as innocent as a new-born babe.
And meanwhile letters, time, and frustration devour the hours which should
be given to the good of souls and religion. All I have ever asked is to be
allowed to work in this time of dire need, nothing else.
The Salesians all pray God to keep you in good health for the welfare of
Holy Church and the sake of our sorely tried Congregation.
Our boys will receive Holy Communion on Christmas Eve for Your Emi-
nence's intentions.
We all ask you to remember us in your holy prayers. I am greatly honored to
be,
Yours most devotedly,
Fr. John Bosco

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
Don Bosco also sent a copy of the subpoena to the Holy Father,
informing him of what had happened.28
Most Holy Father:
Turin, December 22, 1881
In deference to the eminent cardinals of the Sacred Congregation of the
Council, I would like to offer some clarifications and respond to the charges
being brought by His Excellency, Lawrence Gastaldi, archbishop of Turin, to
the Sacred Congregation of the Council against me and the Pious Society of
St. Francis de Sales. I feel it my duty to draw up a concise report of some of
the obstacles, by no means insignificant, which seriously offset whatever little
good the poor Salesians are endeavoring to accomplish in Europe and in our
missions of South America. I am sending you a copy of this report, Most Holy
Father, that you may be kept informed of our affairs, since you are the Salesian
Congregation's supreme moderator.
If our former afflictions were serious, our present woes are no better.
Attempts are being made today to force our Congregation to espouse philo-
sophical doctrines totally unacceptable to Your Holiness as both erroneous and
dangerous. So far we have held out firmly and shall continue to do so,
regardless of the sacrifice and pain, but I will say that I now need timely
advice so as to be able to give my religious sound directives in order that all
our schools, houses of studies and seminaries in Piedmont, Italy, France,
Spain, and [South] America may teach orthodox Catholic principles with
unquestioned deference to the Supreme Head of the Church.
We have suffered harassment and aggravations very frequently during these
past two years, and they have only too often drawn us away from the work of
the sacred ministry, causing us an immense waste of time which we wished to
devote to promoting God's glory and the welfare of souls. These harassments
and aggravations are in no way diminishing at present. I hurt. As I write this
letter and as the Sacred Congregation of the Council has pending before it the
appeal of Salesian Father John Bonetti against the archbishop, I am handed a
subpoena summoning this confrere of mine to the office of the archdiocesan
fiscal attorney to answer the charges in this case, threatening him with eccle-
siastical censure unless he makes his appearance before a self-styled judge
who is a party in the same lawsuit which is just now pending before the Holy
See's supreme court. Hence, contrary to general expectations, the irritation
28This letter was drafted by Father Bonetti and edited by Don Bosco, who added a few things
to it. [Author]

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and waste of precious time is relentless and our position may grow more and
more intolerable.
The enemies of our faith are striving with satanic fury to wreck the beliefs
and morals of young and old, causing dismal harm and ruin. Every day our
work increases as we endeavor with some success to stem the surging tide of
evil. For this we need to be left in peace and be helped, or at least not
thwarted, in the good work which is the aim of our Congregation; otherwise
we shall grind to a standstill.
Therefore, Most Holy Father, I earnestly and humbly seek your wise coun-
sel and your strongest support. Speak and we shall listen. We shall abide by
both your express orders and your wishes. Not only shall we follow you as our
universal teacher, but also as our personal teacher. Not only among ourselves
as Salesians shall we revere your august person, but· we shall do all in our
power to inspire, foster and increase these sentiments in the eighty thousand
and more boys whom Divine Providence has gathered in our houses in Europe
and South America. In a word, we shall be totally dedicated in all things to the
Apostolic See wherever the Lord may send us at any time.
However, to have us carry out this sacred commitment with freedom, to
allow us to work effectively and meet the needs of these tragic times, to let me
govern this Congregation as I should, Most Holy Father, please speak an
authoritative word to the one and only bishop among a thousand who seems to
strive to push our poor Congregation off its true path, raising obstacle upon
obstacle to block the motherhouse, the heart of all the others, to prevent it
from going forward with needed alacrity and force it to a standstill.
I fully trust, Most Holy Father, that you will accept in your fatherly good-
ness the humble plea I present in my own name and in that of all the Salesians,
asking you to come to the aid of your many devoted children.
It is my pleasure, on this happy occasion of Christmas, to wish Your
Holiness every happiness, and I assure you that in your Salesian houses very
fervent prayers will especially be offered every day that God may grant you
the desires of your kindly heart.
In closing, I kneel and ask for your apostolic blessing for myself, the
Salesian Congregation, our boys and our missionaries who are now crossing
the Atlantic en route to Patagonia. With deepest veneration,
Your most humble, obedient and respectful son,
Fr. John Bosco
Cardinal Nina was not slow to reply. His letter was marked "confi-
dential" and contained statements like the following: "I urge you,
keep a calm, cool head, so as not to offer an excuse to your oppo-

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
nent.... As for the summons, it shows ever more clearly the bad
disposition of the chancery and of its leader. From the wording of the
summons which refers to Father Bonetti as 'the writer' of those pam-
phlets, one should infer that the fiscal attorney has proof of the ac-
cused's guilt. According to Father Leoncini 's letter, the accusation
would rest squarely on your shoulders. Why, therefore, were you not
subpoenaed by the court? Maybe to divert the public's overwhelming
anger and exasperation from your inquisitors? I see that Canon Colo-
miatti is a fit tool in the hand of his master." He then advised Don
Bosco not to send his report to the cardinals, as the time had not yet
come.
The cardinal was correct about Don Bosco's not being haled before
the chancery court, but whatever is deferred is not canceled. He got a
summons dated January 5, 1882 and personally served by Mr.
Aghemo, courier of the archdiocese, on January 7 at about ten in the
morning. The prosecutor's charge was twofold: that Don Bosco had
ordered the libelous pamphlets and that he had supplied data to its
actual author. Let it be borne in mind that this was meant to be the
archbishop's true response to the audience that Don Bosco had re-
quested on January 2-a giant step forward indeed toward the friendly
settlement requested by Rome! We can guess how sincerely Arch-
bishop Gastaldi could be "totally disposed" to receive Don Bosco that
same morning or any following day, as Canon Colomiatti claimed at
the process of Don Bosco's beatification.
Furthermore, how odd it was that the libel issue had already been
filed with the Sacred Congregation of the Council, and no less at the
request of the archbishop himself. In fact his letter to the Sacred Con-
gregation on December 29, 1880, had denounced Don Bosco and
Father Bonetti as the pamphlet writers, and the archbishop's brief of the
Bonetti case stated: ''I demand and insist that the Sacred Congregation
of the Council take action in the case of Bonetti as co-author, if not sole
author, of the libelous booklet." He repeated his charge on June 21,
1881, demanding some action. Therefore since the archbishop had
already chosen the Sacred Congregation of the Council to adjudicate
the alleged libel criminal action, the matter was entirely out of his
jurisdiction and he had no legal basis to start any other criminal pro-
ceedings. Don Bosco immediately sought the advice of Cardinal Nina
on what was he to do:

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Your Eminence:
Turin, January 7, 1882
Behold, a brand new sign of good will favoring a friendly settlement! The
enclosed copy of the archbishop's subpoena makes all clear. Seemingly, the
archbishop wants to drag things out and make me waste both time and money.
1. I now need your advice: Must I appear while the case is being tried by a
higher court? If so, may I request a hearing in another court? May an ordinary
summon at will the superior of an ecclesiastical congregation and thus throw
into confusion a poor religious community against which the ordinary has no
legal case and which seeks only to labor for the welfare of souls unfortunately
well on the way to damnation?
2. I should go to France on the tenth of this month to solicit funds for the
Sacred Heart Church and Hospice in Rome because we are running out of
money. Should I go or should I stay here and seriously endanger the project
assigned me so insistently by the Holy Father in his zeal and charity?
3. I have taken steps to delay my departure to the 16th, but I cannot defer it
beyond that date because of appointments I have already made to receive
substantial contributions.
My Salesians and I are in dire need of help, counsel and comfort, and we
trustfully look to you, our well deserving protector.
I have never asked and shall never ask for anything but peace and tran-
quility, so that I may carry out my holy ministry on behalf of greatly imperiled
souls.
These new charges have arisen because I will not alter my stand. I am
against Rosmini: that is why I am being falsely blamed for those pamphlets.
I am not their author. My stand has been to profess the truths of our faith
and to follow every directive, every counsel, every desire of the Supreme
Pontiff.
In the Lord Jesus Christ, with greatest gratitude and profound veneration,
Yours most devotedly,
Fr. John Bosco
In his letter to Monsignor Boccali explaining why he had failed to
obtain an audience with Archbishop Gastaldi, Don Bosco enclosed a
copy of the summons. The monsignor replied thus on January 9, 1882:
"Be patient. Don't lose heart. If you had nothing to do with those
pamphlets, the outcome of this new trial can only be in your favor."
Meanwhile the opposition in Turin pursued its course relentlessly.
On January 12, just days after both summonses had been served, the

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
appointment of Canon Colomiatti as deputy judge was announced; the
document was ante-dated by seven months. On January 18 Father
Bonetti filed a plea impugning the legality and competence of that
court for two reasons: the retroactive date and the fact that Archbishop
Gastaldi was himself one of the principals in the case. He therefore
notified the chancery that he had asked the Salesian procurator in Rome
to request the Sacred Congregation of the Council, already involved in
the case, to appoint as a special judge either the bishop of a neighbor-
ing diocese or a competent, impartial clergyman who would take over
all the pertinent documentation and initiate a canonical process to be
later sent to the Sacred Congregation for its verdict or for any other
action. As per counsel of his attorney, Leonori, the plea was filed in
Father Bonetti's name out of respect for Don Bosco because, in the
attorney's words, "this truly holy and charitable man should not be
exposed to a lawsuit. " 29 Canon Colomiatti rejected the charge of in-
competence and again ordered Father Bonetti to appear.
Instead of obeying, Father Bonetti appealed to Rome. His appeal
was granted without the slightest difficulty, and the Sacred Congrega-
tion of the Council enjoined the archbishop from proceeding against
either Don Bosco or Father Bonetti, delegating Archbishop [Celestine]
Fissore of Vercelli to compile all the documentation and send it to the
Sacred Congregation of the Council, which would then decide the
case. Thus, the accused were no longer accountable to the chancery of
Turin in this matter.
Here let us make a brief digression. In the last week of January
[1882] Bishop [David] Riccardi of Ivrea was in Turin, most certainly
with the consent of his metropolitan, Archbishop Gastaldi, since he
was celebrating Mass wherever requested within the archdiocese. The
Salesians sent him two invitations: Father Rua asked him to celebrate
the Community Mass at the Oratory on the feast of St. Francis de
Sales, January 29, and Father Francesia requested his presence at
Valsalice for the same feast which had been postponed two days. He
graciously accepted both invitations. Later, however, after having dined
with Archbishop Gastaldi, he wrote to the Oratory explaining that
unforeseen circumstances prevented his keeping his commitment; he
29Letter to Father Bonetti, Rome, January 9, 1882. [Author]

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Libel Suit against Don Bosco for Defamatory Booklets
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sent a similar letter to the director of Valsalice. On leaving Turin, he
confided to Father [James] Margotti30 that he was leaving in utter dis-
content because he could not see how the metropolitan archbishop
could forbid a suffragan of his to celebrate Mass in a religious house.
He asked Father Margotti to convey his regrets to the Salesians.
Since Don Bosco was in Rome when Archbishop Fissore arrived in
Turin to carry out his assignment, he spoke with Father Rua. His only
task was to question witnesses, if any, take their own sworn statements,
and send everything to Rome. Instead, complying with Archbishop
Gastaldi 's wish, he tried to bring about a reconciliation, apparently
with Father Rua's acquiescence. Furthermore, the archbishop had also
asked Bishop [Stanislaus] Eula [of Novara] and Bishop [David] Ric-
cardi, who had come to Turin, to work out a friendly settlement
through the good offices of Father [Celestine] Durando. The two pre-
lates went to Valsalice for a festive celebration, and after the entertain-
ment they took him aside and pressured him to go along with the
archbishop's wish. When Don Bosco got news of this from letters of
Father Bonetti and Father Durando, he wept almost for grief that his
sons' good faith should be thus caught off guard, and immediately he
sent this exact message to Father Rua: "Neither Father Bonetti nor
anyone else in the house is to deal with this matter without previous
counsel from the Sacred Congregation of the Council, and always in
agreement with Don Bosco. This advice comes from competent au-
thority. '' 31 At this stage, searching for a friendly settlement offered
little hope for victory, while, on the part of the Salesians, any coopera-
tion with that search was equivalent to admitting their fear of a well-
deserved guilty verdict.
Always aiming toward a settlement, Archbishop Fissore, after ob-
taining a statement signed by Father Rua and Father Bonetti repudiat-
ing the libelous pamphlets, tried to win a similar statement from Don
Bosco to present it to Archbishop Gastaldi. Don Bosco, however, not
only declined, but also sought unsuccessfully to get back the other
signed statement. Nevertheless, he did personally hand to Cardinal
Nina the following letter:
30Founder, editor and publisher of Unita Cattolica. [Editor]
31Letter from Father Berto to Father Bonetti, Rome, April 8, 1882. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
Your Eminence:
Rome, May 8, 1882
An amicable settlement of Father John Bonetti's case has always been a
fervent wish of mine. On several occasions I have made similar proposals to
His Excellency, the archbishop of Turin, which he accepted but later turned
down. One was made in 1879. On May 26 he himself summoned me. I
obliged and we agreed that Father Bonetti's faculties to hear confessions
throughout the Turin archdiocese were to be restored, leaving it to my pru-
dence not to assign him to Chieri, although he was not banned from there, and
that if he should occasionally go there to preach or hear confessions, he would
not be censured in any way by the ecclesiastical authority. This proposal was
accepted. I notified Father Bonetti, and he was very glad. We all felt very
relieved that a settlement had finally been reached in a controversy which had
caused us such a huge waste of time that we could have spent on the care of
souls. However, very early the next morning, May 27, I was handed a letter
from the archbishop which revoked indefinitely all that we had agreed to on
the previous day.
At this stage I see no other solution fair to both parties than that proposed
and accepted in May 1879, that is:
1. The archbishop of Turin shall grant Father Bonetti faculties for confes-
sions throughout the entire archdiocese of Turin.
2. Father Bonetti shall continue working as a good priest for God's greater
glory as befits an honest, zealous clergyman.
3. To lay all these matters to rest, the archbishop shall withdraw two letters,
respectively dated November 25 and December 1, 1877, threatening Father
John Bosco with automatic suspension should he write, print or distribute any
material written or oral which might prove derogatory to the archbishop of
Turin.
These withdrawn letters shall be burned and nothing more said about them.
As to the matter of the pamphlets, I declare that neither I nor my Salesians
were ever in any way, as far as I know, involved. I have always disapproved
and still do disapprove of language derogatory to ecclesiastical authority. I am
also most willing to repudiate anything contained in those pamphlets which is
pointed out to me as being reprehensible in the eyes of the Church. However,
those who have read and studied these pamphlets agree that the subject matter
of the pamphlets, or alleged libels, is fully in accord with principles and
concepts recently endorsed by the Holy Father.
Lastly, whatever the Holy Father or you may judge favorable to God's
greater glory, I am ready to accept unconditionally.
Yours most devotedly,
Fr. John Bosco

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The following comments were attached to this letter:
Rome, May 8, 1882
It must be borne in mind that identical proposals for a settlement have on
other occasions been made to His Excellency, the archbishop of Turin. He first
agreed to them, then modified them, and finally rejected them.
He rudely refused to give me an audience on January 2, 1882, when I called
on him in Your Eminence's name and even in the name of the Holy Father, to
work out an amicable settlement.
For the past few days, he, the archbishop of Turin, has been bandying
about-and even sent word to me through my own religious-that Don Bosco
is a most infamous character, an impostor who concocts miracles and then
publishes them as happening through the intervention of Our Lady.
He also adds that Rome mishandles everything and that in Rome what
matters is whom you know and so on.
These things seem hardly helpful for reaching an amicable agreement, all
the more so after the Sacred Congregation of the Council has issued an
authoritative statement.
The cardinal thought Don Bosco's statement too concise and ex-
pressed the wish for a more exhaustive presentation.32 Don Bosco
complied and had Father Bonetti draw up another. The cardinal also
suggested that he get a retraction from Father Leoncini and Father
Pellicani about that famous letter which bothered the Pope no end. 33
Father Leoncini would not hear of it, but the fact that the Turin tribunal
for Don Bosco's beatification qualified him as a man "too naive," a
simpleton, considerably undermined his credibility and presented him
as one who can easily misconstrue things and let himself be taken in.
Father Pellicani, regretting that the charge should still be pending
against Don Bosco, felt bound in conscience for the sake of truth to
make the following refutation:
STATEMENT
I have learned that because of a sworn statement which I made in holy
obedience to the chancery of the archdiocese of Turin, the Very Reverend John
Bosco, superior general of the Salesians, is being charged with inciting me to
write a defamatory pamphlet against the archbishop of Turin. I state before
32Letter from Father Dalmazzo to Don Bosco, Rome, May 15, 1882. [Author]
33Letter previously quoted from Father Dalmazzo. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
God that the only proposal Don Bosco ever made to me was to write a
memorandum to be sent to the Holy Father, Pope Pius IX,34 and that we
discussed nothing else. I further state that I repeatedly made this straightfor-
ward and unambiguous declaration to the fiscal attorney, Canon Colomiatti,
when I was asked to give a sworn deposition.
If my same declaration was not as explicit as I would like it to have been in
the testimony I formerly gave and signed under oath, it is because I was told
that the phrase I used then, namely, "to be presented to Rome," meant, as
indeed it may-and here must-be understood: "to be presented to the Holy
Father."
As for Father Leoncini's letter to the archbishop which reported the private
conversation I had with him when I tried exclusively to dispel the suspicion he
entertained (perhaps to undermine my credibility) that I was the author of
those libelous pamphlets against the archbishop, I acknowledge that letter and
endorse it as true only in substance. I declare that if it contains, as I am told
but do not remember, the words "he proposed that I should write against the
archbishop" with no further qualification, such words should be interpreted in
the same meaning as my other words above, and that to attribute any other
meaning to them, that is, that they favor the charge imputed against the Very
Reverend John Bosco, would be totally untrue. I issue this entire statement
only in the interest of truth, since I have no ill feelings against either the
archbishop or Don Bosco, and would be happy to see harmony restored
between them for God's glory.
Fr. Anthony Pellicani
There is a world of difference between composing a memorandum
for the Pope and writing a libel. The second paragraph of Father
Pellicani's protestation makes it quite clear that his words must have
been twisted to make his original testimony seem to say what he had
had no intention of saying. It, seemingly, became ever clearer why the
actual sworn testimony of Father Pellicani was so stubbornly kept
secret, while Father Leoncini 's letter was widely publicized and even
printed in Archbishop Gastaldi's Summarium of his position in the
Bonetti case.
In the meantime other events had come to pass. On May 12, 1882,
when Don Bosco had already left Rome, Canon Colomiatti arrived
with authorization to rebut with Cardinal Jacobini Don Bosco's report
to Cardinal Nina and then negotiate a settlement. The archbishop had
34Pius IX died on February 7, 1878 and was succeeded by Leo XIII on February 20. [Editor]

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written to the Pope, requesting permission to send a personal represen-
tative to explain his position, and the Pope had conferred with Cardinal
Nina on the matter. Once Leo XIII, who had already decided to take
the case into his own hands, was reassured that Archbishop Gastaldi
was really seeking a settlement, he ordered the proceedings to be
halted, and Don Bosco was summoned to Rome by telegram. Father
Dalmazzo did send him a telegram on the afternoon of May 18 and
received this reply from Father Rua: "Very precarious health prevents
our Father from traveling. ''
Father Dalmazzo instantly hastened to Cardinal Nina and asked if
Don Bosco could be dispensed from making an appearance or at least
if he could postpone his journey. The cardinal replied that the order had
come from the Pope himself, and that, on learning that Don Bosco had
recently left the city and had returned to Turin, His Holiness had
commented: "It cannot be helped. Now that Turin's archbishop is so
well intentioned, I personally want to settle this controversy. Please
telegraph him that he is to come." In tum, Canon Colomiatti was
ordered by Turin to stay in Rome as long as necessary, even four
months, until the Gordian knot was severed. 35
Father Dalmazzo telegraphed his reply to Father Rua: "Tried to
dispense with your coming. Nina regrets any deferment, since he must
leave on the twenty-eighth." Father Rua's answer was: "Humanly im-
possible for Father to travel. We await you in Turin." At the same time
Don Bosco sent this note to the cardinal through Father Dalmazzo:
Your Eminence:
Turin, May 20, 1882
I deeply regret that I cannot immediately travel to Rome as I would like to. I
just am unable to sit, and my foot so pains me that I can barely walk. Still,
should Your Eminence consider my presence essential, I shall set out on the
24th of this month. I shall have to make some brief stops along the way, but
hopefully will be in Rome about midday of the 26th.
Please pardon this unintentional delay. I am honored to be,
Yours devotedly,
Fr. John Bosco
35Letter from Father Dalmazzo to Don Bosco, Rome, May 21, 1882. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
In a covering note to his procurator, Don Bosco plainly spoke about
his ailment. He had to be explicit to dispel any suspicion that he was
suffering from a "diplomatic ailment."
My dear Father Dalmazzo:
Turin, May 20, 1882
Read this letter and bring it to Cardinal Nina. My sickness is of no conse-
quence. An inflammation on my backside keeps me from traveling by train.
Also, my feet are swollen with two sores that are not diplomatically induced.
1ry to find out why I am so hastily wanted in Rome. If it cannot be avoided, I
am ready to set out at once, come what may.
If you can come, do so and we will talk things over and then you can
accompany me back.
Regards to Ventrelli and Father Barale and our other dear confreres: Father
Braga, Father Savio, Father Cagnoli, etc. Write me immediately if necessary.
God bless us all. Amen.
Yours affectionately,
Fr. John Bosco
As Father Albera testified at the beatification process, he was actu-
ally suffering from hemorrhoids.
After hearing Canon Colomiatti, the Pope was displeased by Don
Bosco's report to Cardinal Nina, not only calling it out of place, but
also charging that it contained untruths, since Archbishop Gastaldi,
who rejected every word of it, brought forward arguments in refuta-
tion. As soon as Don Bosco was told of this, he had Father Bonetti
send the following comments to Cardinal Nina, asking him to bear
them in mind when speaking with Canon Colomiatti:
1. The Bonetti case must be kept distinct from anything else. It has nothing
to do with either the libelous writings or my report or any other question
raised before or after. This is in view of the decision already issued by the
authoritative Sacred Congregation of the Council.
2. It should be borne in mind that my report was written in response to the
complaints lodged by the archbishop of Turin and published in the press;
the charges demanded an adequate reply, lest extremely serious accusations
against the Salesian Congregation be accepted as true. Our sole wealth is our

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Libel Suit against Don Bosco for Defamatory Booklets
215
good name and the moral support we need to labor for God's greater glory and
the salvation of souls.
3. The facts presented in my report are all backed by authentic documents.
4. If Canon Colomiatti has any arguments proving that the facts set forth in
my report are untrue, Don Bosco asks that they be communicated to him in
writing, not verbally, so that he may either correct his statement or respond to
them properly.
Meanwhile, it helps to point out that even after the settlement was reached,
incidents took place which give us reason to fear that any hope of a happy and
peaceful outcome was no more than an illusion. In this regard Don Bosco
telegraphed Father Dalmazzo to return to Turin and personally update him on
the highlights of the case.
These few lines from Don Bosco served as introduction to the
cardinal:
Your Eminence:
Turin, May 22, 1882
Father Bonetti's comments have been written in my name. We are sending
you these letters by the hand of Monsignor Marini, who has honored us by his
presence today. I am expecting Father Dalmazzo and will send him back to
Rome with all necessary faculties.
Please remember me in your kind prayers and send me your blessing.
I am greatly honored to be,
Yours most devotedly,
Fr. John Bosco
One of our unpromising incidents which Father Bonetti pointed out
took place at the Valsalice College. The regional Catholic Convention36
met in Turin in April, Duke [Scipio] Salviati presiding; the archbishop
had not been well and so had not attended. To entertain the delegates
Father [John Baptist] Francesia staged a Latin play in their honor in the
spacious school chapel, turning it into an auditorium for the occasion.
Nothing in the play was unbecoming to the dignity of the place; in fact,
36See Vol. XIV, p. 374. [Editor]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
the bishops of Novara and Ivrea were present and took no offense.37
Even in Rome, performances were very often staged in public churches
as, for example, in December 1881 in the Church of the Holy Apostles,
and at St. Vitalis in May 1882. However, the archbishop of Turin chose
to tum the Valsalice incident into a battle cry. Father Francesia was
summoned to the chancery, denied a chance to speak, ·and charges
were lodged against him in Rome. "It was my intention to use this
opportunity to witness to our Catholic faith, to our apostolic, papal
faith, and instead we got hit by both ends," wrote Father Francesia.38
"A disreputable Turin newspaper, which would have gleefully made a
mountain out of a molehill if a profanation [of a church] had taken
place, attacked us mercilessly because of our unswerving loyalty to the
Pope, and now I hear that our archbishop is once more on our heels as
if we had profaned the temple."
That "once more on our heels" was a probable allusion to another
recent event at our Valsalice College where Chevalier Besson was a
hired teacher of German. He was a convert from Protestantism and the
chairman of a very popular association known as "Catholic Courage."
One day Archbishop Gastaldi invited him to dinner. From the very
outset he was bombarded with endless talk about Don Bosco, the
Salesians, their schools, mostly their faults. The worst was still to
come. On leaving the table, the archbishop took the professor aside.
"You teach at the Valsalice College and should be in on a few things,"
he said. "Tell me, isn't it true that there are immoral goings-on among
the staff?" The professor was shocked and pained by the question; he
resolutely denied it and then both orally and in writing told the director
about it, expressing his utter disgust.
Other events, by no means friendly, were the obstacles that the
archbishop continually kept throwing in the way of the consecration of
the Church of St. John the Evangelist, as we shall relate in due course.
Just now we cannot refrain from speaking about his last39 Lenten pas-
toral letter. Its two final pages were packed with obvious allusions to
Don Bosco and the Salesians. A cover letter expressly demanded that
37That performance brought the director a flattering letter from Duke Salviati. [Author]
38Letter to Father Dalmazzo, Turin, May 24, 1882. [Author]
39Archbishop Gastaldi died in mid-morning of March 25, 1883. [Author]

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217
the entire pastoral be read and explained to the people. Some priests
omitted the last two pages.
In brief, the further we walk this "Way of the Cross" whose conclu-
sion we shall narrate in the next chapter, the more easily we can
understand Don Bosco's touching expression of grief when in 1882 he
told Canon Colomiatti and others present, requesting the canon to
quote his words to Archbishop Gastaldi, "All he need do now is plunge
a knife into my heart."
Yet discouragement was not his, only strong faith in God and in the
justice of his cause. Some years later, Father Berto voiced his regret
that in such a conflict it had not always been possible to fight in the
open, so that covert tactics had to be resorted to in order to defeat his
adversary with his own strategy. Don Bosco let him finish and then
commented, "It was the Lord who guided the course of events!"

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CHAPTER 8
Leo XIII's Settlement
ofthe Bonetti Controversy
DURING the summer of 1884, since his health was poor,
Don Bosco spent a few weeks at Pinerolo with Bishop Philip Chiesa.
Father Lemoyne went with him. One day, quite abruptly, he told his
future biographer, "It might be wise to destroy all our correspondence
with Archbishop Gastaldi with all pertinent documents.'' Hiding his
utter astonishment, Father Lemoyne asked, "What would we have left
to record of the Oratory's history from 1872 to 1883?" "Just say that
Don Bosco kept up his usual work," he replied. He continued speak-
ing with such conviction that Father Lemoyne, fearing a specific order
to that effect, took advantage of another person's approach to excuse
himself and leave Don Bosco with his visitor. When they later returned
to Turin, the topic was never mentioned again. However, to say the
least, if prudence required that such documents be destroyed, it would
have been imperative for Don Bosco's adversary to do likewise with his
correspondence with the Salesians lest the historical truth be badly
one-sided. If, for example, Canon Colomiatti's letters from Rome to
Archbishop Gastaldi about the matters then in hand were to be in other
people's possession today with no authentic copies available of what
Don Bosco had then written or had others write, we would most
certainly have a very arduous task trying to refute the charges brought
against him by the canon's letters. But, things being as they are, we
have been enabled to give each side its due and shall continue to do so.
Father Dalmazzo, heeding Father Rua's summons, immediately left
Rome for Turin, from where his report on Don Bosco's health to
Cardinal Nina was hardly encouraging, for though he was up and
about, he was in no condition to take a trip. Father Dalmazzo also sent
the cardinal additional information, backed by the documentary evi-
218

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Leo XIl/'s Settlement of the Bonetti Controversy
219
dence which he had requested concerning the play given in the Val-
salice chapel, so as to counter this latest charge. 1 His Eminence
replied:
Reverend and dear Father,
Rome, May 27, 1882
I thank you for your letter and enclosures which I have received. However,
Monsignor Marini had already briefed me on the facts of the case.
What is taldng place is providential. When you see Father Bonetti, please
tell him I have received his letter. Thank him for me and give him my regards.
However, your news of poor Don Bosco has on the one hand grieved me and
on the other given me comfort. What I mean is that I would not wish him to
suffer, but in some way his role in this life is to play the part of Job. Please
offer him my sympathy. If his health does not permit him to travel, it will be
necessary for him, if we are to follow the Holy Father's express will, to write a
letter investing you with full power of attorney; in it he is also to state that he
had already told me, his cardinal protector, of his intent to come to a friendly
settlement with the archbishop. I, in tum, have already informed the Holy
Father that under all circumstances Don Bosco is ready to accept gracefully all
the conditions which His Holiness, in his enlightened justice, will see fit to lay
down, and that he and his Congregation will be honored to be docile sons of
the Holy See.
Please see to it that you come back with all haste. Meanwhile, I remain with
the highest esteem
Most affectionately at your service,
Lawrence Cardinal Nina, Protector
Without the slightest hesitation Don Bosco did as the cardinal pro-
tector suggested and wrote the two following letters, one to Leo XIII
and one to Cardinal Nina.
Most Holy Father:
Turin, May 30, 1882
My health, Your Holiness, prevents me from coming to Rome to kneel
respectfully at your feet and accept all that you judge will contribute to God's
greater glory.
1Letter of May 25, 1882. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
However, I have charged our confrere, Father [Francis] Dalmazzo, to repre-
sent me with full powers in all matters as it may please Your Holiness.
I humbly ask for your blessing on my eyesight, now so sorely threatened,
that I may use whatever days of life God may still grant me to set in order the
affairs of the humble Congregation which Your Holiness has so graciously
entrusted to me
Kneeling humbly before you, I am most honored to be
Your loving son,
Fr. John Bosco
[The letter to Cardinal Nina was as follows:]
Your Eminence,
[Turin, May 20, 1882]2
Since it is impossible for me to come to Rome and unconditionally accept
the gracious will of our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIII, I am granting full power
of attorney to our confrere, Father Francis Dalmazzo, procurator general of
the Pious Society of St. Francis de Sales and pastor of the Sacred Heart of
Jesus Church, authorizing him to negotiate, finalize, and agree to whatever
may be pleasing to His Holiness in the matter of the distressing conflict with
His Excellency, the Most Reverend Lawrence Gastaldi, archbishop of Turin.
He has instructions to clarify certain would-be facts which have been
charged against this hapless Salesian Congregation.
Fr. John Bosco
Superior General of the Pious Salesian Society
The Holy Father was satisfied that Father Dalmazzo, acting with full
delegated power, would be able to represent his superior before the
secretary of state in the settlement of this matter. 3
The entire case was therefore entrusted to His Eminence Cardinal
Ludwig Jacobini, who acted as delegate of Cardinal Nina but reported
directly to the Pope. Cardinal Jacobini ordered Colomiatti to present a
plan for an equitable settlement to the secretary of state. It consisted of
seven articles which covered all the points of contention between the
archbishop and Don Bosco. These articles were passed on to Don
2This date is taken from Eugenio Ceria, Epistolario di San Giovanni Bosco, Vol. 4, p. 140,
Letter 2300. [Editor]
3Letter from Cardinal Nina to Father Dalmazzo, Rome, May 30, 1882. [Author]

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221
Bosco, who examined them carefully and then proposed seven articles
of his own with reasons for his proposed modifications. We now pre-
sent both sets of articles; the archbishop's are printed in Roman type,
Don Bosco's in italics.4
1. Don Bosco shall write a letter to the archbishop, in which he is to express
his regret that within the past few years certain incidents have upset the
harmony which used to exist between him and the chancery, possibly causing
grief to the archbishop. If the archbishop has reason to believe that either Don
Bosco or some member of his Congregation has contributed to that state of
affairs, Don Bosco shall apologize to the archbishop and implore him to put
the past behind him.
I. Don Bosco shall write to the archbishop expressing his regret that in the
past few years certain incidents disrupted the harmony that used to reign
between them, possibly causing grief to the archbishop.
2. The archbishop shall reply to Don Bosco's letter stating that the senti-
ments expressed therein brought him no little comfort and that, harboring no
doubt of the latter's sincerity, he puts the past behind him and reinstates Don
Bosco to his good graces.
2. Within three days the archbishop shall reply that the sentiments ex-
pressed by Don Bosco brought him no little comfort and that, harboring no
doubt of the latter's sincerity, he promises to give him and his Salesians new
proofs of his former good will.
3. Three days after this exchange of letters, the archbishop shall send Don
Bosco renewed faculties for Father Bonetti to hear confessions anywhere in
the archdiocese. In tum, Don Bosco shall give his word not to send Father
Bonetti back to Chieri for the period of one year. At the end of that time, the
archbishop shall not block through the chancery his return to Chieri for special
occasional visits to preach or to hear confessions.
3. Three days after this exchange of letters, the archbishop, abiding by the
rescript ofJanuary 28, 1882 of the Sacred Congregation of the Council, shall
send Don Bosco renewed faculties, with no territorial restrictions, for Father
Bonetti; in turn Don Bosco shall give his word not to assign Father Bonetti to
Chieri as director for one year. After that time Don Bosco and his delegate
4The reasons for Don Bosco's amendments may be found in the Appendix of the Memorie
Biografiche di San Giovanni Bosco, Vol. XV, pp. 739-741, Document 37. We are omitting this
document in this edition. [Editor]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
shall be free to draw upon Father Bonetti's services as they judge best to meet
the Salesian Congregation's needs. Mainly in view of the above-mentioned
rescript and of the unjust penalty which this good priest has had to endure
over the past four years, he shall enjoy at least the very same faculties as any
other confessor in the archdiocese who, after a regular examination, has been
judged qualified and approved [for such ministry]. Consequently, the chanc-
ery shall have no power to prohibit his right to hear confessions or to restrict
his faculties except in accordance with the sacred canons.
4. Although Don Bosco's report of the facts concerning the archbishop was
not intended for publicity and was exclusively directed to the cardinals of the
Sacred Congregation, he shall nevertheless undertake to retrieve and destroy
all copies thereof.
4. Although Don Rosco's report of the facts concerning the archbishop was
not intended for publicity and was but a simple self-defense presented to the
most eminent judges, rebutting the charges published in the press by the
archbishop against the Salesians, and although it was based on documented
facts, Don Bosco pledges himself to retrieve the copies he distributed for this
purpose, once it has been proven to him, orally or in writing, that the contents
of his report are not true.
5. To eliminate any chance of friction, the archbishop shall withdraw and
destroy the two letters, one dated November 25, the other December 1, 1877,
which threaten Don Bosco with a deterrent penalty of automatic suspension
should he write, publish or distribute any papers or statements which might
prove damaging to the archbishop.
5. To redress the honor of the Salesians, to right the harm done to their
reputation by the affront to their founder and superior general, and to obviate
any chance of friction, the archbishop shall withdraw and destroy the two
letters, one dated November 25, the other December 1, 1877, which, in
violation ofthe sacred canons, threaten Don Bosco with a deterrent penalty of
automatic suspension should he write, publish or distribute papers or state-
ments which might prove damaging to the archbishop. He shall farther state
that he shall retrieve any publication or manuscript containing unproven
charges and imputations against the Salesians.
6. As for the pamphlets indicted by the chancery, Don Bosco declares that
he has always condemned and still condemns the unseemly manner and lan-
guage used in speaking of ecclesiastical authority and that he is ready to
declare this formally whenever it should be necessary. Likewise, he is fully

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Leo Xll/'s Settlement of the Bonetti Controversy
223
ready to denounce the contents of those pamphlets, if specific points or
statements are cited by the Church as being reprehensible.
6. This article is accepted in full.
7. As a result of such declaration, the lawsuit initiated by the archdiocesan
chancery should be dropped.
7. As a result of this declaration, which is to be issued only after the
archbishop has reinstated Father Bonetti's faculties, the lawsuit initiated by
the archdiocesan chancery shall be dropped.
These counter-proposals were written by Father Bonetti. Both pro-
posals and counter-proposals were studied and then fused into one
document named the ''Settlement.'' On June 15, both Father Dalmazzo
and Canon Colomiatti were summoned by Cardinal Nina, who bade
them read the document and sign it as soon as possible, although each
was allowed to give his own opinion. Father Dalmazzo remarked that,
while he found reason on the one hand to be glad for the treatment
given Don Bosco, he felt unhappy with the final decision concerning
Father Bonetti. That very evening he wrote in this vein to His Emi-
nence, but his objections proved unavailing, since this was the Pope's
will. He then asked whether he might be allowed to sign with a prop-
erly worded reservation. The cardinal refused permission and ordered
him to sign. Father Dalmazzo obeyed.
When this was done, His Eminence explained to him why he was
impelled to follow this course of action. Through this mild measure the
Pope was hoping to win over the archbishop and make him change his
ways of doing things, especially in matters of doctrine; in fact, it would
appear that Colomiatti had promised the Pope as much. Secondly, the
Pope had taken into account the acrimony of certain statements about
the archbishop made by Father Bonetti in the Bollettino Salesiano
which revealed his aggressive temperament; a proof of this, the Pope
said, was the letter that had been addressed to him. 5 Following is the
text of the '' Settlement. ''
5At a later date (June 18, 1882), Father Bonetti added the following note to Father Dalmazzo's
letter which reported these events: "It is true, but I was younger, somewhat weary, and shocked
that nothing was being done to end the controversy, and then there was my love for Don Bosco.
Still, were I to find myself again in such a situation, I think I would be more prudent, although the
style is the man." [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
Rome, June 16, 1882
His Holiness, aware that several controversies which have existed for some
time between the archbishop of Turin and the Salesian Congregation are a
source of unpleasantness and tension which demean authority and bewilder
the faithful, has made it known to both parties concerned that it is his will that
they desist from all discord and re-establish a genuine and lasting harmony
between them through the following agreements:
I. Don Bosco shall write a letter to the archbishop in which he is to express
his regret that within the past few years certain incidents have upset the
harmony which used to exist between him and the chancery, possibly causing
grief to the archbishop. If the archbishop has reason to believe that either Don
Bosco or some member of his Congregation has contributed to that state of
affairs, Don Bosco shall apologize to the archbishop and implore him to put
the past behind him.
II. The archbishop shall reply to Don Bosco's letter stating that the senti-
ments expressed therein have brought him no little comfort and that, having no
doubt of the latter's sincerity, he puts the past behind him and reinstates Don
Bosco to his good graces.
III. Three days after this exchange of letters, the archbishop shall send Don
Bosco renewed faculties for Father Bonetti to hear confessions anywhere in
the archdiocese. In tum Don Bosco shall give his word not to send Father
Bonetti back to Chieri for the period of one year. At the end of that time, the
archbishop shall not block through the chancery his return to Chieri for special
occasional visits to preach or to hear confessions.
IV. Although Don Bosco's printed report of the facts concerning the arch-
bishop was not intended for publicity and was exclusively directed to the
cardinals of the Sacred Congregation, he shall nevertheless undertake to re-
trieve and destroy all copies thereof.
V. To eliminate any chance of friction, the archbishop shall withdraw and
destroy the two letters, one dated November 25, the other December 1, 1877,
which threaten Don Bosco with a deterrent penalty of automatic suspension
should he write, publish or distribute any papers or statements which might
prove damaging to the archbishop.
VI. As for the pamphlets indicted by the chancery, Don Bosco declares that
he always condemned and still condemns the unseemly manner and language
used in speaking of ecclesiastical authority and that he is ready to declare this
formally whenever it should be necessary. Likewise, he is fully prepared to
denounce the contents of those pamphlets if specific points or statements are
cited by the Church as being reprehensible.
VIL As a result of such declaration, the lawsuit initiated by the arch-
diocesan chancery should be dropped.

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By virtue of the powers granted me by my most esteemed superior, His
Excellency Archbishop Lawrence Gastaldi, I herewith agree to and approve
the above articles.
Canon Emanuel Colomiatti
By virtue of the powers granted me by my superior general, the Very
Reverend John Bosco, I herewith agree to and approve the above articles.
Fr. Francis Dalmazzo
Procurator General
Cardinal Nina sent Don Bosco the authentic document on June 23,
with the following comments: "As you can see from the terms of this
'Settlement,' your first and foremost duty is to write a letter to the
archbishop according to the main directives traced out for you in the
first article. I need not add that the more you keep to disciplined
language inspired by humility, the better is your hope of winning over
the heart of the prelate. It would be desirable to try to see him again
and reach out to him. In short, do all you can to show that you are
sincerely in tune with the Holy Father's intent for a genuine and lasting
peace. If unfortunately you should get no response, do not be daunted,
because God will provide (. . .). If the judgment rendered Father
Bonetti seems rather severe, you can convince him that his honor has
essentially been restored with the unrestricted faculties [for confes-
sion], and his virtue will not desert him in being resigned to stay away
from Chieri for one year. Lastly, most earnestly I must commend two
particular items to your well-tried prudence. First, neither through the
Bollettino Salesiano nor in any other manner will you permit anyone of
your Congregation to publish anything which even remotely may al-
lude to the archbishop or the chancery. Second, should any new motive
or pretext for friction arise, please inform me immediately so that I
may advise you as best I can for your Congregation. My firm trust in
your virtue and prudence assures me that what must be done will prove
successful, and I ask you to keep me duly informed."
To understand correctly Don Bosco's reply to the cardinal we must
know that on June 18 Father Dalmazzo had written him as follows:
"Colomiatti was repeatedly received in audience by the Pope, on one
occasion remaining with him an hour and a half, whereas I was not
received, was not heard." Hence his doubt that the articles, rather than
having been dictated by the Pope, might have been presented to him by

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
the opposing party and all the more so since Cardinal Nina inexplica-
bly was contradicting himself in a statement he had made to the Sacred
Congregation of the Council. Don Bosco's reply was as follows:
Your Eminence:
Turin, June 27, 1882
I received your letter communicating to me the draft submitted by Canon
Colomiatti to the Holy Father. There are some things which are very difficult
to implement. I am requesting a few days to offer some clarifications which I
shall promptly bring to Your Eminence's attention
Please pardon my very poor scrawl, but I wanted to write this myself,
notwithstanding my poor health. With deepest respect I am,
Yours devotedly,
Fr. John Bosco
It would be unfair to think that Don Bosco's doubt was merely a
pretext for gaining time or undoing what had been done, as Cardinal
Nina perhaps thought. Don Bosco was sincerely convinced that the
cardinal's summoning of Father Dalmazzo to state his reasons so he
could compare them with those of Colomiatti was sheer comedy since
the cardinal and the canon had already agreed behind the scenes on
what was to be done. Don Bosco says as much with no reserve in his
letter on June 28 to Father Dalmazzo: "This is one big mess! I have
received the famous communication. I am drafting some observations.
However, the communication bears your [approval and] signature. If
you have any comments, send them at once. Cardinal Nina summoned
you to make a fool out of you. We shall try to get out of this as best we
can."
However, regardless of the opposing pai:ty's intrigues, the ''Settle-
ment" itself was a true expression of the Pope's will, as Father
Dalmazzo assured Don Bosco on June 30: "Cardinal Nina was charged
to put in writing the Pope's wishes, that is, the very terms of the
settlement. When he took the liberty of deleting the condition that Don
Bosco keep Father Bonetti in Turin for a year, the Pope chided him as
though the cardinal had not fully understood him. Moreover, he had
him read the entire document then and there and in his very presence
made him put in a few changes. So it was the Pope and the Pope alone
who drew up the whole agreement. Once I was assured that it was not
only his wishes, but his express will that Don Bosco abide by it for the

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Leo XIII's Settlement of the Bonetti Controversy
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sake of peace, I, mindful of Don Bosco's previous protestations of
submission to whatever the Pope might stipulate, could not but carry
out my duty and sign the document."
Don Bosco understood all this, but quite properly he felt that he
should await the cardinal's reply. It was worded severely, since he
evidently had not grasped Don Bosco 's reasons for doubting the true
source of the articles.
Very Reverend Don Bosco:
Rome, July 5, 1882
Your letter of June 27, which reached me only this morning, has caused me
no little surprise and, I might add, some chagrin.
In it, you speak of some kind of a draft submitted by Canon Colomiatti to
the Holy Father and remark that it contains things very difficult to implement.
However, my letter communicated to you the "Settlement" already signed
by the parties authorized by their respective superiors, whose terms were
conceived and approved not by Colomiatti but by His Holiness himself.
This element alone should dispel any difficulty in implementing them,
unless you wish to forget and renege on what you have time and again stated
both in speaking and writing, namely that in your decisions you would never
distance yourself from the will of the Holy Father, in which you saw the will of
God. To requestion again the approved articles would only be tantamount to
questioning whether the Pope's mind is founded on principles of justice and
looks to the best interests of both parties.
In this regard let me indeed inform you that these past few days the Holy
Father has pressed me, through his secretary of state, to assure him that the
agreement has been complied with; he wants it to be an accomplished fact.
What am I to tell him in reply? I do not have the nerve to say that nothing has
yet been done, and that it is you who are now raising serious difficulties about
going along with the terms. Please realize for yourself what a terrible impres-
sion it would make if you contradicted in deed the docility and submission
which you professed in word, and what bearing it might have on his benev-
olent attitude to your Congregation.
I would not like to think that it is Father Bonetti who is raising these
problems; were such the case, I would be disappointed to detect in you an
excessive weakness or deference toward a subordinate. Furthermore, consider-
ing his treatment in its proper light, I do not think that, in the entirety of facts
and circumstances, it entails an impossible sacrifice.
I therefore ask and implore you once again, to the best of my knowledge
and ability, not to waste time in further observations which would at this stage
be useless, if not harmful, but rather promptly to implement the "Settlement"

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
so that I may soon be able to tell the Holy Father that the deed is done and thus
to offer some comfort to his spirit, so sorely tried in a thousand ways.
With my usual esteem for you I am,
Most affectionately,
+ Lawrence Cardinal Nina, Protector
Don Bosco read the articles of the "Settlement" to the superior
chapter. All were dumbfounded. Father Bonetti was exasperated with
the terms forced upon him; all were distressed at the humiliation in-
flicted upon their beloved father. After their initial dismay, they began
to discuss the feasibility of filing for a delay so as to gain some time for
thinking. Father Cagliero alone said nothing. After listening for some
time in silence, Don Bosco asked him, "What have you to say?" Thus
challenged, Father Cagliero faced his colleagues and stated with cus-
tomary bluntness that he did not share their views. The Pope had
spoken, and the only thing to do was to obey. The Pope had made that
decision because he knew Don Bosco and was certain that he could rely
on his virtue, and so there was no reason for delay.
Since the Congregation's good name was involved, Don Bosco had
read the terms of the "Settlement" to the chapter solely to inform the
members officially; he had not meant to open a discussion or wait upon
counsel from anyone on what to do. On July 8 he wrote the following
apology to Archbishop Gastaldi:
Most Reverend Archbishop:
Turin, July 8, 1882
Realizing that the several controversies which have arisen for some time
between Your Excellency and the humble Salesian Congregation are a source
of malcontent and irritation detrimental to authority and disturbing for the
faithful, His Holiness has deigned to inform me that it is his will that all
discord cease and that a genuine and lasting peace be re-established between
us.
Therefore, seconding the fatherly and wise intent of our august Pontiff,
which has always been mine, I express to Your Excellency my own regret for
the incidents which in the past few years have disrupted the harmony which
used to exist between us and may also have caused Your Excellency sorrow.
Indeed, if Your Excellency has reasons to believe that either I or some member
of this Congregation is responsible for this state of affairs, I beg your pardon
and ask you graciously to forget the past.

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In the hope that Your Excellency will benignly accept these sentiments of
mine, I gladly take this occasion to wish Almighty God's choicest blessings
upon you, as I am greatly honored to remain, in esteem and reverence,
Yours most respectfully,
Fr. John Bosco
That same day he wrote to the cardinal protector, admitting his own
error quite calmly and stating that he had complied with the first and
principal article of the "Settlement." He gave not the least hint of
resentment for the lecture the cardinal had given him.
Your Eminence:
Turin, July 8, 1882
My first impression was that the seven articles of the "Settlement" signed
by Father Dalmazzo were but a draft agreement submitted to ask for and
present some clarifications. But once I ascertained from Your Eminence's
letter that they were the explicit will of the Holy Father, I hastened to carry out
the first article, which, as you yourself have stated, is my first and foremost
duty. For Your Eminence's information, I am enclosing a copy of the letter I
sent to the archbishop.
May Your Eminence graciously continue your benevolence toward me and
pray for me and our poor Congregation which is presently experiencing severe
distress.
Hoping that I may soon be able to inform you of the outcome of my letter to
the archbishop, I pray God to grant you happiness. I am honored to remain in
highest esteem,
Your most respectfully,
Fr. John Bosco
Under the terms of Article 3, the archbishop replied to Don Bosco's
letter in irreproachable terms.
Very Reverend Father:
From St. Ignatius, Lanzo
July 11, 1882
I received your letter of July 8, 1882 and am very happy to inform you that
the sentiments expressed therein brought me no small comfort.
I therefore heartily grant the pardon you requested both for you and for any
member of the Salesian Congregation who, to my mind, is responsible for the

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
state of affairs which you regret. Very willingly I overlook the past and
reinstate you to my good graces.
I also freely forego any demand for a formal statement of denunciation of
the pamphlets indicted by my chancery.
Since, in the light of your communication, my two letters, one dated No-
vember 25, the other December 1, 1877, cease to serve the purpose for which
they were written, I wish them to be returned to me and destroyed.
With this letter I also renew faculties for confession without territorial
limits to Father John Bonetti, Salesian priest, since I respect your pledge in
accordance with the Holy Father's intent made known to you and accepted by
you as being both wise and fatherly. I am also withdrawing the lawsuit initi-
ated by my chancery.
I thank Almighty God and our august Pontiff, who in this controversy has
truly been a loving father. 'Ilusting that the Salesian Congregation will always
be a source of comfort to the archbishop of Turin, I send you and your
Salesians my pastoral blessing. May it be a token of that more abundant
blessing which I ask the merciful Lord to shed upon you and your entire
congregation.
In Jesus Christ,
Most affectionately,
+ Lawrence, Archbishop
The fifth article alone remained to be implemented. In compliance
Don Bosco returned to the archbishop the two letters threatening
suspension.
Most Reverend Excellency:
Turin, July 18, 1882
Pursuant to Your Excellency's letter of July l, I am returning the two letters,
one dated November 25, the other December 1, 1877, in which I was threat-
ened with automatic suspension should the reasons contained therein actually
occur.
From my heart I bless the Lord that the causes of discord between Your
Excellency and the humble Salesian Congregation have now ceased, and I
fully trust that our solicitude in the future will be centered only on God's glory
in these difficult times for our holy faith.
With full esteem and deepest reverence,
Your most obedient servant,
Fr. John Bosco

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The same day he briefly informed Cardinal Nina of his actions and
personal feelings.
Your Eminence:
Turin, July 18, 1882
I am enclosing a copy of Archbishop Gastaldi's reply to my letter and today
have also sent him the two letters which brought about so many hard feelings.
As I submit my poor Salesian Congregation to this humiliation, I hope that
peace will endure! But I have great fears about it. It is claimed that Don Bosco
has been found guilty, that Father Bonetti will no longer return to Chieri, etc.
At any rate, I acted with full sincerity, and I keep going in silence.
With unfaltering gratitude,
Your most obedient servant,
Fr. John Bosco
Once the terms of the settlement were executed, Cardinal Nina sent
Don Bosco his final pronouncement of comment and commendation.
On July 26 he wrote Don Bosco: "I received your latest most welcome
notification and insert of which Canon Colomiatti had already sent me
a copy. I have of course given the Holy Father a full account of every-
thing; he felt very happy and consoled that at last all differences have
ceased and peace has been restored, a peace that must be genuine and
lasting. At this point it is quite superfluous to argue who won and who
lost. As I see it, it is the Congregation that always wins out because the
substance of the case has been resolved. Nor are we to forget that acts
of humility, though seen by the world as a mark of weakness, are
always seen by God and by discerning people as deeds of virtue which
honor the doers and bear the promise that 'he who humbles himself
shall be exalted.' Hence, be at peace with what you have done and
comfort your confreres with the thought that their compliance with the
Holy Father's decision will redound to the advantage of the Congrega-
tion and to God's glory. "
Lurking beneath the rainbow of peace which arched from the banks
of the Dora to the valley of St. Ignatius retreat house there had to be the
raucous creaking of journalist toads. Under the banner "A Shady
Deal," the Gazzetta Piemontese on July 26 ran an article digging up
the old "rancors" between Archbishop Gastaldi and Don Bosco and
giving a loose report of recent events. In tone it seemed to favor the

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
archbishop. In fact it claimed that it was due to "the [cardinal] protec-
tors in the Vatican" that the Roman Congregations had originally ruled
in favor of Don Bosco, but that the Holy Father had later "quashed the
Roman Congregations' decision," declaring Don Bosco "wrong" and
"forcing" him to "submit to the archbishop" and to destroy all
"found" and "unsold" copies of the [defamatory] pamphlets.
The writer had certainly not gone to the Oratory to pick up that
misinformation! On July 25, writing to Cardinal Nina about the con-
secration of the Church of St. John the Evangelist [in Turin], Don
Bosco lamented, "The chancery itself boasts of the humiliation it has
inflicted on Don Bosco. I know there will be more of the same. This
gossip, loosely spread about and maliciously interpreted, batters my
poor Salesians. Already two of our directors have asked to withdraw
from a Congregation which they see as the laughing stock of the
authorities. Other priests and clerics are doing the same. However, as I
told Your Eminence, it is my intent to maintain strict silence." All of
these things made him open his heart to Father Dalmazzo on July 29 in
the following terms: "Every day our relations with the archbishop
enter a new phase. Today peace, tomorrow war. I accept it all and in the
meantime keep moving forward. " 6
Father Bonetti could not swallow the bitter pill. When first told of the
decision, he gave vent to his feelings in a very long letter to the Pope.
However, while he was rewriting it in good penmanship, he came to
know with certainty that the "Settlement" reflected the Pope's will.
Thereupon he locked his letter in the desk drawer. There it has lost
nothing of its value, since it remains for us a clear record of the
tribulations which Don Bosco and his sons had to endure. Father
Bonetti also complained to Father Albera about the serenity with which
Don Bosco accepted and acted upon the Pope's decision; he even
manifested to him the idea of taking a temporary leave of absence from
the Congregation so as to be free to defend both Don Bosco and
himself. Father Margotti [the editor of Unita Cattolica] was quite eager
to gain Father Bonetti for his own newspaper. Contrasting these two
60n July 21 Father Dalmazzo had written to Don Bosco about Monsignor Verga, secretary of
the Congregation of the Council and later cardinal, stating: "When he was consulted by Cardinal
Nina about the terms of the 'Settlement,' he disapproved of it, calling it a blatant injustice. He
also expressed admiration for Don Bosco's patience and self-abasement in accepting everything
'for the sake of peace.' " Then, expressing his own private opinion, he added, "Everyone, except
the Pope, is convinced that nothing will come of it. However, we tried everything." [Author]

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attitudes helps us better to evaluate the heroic virtue of Don Bosco, of
whom Father Albera testified: "As for myself, during those days I had
many occasions of dealing with Don Bosco, and I never detected in
him anxiety or pain. " 7
To keep his mind occupied during the months of his severest an-
guish, Father Bonetti began to write a Popular Life of St. Teresa of
Avila, which was published in the latter part of August. Despite the
strain of those days, it was a very well written biography. He sent two
copies to Cardinal Nina, asking him to present one to the Holy Father.
In his letter! he wrote: "In due time I was told about the seven articles
of the 'Settlement' between His Excellency the archbishop of Turin and
the Salesian Congregation. I confess, Your Eminence, that, at first,
some of those articles deeply grieved me because they seemed to me a
punishment upon my revered superior Don Bosco and upon my poor
self. However, no sooner did I come to know that the articles had been
prompted by the Holy Father than I had a change of heart. I felt such
esteem and love for him that I immediately accepted them with full
docility and submission, such as he has a right to expect from his true
children. "
The cardinal very warmly welcomed his letter and had it answered
with a note saying that as soon as he saw the Pope, he would present
him with the book and ask him to read the letter. 9 The occasion came
three weeks later. The Pope read the letter from start to finish and asked
His Eminence to express his pleasure and to send him a message of
comfort. The cardinal promptly obliged. 10
In November Father Bonetti again took up his pen to inform Car-
dinal Nina of the malicious gossip being set in motion against Don
Bosco and the Salesians by their adversaries. After listing the facts, he
concluded, "They treat us as disrespectful and rebellious, the scum of
the clergy. The worst part is that they base their charges on the decision
of the Holy Father. This is now a matter of life and death for the
Salesian Congregation which desperately needs that its benefactors
esteem and support its many undertakings for the advancement of
religion and civil society. It needs the trust of the faithful if it is to have
7Summarium of the Processiculum, p. 125. [Author]
8Turin, August 27, 1882. [Author]
9Letter from Father Dalmazzo to Father Bonetti, Rome, September 5, 1882. [Author]
10Letter of September 16, 1882. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
religious vocations; even more it must enjoy the trust of its members, if
they are not to abandon their vocation." Through Attorney Leonori, 11
the cardinal replied, "This is unavoidable petty gossip." He then
added that he was to pay no heed, nor was he to lose his calm. Petty
gossip indeed! It flooded sacristies and rectories with malicious calum-
nies that are responsible for that certain strain of coldness and precious
little liking for Salesians which we still [1934] find among some of the
older members of the diocesan clergy.
In February 1883 Father Bonetti was once more forced to protest to
Cardinal Nina against the embarrassing obstacles that the chancery
kept throwing up when Salesian publications were being examined for
the Imprimatur and against the chancery's prohibition to parish priests
to distribute, as a proof of having fulfilled one's Easter duty, a booklet
entitled Gesu Cristo nostro Dio e nostro Re [Jesus Christ Our God and
King] which Father Bonetti had himself written to deaden the blas-
phemous assertions being spewed out to the people by the foul rag of a
newspaper sacrilegiously named Jesus Christ. However, by the time
Cardinal Nina replied, Archbishop Gastaldi was no longer among the
living. He died suddenly on Easter morning [March 25, 1883]. Filing
the above mentioned complaints was therefore useless. In his reply on
March 29, 1883, His Eminence wrote: "Let us adore God's inscrutable
designs and pray [for him] with Christian charity. However, I confess
that on hearing the tragic news [of his death] I was overcome by
deepest grief at the thought that the last act of his pastoral authority was
an indignity against my poor Salesians and would certainly hinder his
canonization. All that remains now is that we pray very much that the
Lord send a shepherd according to His own heart."
The archbishop's death raised the question whether the terms of the
''Settlement'' concerning Father Bonetti were still binding. The latter
queried the Sacred Congregation of the Council, whose reply was Nihil
innovetur, that is, the situation would hold until the installation of a
successor. But Father Bonetti fretted under the odious third article
which after one year's banishment from Chieri would allow him to
return only for special occasions. At the completion of his banishment,
he therefore pleaded to be freed from any limitations of time. Benev-
BLetter of February 15, 1883. [Author]

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olently considering his request, the Pope fully revoked that provision. 12
His decision was officially communicated to Don Bosco in a rescript of
the Sacred Congregation [of the Council] which stated that the stipula-
tion no longer held after the bishop's death. On the rescript's cover
Father Bonetti wrote: "The end! At last!"
But the end has not come for history. Two questions still face us and
demand an answer. The first touches upon the beginning of the criminal
trial. The Turin chancery's decrees summoning Father Bonetti and Don
Bosco to respond to the charges concerning the [defamatory] pam-
phlets named Father Michael Sorasio as plaintiff, stating that his de-
nunciation was based on adequate evidence. Eventually, even if
belatedly, the truth finally emerged in 1917, when Father Sorasio
frankly and humbly admitted the true facts to the cardinal prefect of the
Sacred Congregation of Rites in a letter dated November 8. The motive
for his confession he revealed in his opening statement: "The Apos-
tolic Process of the Venerable Don Bosco is now over, and since His
Eminence, our cardinal archbishop, has delegated me as his vicar, I
shall join my colleagues in drawing up the final report. However, being
now in my eighties and fearing death, I should like to tell Your Emi-
nence a personal incident which may cast some light on the resistance
this apostolic process has incurred. I intend that this account be in-
cluded with the court documents upon my death."
The personal incident runs as follows. In 1881 Father Sorasio was the
chancery's secretary and treasurer. One day Canon [Thomas] Chiuso,
the archbishop's secretary and chancellor, told him that as treasurer of
the archdiocese he was to petition the fiscal attorney, Canon [Emanuel]
Colomiatti, to initiate legal proceedings against Don Bosco as the
author of the notorious pamphlets. Father Sorasio very strongly ob-
jected that it was not possible for Don Bosco to have sunk so low; he
had far more pressing things to do, such as providing food and other
necessities to so many boys at the Oratory and in his schools and
missions. Furthermore, he said, he believed that Don Bosco was un-
qualified to write about the philosophical arguments that comprised
one of the pamphlets. Having been a fellow seminarian of Canon
Chiuso in their moral theology classes, he also added very bluntly,
12Letter from Cardinal Nina to Don Bosco, July 10, 1883. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
"Look, Don Bosco is now such a colossus that he can crush the whole
lot of you!"
Struck by the force of those words, Canon Chiuso retorted, "Then
you do know who authorized them!'' Father Sorasio's reply was that he
really did not know, but he suspected the Jesuit Father [John Baptist]
Rostagno, whom he had once heard exclaim, "Ah, we shall put your
archbishop in his place!''
Unable to draw anything more from him, Canon Chiuso sent him to
Canon Colomiatti, who asked him or ordered him to petition for the
start of a lawsuit against Don Bosco and received the same reply except
for the reference to the "colossus." With an air of cocky assurance,
Colomiatti then asked him, "What if we were to find him guilty?"
Sorasio shrugged his shoulders and answered that, assuming that there
was clear and certain evidence to justify that verdict, he would then
accept it. Flaunting a thick file before Sorasio's face, the canon ex-
claimed: "Do you see this? Don Bosco's cause (of beatification) is not
going to be like Cottolengo's!" On hearing this, Sorasio signed the
papers previously drawn up to proceed against Don Bosco. Parcat mihi
Deus [God forgive me], he exclaimed in his letter, offering as an
excuse that those were days of "power versus super-power," to say the
least.
However, Sorasio paid dearly for daring to speak out in defense of
Don Bosco. He soon found himself barely tolerated at the chancery.
The archbishop, never hinting as to what had occurred, kept pressing
him with unusual earnestness to accept some vacant parish, first out-
side the archdiocese, and then just outside Turin, until finally the
priests of Corpus Domini, aware that he was being badgered by the
chancery, accepted him into their congregation.
The second point to clarify is: Who actually did write those pam-
phlets? Didn't the voluminous file flaunted by Canon Colomiatti con-
tain at least something which could cast a shadow of suspicion upon
Don Bosco and the Salesians? The one who really delivered the death
blow to the alleged evidence was Father John Turchi who in 1881 was
director of Turin's Institute for the Blind. Called to testify at the apos-
tolic process [for the cause of Don Bosco's beatification] he asked for
and obtained the court's permission to present in evidence a sealed
envelope for the exclusive use of the Sacred Congregation of Rites. It
contained a very lengthy letter addressed to the cardinal prefect which
he wrote under oath in testimony. He stated first that he was not

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prompted by any rancor against the deceased Archbishop Gastaldi, but
that he rather felt compassion for him as a man who was influenced by
first impressions, had a somewhat unbalanced mind, and was sur-
rounded by bad advisors. 13
Then, after giving a detailed account of the state of the archdiocese
during the administration of Archbishop Gastaldi and after detailing all
the circumstances which had led to the notorious pamphlets written
"by a chaplain," he openly admitted, "That chaplain was and is none
other than myself, John Turchi."
A fellow townsman of Don Bosco, John Turchi had lived at the
Oratory for ten years, from his third year of secondary school to
several months after his ordination. He was one of the seminarians
whom Don Bosco had taken into the Oratory to help them continue
their studies after the diocesan seminary was closed down. Father
Turchi deeply loved Don Bosco and was infuriated to see him being
baited and badgered by Archbishop Gastaldi, Canon Chiuso and
Canon Colomiatti. While he lived in Rome in 1877 and 1878 as a
private tutor, he had come to know-thanks to distinguished acquain-
tances-the rumors circulating in higher ecclesiastical circles about
the goings-on in Turin. Thus, he conceived the idea of writing about
them. Father [John Baptist] Anfossi, doctor of letters and philosophy,
who had been his fellow student at the Oratory and was as warmly
attached to Don Bosco, used to send him frequent news from Turin
which he used for his work. This was how the first pamphlet, Strenna
del Clero [A New Year's Gift to the Clergy],14 came about.
During his stay in Rome, Father Turchi came to know that Father
Anthony Ballerini, S.J. was writing about Archbishop Gastaldi's doc-
trines; in fact, at that time the Jesuit was compiling Piccolo Saggio [A
Short Essay] which he sent to Father Turchi who by now had returned
to Turin. Turchi then edited it, adding a foreword of his own, an
introduction, appendices and the epilogue. But neither Turchi nor Bal-
13See Memorie Biografiche di San Giovanni Bosco, Vol. XV, pp. 751f, Document 42. Like-
wise, Bishop Re of Alba testified during the preparatory process (Summarium, p. 137): "To
understand the length of the controversy between two men both of whom were motivated by
honest intentions, I think it wise to recall that, together with many good qualities, the archbishop
had a somewhat inflated concept of his own authority and learning, as well as a rashness which
often caused him to make snap decisions which he was unlikely to change for fear of compromis-
ing the prestige of his office." [Author]
14See Vol. XIII, pp. 482f; Vol. XV, pp. 187ff, 191. [Editor]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
lerini had anything to do with the printing, since Father Anfossi and
two workers, both former pupils of the Oratory, saw to it; the latter two
handled also the contract and costs. Sales brought in just enough to pay
the printer and to send a substantial contribution to the municipal old
people's home. They worked so secretly that not even the printer him-
self could ever suspect who the authors really were.
Father Anfossi personally compiled the booklet entitled La Ques-
tione Rosminiana [The Rosminian Question], but Father Turchi added
the footnotes. 15 Concerning the pamphlet L'Arcivescovo di Torino, Don
Bosco e Don Oddenino [The Archbishop of Turin, Don Bosco and
Father Oddenino], 16 Turchi wrote: ''I thought that Father Bonetti might
have been its author, but I was assured by a reliable person who was in
a position to know that it was not Father Bonetti, but someone who had
no connection with the Salesian Oratory. I really have no idea who the
author was.''
We may find it strange that Father Turchi should have waited until
1895 to come out with the truth. Had Don Bosco's criminal trial re-
sulted in a ''guilty'' verdict, he doubtless would have felt it his duty to
talk. "That I was one of the pamphlets' authors," he stated in his letter,
"I would have frankly avowed at any cost, but only if the proceedings
reached such a point that Don Bosco would have suffered great hurt."
The Pope's intervention, which ruled the charge [of libel] irrelevant to
the issue, did away with the urgency of a confession.
We find no better way of closing this narrative, which has now run
through three chapters, than to quote the summation of the eccle-
siastical censor appointed by the Sacred Congregation of Rites to in-
vestigate the controversies originating from the opposition of
Archbishop Gastaldi and his chancery against Don Bosco. ''From all
that has transpired," he wrote, "it is clear that all the above-mentioned
controversies were provoked and exacerbated by the words and deeds
of the Most Reverend Archbishop Gastaldi, who, it would seem, re-
lentlessly busied himself in searching out those things which, we
would say with St. Paul, 'promote idle speculations rather than that
training in faith which God requires.' [1 Tim. 1, 4] Be that as it may, it
15Father Turchi also informs us that Father Anfossi authored a letter about the archbishop of
Turin and signed it "A Former Oratory Pupil Who Is Honored To Proclaim Himself a Salesian
Cooperator." See Vol. XIII, p. 290. [Editor]
16See Vol. XIV, p. 190; Vol. XV, p. 187ff, 203. [Editor]

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is certain that throughout the length of this controversy, Don Bosco
remained constantly respectful, humble, submissive and conciliatory
in both word and deed as befitted his position of founder and rector of
the Salesian Society, but he also knew how to assert charitably and
courageously the reasons why he had to defend and protect his re-
ligious Congregation. " 17
Such a statement, clear as daylight, scatters all shadows, not from
Don Bosco's brow now haloed in splendor, but from the mind of even
the most exacting historian. Rich also in Christian wisdom we find the
statement expressed in the most stormy period of this controversy by
Bishop, later Cardinal, Joseph Guarino, archbishop of Messina: 18 "I
know all about it," he wrote to Don Bosco. "However, the obstacles
set up by men are short-lived. Do not be disheartened. The mark of
God's works is contradiction; the devil has to balk against your new
Congregation; let's give the poor fellow his due, for, when all is said
and done, his malicious tricks have a way of producing the good effect
of cleansing us by long-suffering." And so it was!
17Positio super revisione scriptorum, 1906. [Author]
18 "Very confidential letter" to Don Bosco, Rome, December 1, 1881. [Author]

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CHAPTER 9
Foundations in 1881-82:
Refused or Postponed
DURING the two-year period covered by this narrative, Don
Bosco was flooded with proposals and requests from France, England,
and countries outside of Europe, but we will discuss these later. Just
now we will limit ourselves only to some of the many proposals he
received from various parts of Italy, which had to be either deferred or
refused. In later volumes, of course, we will not need to devote so
much attention to negotiations which died aborning or were deferred to
the unforeseeable future because Don Bosco gradually distanced him-
self from these dealings to such a point that there is little to say about
his involvement in them. Here, however, we still feel that we should
broaden our perspective a bit and offer our readers a condensed view of
a whole series of negotiations which, though failing of their goal, still
present us a meaningful side of his activity. We shall begin with Sicily,
and move northward up the Italian mainland to Turin.
It is remarkable how quickly the Sicilian clergy seemed to under-
stand Don Bosco and grasp the objectives of his Congregation.
Bishops, canons, seminary rectors, parish priests and clergy were all
overjoyed to be enrolled as Salesian cooperators, and they wrote him
warm letters of admiration to express their ardent and urgent pleas that
he send Salesians to care for Sicily's youth. Certainly it was due to
these extensive psychological preparations that both the Salesians and
the Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians were enabled to open so
many houses after the death of their founder when the rapidly growing
personnel made it feasible. As we continue and round out the account
which we began in Volume XIV, 1 all we need do is present some
1See pp. 534-545. [Editor]
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documentary material, part of which is prior to this two-year period,
but came later to our attention. A few glances beyond 1882 will help
round out our narrative.
1. CATANIA
Catania kept pressing more than ever not only for a school of arts
and trades, but also for the Cutelli boarding school, all the more so
because Don Bosco had formally committed himself through his two
representatives, Father Cagliero and Father Durando.2 In a chapter
meeting of June 1881, Father Cagliero reminded the members that their
commitment to Catania was long-standing, and so when Don Bosco
voiced his wish to keep his word, all the superiors enthusiastically set
about lining up personnel. However, since no director could be found,
they decided to write to Canon Cesareo and ask his further indulgence.
The delay, wrote Father Cagliero,3 would ''help the house in Catania to
become a reality, and its Salesians will become citizens of Catania.
However, should the committee feel jeopardized in some way or other
by this new delay of ours and believe that it cannot adjust to this
situation, then all our cherished hopes and dreams for Catania will be
dashed to pieces. The sole reason we can cite for our absolute impos-
sibility is our unprecedented lack of experienced personnel.''
The people of Catania resigned themselves to this delay. "We here
are impatiently waiting for the Salesians," the canon replied immedi-
ately. "We have many applications, even from boys who will pay
tuition. I look forward to a rich harvest, but what of the workers? When
will they come? We await and will keep awaiting them, but, for the
love of Jesus and Mary, let them come quickly."
As a tangible sign of his concern, Don Bosco sent Salesian cooper-
ators' diplomas to several priests of Catania and appointed the vicar
general, Canon [Rosario] Rlccioli, as their dean. It is edifying to read
with what humility and gratitude they agreed to become members of
this pious association, and how their membership made them more
eager to have the Salesians come as soon as possible.
2See Vol. XIV, p. 242. [Author]
3Letter of June 14, 1881. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
2. MESSINA
Heart-rending were the pleas of Cardinal Joseph Guarino, archbishop
of Messina. He had a seminary unworthy of the name. "I am down-
hearted and deeply grieved," he wrote to Father [Peter] Guidazio, direc-
tor of the Randazzo school.4 "Without a seminary I do not see how I can
possibly continue as bishop. All have what they need to this end-all but
I. This yearning of mine is a martyrdom. Without my dear Salesians I
shall never have a seminary. " He then said that he wanted to bare his
heart to Don Bosco "with true Salesian confidence," to use his own
expression. 5 When he had been transferred from the diocese of Syracuse
to that of Messina in 1875, he found that the proper formation of the
clergy had been totally neglected for eighty years. What was left of the
seminary building, partly destroyed by earthquakes and fire, was hardly
livable and in ruins; the course of studies was deficient and haphazardly
done; there were hardly any seminarians; order and discipline were non-
existent. The impact of such a situation upon the entire archdiocese can
be easily inferred. "I am totally brokenhearted," the bishop went on.
"Put yourself in my place, you who are so sensitive of heart, without
which you could never have done such marvelous works of mercy.
Penniless and all alone in shouldering a vast diocese, I am expected to
raise it up, while I am reduced to impotence!" He did have some
qualified priests who had either studied on their own or had attended the
royal university's school of theology, but no one had any idea of what a
seminary was or how young men were to be trained. The archbishop,
after a wait of four years for the [government] exequatur, had immedi-
ately set about restoring the buildings, but nothing at all had as yet been
done for the seminary's spiritual restoration.
He felt that he had to begin from scratch, with elementary grades
and later a secondary school, but for this he needed teachers and a
spiritual director who would care for the entire priestly formation.
True, there was a rector, but he did not reside in the seminary and
mainly busied himself keeping track of food expenses. Acting also on
the advice of Cardinal [Louis] Bilio, Archbishop Guarino called upon
the sons of the "loving Don Bosco" and begged, "Father, bring com-
fort to one who, thanks to your goodness, is a Salesian cooperator and
consequently one of your sons, albeit unworthy. Do not reject my plea;
4Letter, July 17, 1880. [Author]
5Letter, July 24, 1880. [Author]

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stretch out a helping hand and aid me.... The city yearns for Don
Bosco's sons, especially since they have seen how kind, friendly, warm
and gentle they were during their stopover. " They had passed through
Messina on their way to Randazzo.
All that Father Durando could do was to inform the archbishop that
Don Bosco was willing to open a seminary-boarding school "as soon
as possible. " 6 But as the delay stretched out, the archbishop begged
Father Guidazio to plead with the superior chapter. 7 "On bended knee I
implore this favor of your revered council," he wrote. "Open my heart
to it. Say that I am a warm person and will love the Salesians as my
own sons; they will be jewels in my episcopal mitre, my crown, the
delight of my heart, my sharers in joy, my comfort in grief. . . . I am
but a poor beggar at Don Bosco's door seeking a crust of bread for my
spiritual spouse." Some months later he wrote again,8 this time echo-
ing the sentiments expressed by other prelates of Sicily: "Forget
[South] America! The plight I am in deserves top priority. Here there is
ever so much work to do, and I shall always lead the way for my
beloved Salesians. Ask them; they will tell you that I love them. When
a Salesian is my guest, I am overjoyed. Ah, if only you could come to
Sicily. . . . As I have already written to you, I will meet you at Reggio
if you do not care to come by boat from Naples."
Facetiously perhaps, Don Bosco had laid down one condition for
sending his Salesians: the archbishop was to obtain for him from Rome
the privileges [usually granted to religious congregations]. Indeed,
when he went to Rome, the archbishop actually did all he could, but,
as we shall see later, he did not succeed. Yet that was not the reason
why the Salesians did not go to staff the seminary of Messina. In fact,
Don Bosco would have found it very convenient to open a boarding
school under the legal name of ''seminary,'' for he would then not be
subject to the demands of the government's educational authorities.
The truth of the matter is that despite the archbishop's assurances to the
contrary, Don Bosco could not see his way to reconciling the necessary
independence he required for his houses with the presence of an irre-
movable rector; furthermore, no provision was made to protect the
Salesians from possibly unpleasant developments at the death of the
6Letter from the archbishop to Father Durando, Messina, August 20, 1881. [Author]
7Letter, May 27, 1881. [Author]
8Letter to Don Bosco, October 1, 1881. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
benevolent archbishop. Divine Providence was to bring the Salesians to
Messina in some other way, and with them also the Daughters of Mary
Help of Christians. However, if today [1934] both the Salesians and the
Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians have a magnificent network of
charitable undertakings within the city and the entire archdiocese,
credit is due to the far-sighted and enduring zeal of Cardinal Guarino,
who prepared the ground but saw little more than a bright promise of
the harvest. As a rule, God achieves his works little by little.
3. SYRACUSE
Marchioness Mary Carmela Gargallo of Castel Lentini, a charitable
Syracusian living in Naples, wished to use part of her holdings in
Syracuse to give the city a hospice for young apprentices and agri-
cultural students. Seeking advice on what to do, in 1879 she turned to
Jesuit Father Valente, who passed the information on to his well-known
Turinese confrere, Father Secondo Franco. He in tum forwarded the
letter to Father Rua, telling him that he was very glad to be able to
cooperate in some way with the good work of the Salesians and its
expansion. 9 As Don Bosco was then in Rome, Father Rua replied that
the Salesians were hard pressed to take up the work because they
lacked personnel; however, he urged the good lady to send in more
details of her project. Meanwhile the marchioness, who had gone to
the Cote d'Azur and had visited the Salesian hospice in Nice, told
Father Ronchail, the director, of her plan, and he offered to be her
spokesman with Don Bosco.
Through him the marchioness informed Don Bosco that, to carry out
her cherished project, a former Capuchin monastery in Syracuse could
be used for that purpose. The city fathers had agreed to tum it over to
her, and the archbishop intended to obtain the Vatican's permission;
further, she was ready to endow the house with an annual income of
four thousand lire. As an ardent admirer of his, she suggested that Don
Bosco meet her in Naples anytime he went to Rome. 10 As we have
seen, Don Bosco did visit her in March 1880. However, he could not
attend to this until the end of May, when he sent her the following letter
drafted by Father Rua.
9Letter, Turin, March 20, 1879. [Author]
10Letter to Father Ronchail, Naples, November 4, and to Don Bosco, November 23, 1879.
[Author]

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Dear Marchioness:
[No date]
With all our good will, we could not possibly write to you before today
concerning the projected hospice in Syracuse. We hope you will understand
when you realize the heap of matters which have piled up during my four-
month absence and the important and nearly countless tasks my priests and I
have had to carry out during the novena and celebration of the feast of Mary,
Help of Christians. However, we have been mindful of your wish for a speedy
reply. In fact, as soon as I could have a meeting with my chapter, our first
discussion centered on the hospice in Syracuse and all related documents.
Having carefully examined your correspondence with the town authorities
and the letters between you and me, we feel that it is both fitting and speedier
that the township entrust the former monastery and chapel of the Capuchin
Fathers with adjoining quarries11 directly to me so as to avoid many meticu-
lous formalities. Since we already have a similar arrangement with the town-
ship of San Benigno Canavese for an abandoned abbey, and have the approval
of the prefect's office in Turin, we think that we can adapt its wording to the
present situation, with the hope that the prefect of Syracuse will raise no
objections. I enclose a copy of a contract draft, modeled upon that agreement.
As for repairs and furnishings and the annual endowment, we prefer to deal
directly with you; hence we are submitting the draft of an agreement to be
made with you. Please examine it and see if we can agree on it. This plan
seems to be the simplest and most suitable way to guarantee the Salesian
Congregation's autonomy and to meet your wishes, even after you and I have
both been called to eternity.
I welcome this opportunity to reiterate my esteem and gratitude to you. May
the Lord bless you! May He reward your generosity toward poor youth and
may He grant success to this undertaking for His greater glory and for the
welfare of souls.
Yours respectfully,
Fr. John Bosco
The marchioness' lawyer submitted the application to change the
beneficiary of the former monastery, and the mayor presented the pro-
posal to the town council, which approved it unanimously. Then Arch-
bishop La Vecchia of Syracuse, feeling that the hospice's opening was
now certain and near, and wishing that his '' somewhat disorganized
seminary should benefit from influence of the good Salesian Fathers,''
11These are caves around Syracuse, hollowed out in past centuries to quarry stone. They are
still used by rope-makers and others. A famous one is the "Ear of Dionysus." [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
requested that a Salesian priest be assigned as its rector. 12 The reply,
however, stated that it was impossible for the moment.
The year 1880 passed with nothing appreciable happening. As the
new year opened, the marchioness hoped for a second visit from Don
Bosco on his trip to Rome. She had retained an eminent lawyer to look
into the matter, but she awaited Don Bosco's arrival in order that the
whole matter might be ''clarified from the one who was the light in
similar affairs. '' The loss of loved ones and physical ailments had
disheartened her, and she hoped that seeing Don Bosco would boost
her morale. "Your presence," she wrote, 13 "will make me regain the
joy and cheerfulness which I can no longer hope for in this land of
exile." Her words are an echo of the impression of holiness which Don
Bosco had left on her the previous year.
The Syracuse authorities had included the adjoining land, known as
the "Forest," with the monastery and had turned both over to the
marchioness; this property too had also belonged to the Capuchins
with whom the marchioness had already prepared a contract for a
fictitious sale to Don Bosco. 14 Insisting that he brook no further delay,
she expressed her best wishes for a happy name day of St. John [the
Baptist].15
Don Bosco did not share her desire for haste, since he was still
awaiting her long overdue decision on two proposals16 which he had
sent to her. When her decision came, he found it unacceptable. Writing
on June 24, she acknowledged receipt of the papers and expressed her
views. "Being inexperienced in legal matters," she wrote, "and notic-
ing that some articles in your contract do not fit at all with my plans in
founding this hospice, I consulted an authority in these affairs, At-
torney Palmulli. He agreed entirely with me and then drafted a coun-
terproposal for me, which I am now sending you so that you may
12Letter to Don Bosco, Syracuse, August 3, 1880. [Author]
I3Letter, Naples, April 17, 1881. [Author]
14Letter from the marchioness to Father Rua, Naples, June 7, 1881. [Author]
15At his baptism Don Bosco had been named after the Apostle John, but in 1846 the Oratory
boys, believing his name to be John the Baptist, a very popular saint in Turin, began to celebrate
his name day on June 24, the feast day of this saint. See Vol. II, p. 381. [Editor]
16Namely, a request to the municipal authorities of Syracuse to sublet the former Capuchin
monastery directly to Don Bosco rather than to the marchioness, and, secondly, a contract with
the marchioness about turning the monastery into a school of arts and trades and meeting the
necessary expenses. Source: Document 43 in the Appendix of Volume XV in the original Italian
edition. [Editor]

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understand my mind." She intended the monastery to remain in her
possession, so that, should the Salesians ever have to leave Syracuse,
the hospice could still continue under other people's direction. Then, to
safeguard from any eventuality the capital which she was allotting for
annual income, she wished that the agreement be drawn up in per-
petuity and placed under the protection of the archbishop then in office.
Thus the Salesians were to have only the use of the building and the
interest on the capital. To meet all other expenses of household and
equipment, they would have to rely on the income accruing from the
workshops, because the marchioness did not intend to burden her heirs
with financial obligations. Obviously, this setup did away with the total
autonomy on which Don Bosco always insisted, and opened the way to
problems which in those days hindered all charitable undertakings that
were subject to government interference. By law, any undertaking
which was to continue in perpetuity had to be approved by the
government.
During discussion of these two widely differing and irreconcilable
views, the township was forced to meet an urgent need and use the
former monastery as temporary military barracks. Trying to shorten the
time of that use, the marchioness insisted that the Salesians should
come immediately. At the top of her letter, addressed from
Castellamare di Stabia and dated August 3, 1881, Don Bosco wrote:
"Reply: impossible. Negotiate until conditions are met." He was al-
luding to the acceptance of the two proposals, but they were never
accepted. The marchioness' last letter to Don Bosco, dated December
21, 1882, conveyed her Christmas greetings and offered a new proposal
of sorts which to all intents made it clear that the two previous ones
were to be forgotten. Her former letter had stated: "No matter how
these plans will end up, I shall never cease to be your most loving
servant and daughter." A postscript added: "Grant me your whole-
hearted blessing. '' In this her last letter asking for comfort and encour-
agement she wrote that she was appealing to him as "the consoler in all
sorrows." Again, on October 30, 1883, enclosing a donation of one
hundred lire for his missionaries, she asked Don Bosco to pray for her,
addressing him as her father and adding: "We never see each other and
write but rarely, yet I am convinced that I am closer to you than you are
to me." Those who dealt with Don Bosco could not help reverencing
and loving him, even when they did not see eye to eye with him. In this
instance matters would not have turned out so negatively if in her

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
excessive prudence she had not entrusted the negotiations to the law-
yers who, of course, advised her according to their own views.
4. BRONTE AND MARSALA
We have already spoken about the Daughters of Mary, Help of
Christians going to Bronte, 17 whose century-old boarding school had
enjoyed a fine reputation throughout the entire island but was then in
decline. Its founder had been the Venerable Ignatius Capizzi
[1708-1783], a native of Bronte and an Oratorian priest of Palermo
[where he died]. The school was run by the diocese. Despite the new
government's esteem and its official certification of the school in 1867,
the enrollment of both boarding and day pupils kept declining, possibly
because of unqualified teaching personnel. Now, with the Daughters of
Mary, Help of Christians being there and the Salesians being at nearby
Randazzo, people asked if Don Bosco might not be able to revive the
former reputation of the sinking school.
In 1879 the town mayor, who was well acquainted with Salesian
schools, asked Don Bosco to contribute two teachers for the upper
grades of the secondary school. Then in 1880 Father Joachim Leo
Zappia, a Basilian monk and the school's director, feeling concerned
especially about a healthier moral climate, wrote to Don Bosco: "I
need educators. For the past hundred years this school has been run by
a repressive system, and here I cannot find teachers who know any
other system. That is one reason for the drop in enrollment, which in
1849 was nearly four hundred whereas now it is down to barely forty."
He therefore pleaded that Don Bosco send him help with a Salesian
priest as spiritual director and two assistants, either priests or clerics,
so that together they might introduce "the excellent system inspired in
him by the Holy Spirit." He promised to befriend Don Bosco's sons as
a brother who was proud to be a Salesian cooperator.
Despite his desire to give the offer favorable consideration, and also
in view of the need to give spiritual assistance to the Daughters of
Mary, Help of Christians, Don Bosco was forced by l~ck of personnel
to decline the proposal. In February 1881 Cardinal [Anthony] De Luca,
a native of Bronte and an alumnus of the Capizzi boarding school, in
the course of a conversation, urged Don Bosco to take the school; the
11see Vol. XIV, pp. 526ff. [Editor]

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latter, who could not refuse him then and there, told him that he was
inclined to do so. Upon hearing this news, the director was extremely
overjoyed. Either the cardinal did not realize that Don Bosco was not
committing himself to any definite date or the people of Bronte misun-
derstood the cardinal's words; the fact is that they believed that Don
Bosco would keep his promise without delay and so there was no end
of pleas to take action. However, it was Don Bosco's successor, Father
Michael Rua, who fulfilled Don Bosco's commitment, given without a
fixed date, four years after Don Bosco's death.
Likewise, the house at Marsala was opened in 1892, although Don
Bosco had initiated negotiations for it back in 1879. Father [Sebastian]
Alagna had just begun a sort of a hospice for boys by sheltering a
number of them in a former monastery of the Friars Minor Conventuals
which the municipality had let him use and which was supported by
public charity. However, doubting that he could continue on his own,
he appealed to Don Bosco for "advice, guidance and assistance." All
that Don Bosco could offer was just the usual good intentions to be
realized at some distant date. Meanwhile Father Alagna started to put
up a building, always with funds provided by charitable people, and
called it the House of Divine Providence. But through it all he nurtured
the hope in his heart that one day he would be able to hand over his
work to Don Bosco. As the number of the boys grew, he redoubled his
insistence and gave Don Bosco no peace; nor did he spare his successor
until, as we have already said, the latter satisfied his wishes.
5. MAZZARA, PIAZZA ARMERINA, NOTO
Marsala is in the diocese of Mazzara. Two bishops of Mazzara
appealed to Don Bosco successively in 1883 and 1885 for Salesians to
staff the junior seminary, but both had to abandon all hopes because of
absolute lack of personnel. Likewise Bishop Gerbino of Piazza Ar-
merina had earnestly insisted in 1880 that Don Bosco take over the
direction, administration and some teaching as well of the diocesan
seminary. At the top of the bishop's letter, Don Bosco jotted his reply:
"Let Father Durando send him a letter of thanks with regrets that all
our personnel have already been committed elsewhere."
Going back to 1879 we find that Bishop John Blandini of Noto
[Sicily], longing to have a good boarding school in his diocese, press-
ingly appealed to Don Bosco, and, since his request could not be

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
granted, he asked for at least two Salesians to start a festive oratory in
his city. Disappointed a second time, he pleaded for three Daughters of
Mary, Help of Christians to run the municipal girls' school at Feria. In
his reply to Father Rua on July 26, 1883, he stated: "I was very grieved
to receive your negative answer. I understand very well that the more
precious a commodity, the rarer it is, and so there are never enough
sons and daughters of that wonder-worker, Don Bosco, to meet the
wide ranging needs and countless requests which come to him from the
old and the new world." He then concluded: "If I am too insistent,
please attribute it to the great trust which Don Bosco's Congregation
inspires in me.'' Don Bosco jotted these few notes for Father Durando
to send a reply: "Write a fine letter. We would like to please him. We
hope that in due time the Lord will send us personnel also for the
diocese of Noto."
6. GIRGENTI, AGIRA, LEONFORTE
Bishop Dominic Turano of Girgenti (today's Agrigento) showed re-
markable persistence in trying to get the Salesians to his diocese. In
1883 he let Don Bosco know that a charitable citizen of a densely
populated seaboard town in his diocese (probably Sciacca) desired that
Don Bosco open there a private school with all five secondary grades,
assuring him of an annual subsidy of four thousand lire. Soon after
this, the bishop proposed that he open a house of the Daughters of
Mary, Help of Christians in the same town. The following year he
stated that he would be satisfied with just two Salesians to run a private
elementary school. Despite three refusals, Bishop Turano, always
speaking on behalf of that charitable person who was now ready to
purchase a house and tum it over to Don Bosco for a school, limited his
request to a single Salesian priest and a lay Salesian to teach the first or
second year of secondary school. He probably thought that once the
work was started, the rest would follow. However, the proposals were
always based on mere future possibilities.
When Cajetan Blandini, brother of the bishop of Noto, became
bishop of Agrigento, he was faced with the problem of reorganizing the
town's school, named after its founder, Bishop Gioeni. Formerly
intended as a training school for young workers, it had been turned
over to a lay staff and had become such an unmanageable mess that the
authorities were about to shut it down. The bishop hoped that the

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Salesians would remedy the situation, but the setup of the school had
been so drastically changed that the best of intentions could not hold
against outside interference. Briefly, this matter will surface again at a
much later date when Father [Joseph] Bertello, first provincial of Sic-
ily, will advocate accepting the undertaking. Nothing could better meet
the aims of the Salesian Congregation than a trade school. Even then,
however, no common ground of agreement could be found. As regards
Agira, a town of twenty thousand people located at the heart of the
island in the diocese of Nicosia, we have a large dossier of corre-
spondence dating from February 1877 to many years after Don Bosco's
death. Two items are noteworthy; the perseverance of Father Philip
Julius Contessa, who tried in every way to get a Salesian house for his
own town, and the good will of both Don Bosco and Father Rua in
meeting his desires, yet without ever agreeing on mutually acceptable
conditions. Don Bosco noted on the first of these letters: "Father Rua,
please read. Looks good to me and may perhaps be feasible." But
neither that first proposal nor those which followed ever did eliminate
that "perhaps."
Not content with his personal efforts, Father Contessa pleaded also
on behalf of the mayor of Leonforte, an important neighboring town of
the diocese. The aim was to set up a boarding school like the one in
Randazzo, which was attended by very many Leonforte boys. It was
also hoped that the Salesians would take over the town's public
schools. As usual, however, the conditions laid down did not support
those hopes. From the first general chapter on, ever greater precautions
were followed before accepting a new foundation.
7. BARI
Leaving Sicily behind us, we move into the peninsula to Bari, the
capital of Apulia. We have an exchange of correspondence dated 1880
and 1881 concerning a foundation in Bari. In October 1878 a widow of
the city, Mary Calo-Carducci (her husband had been a Guarnieri) had
gone to Turin with her daughter and met with Don Bosco, who, notic-
ing their piety and generous disposition, enrolled them both as Salesian
cooperators. On returning home, they were so touched by the sight of
the moral neglect of so many young people that they wrote to Don
Bosco and offered him a house of their own in the older section of the
city for a festive oratory. Then, Archbishop Francis Pedicini, deeply

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
grieved by the spread of Protestant activity within his diocese and
anxious to save so many poor young people, saw no better means of
salvation than the festive oratory, and he also insistently pleaded with
Don Bosco. In Lent of 1881, Don Bosco asked Monsignor [Anthony]
Belasio, who was going to Bari to preach, to look over the situation and
report on it. The monsignor confirmed the city's dire need of Salesians
especially to help the boys. But the usual problems arose: Don Bosco
could not send two or three Salesians there unless their living condi-
tions were tolerably satisfactory. Besides, the economic hardships of
the times-worse than today's-made it far more difficult for the
bishops of Italy to subsidize generously charitable undertakings, be-
cause they themselves had been reduced to poverty. Admirable indeed
was the generosity of the two good ladies who, despite repeated de-
nials, kept sending Don Bosco donations for his missionary expedi-
tions and for the Church of the Sacred Heart. Yet, their prayers, joined
to good works, were not in vain. Though neither of them may have
been then alive, the Salesian School of the Most Holy Redeemer was
opened in Bari in 1905.
8. Ascou PICENO
In 1879 a reformatory run by the township of Ascoli Piceno became
a veritable madhouse. Some two hundred boys were being taught a
trade, but the management had been so haphazard that twice the ad-
ministrators had been fired. Thought was then given to Don Bosco. In
1881 there was also the intervention of a niece of the Vitelleschis, the
noble Roman family which was so devoted to Don Bosco, but nothing
came of it. When some kind of order was finally restored in therefor-
matory in 1885, the mayor asked Don Bosco for at least one Salesian
who "by word and example" would give the reformatory a moral and
religious orientation. The request was warmly backed by Bishop Bar-
tholomew Ortolani, who told Don Bosco how comforting it would be
for him "to acquire such excellent religious," and who also assured
him that the institution would end up entirely in the hands of the
Salesians. But this bishop's optimism did not consider, as Don Bosco
did, the dangers involved in binding oneself to municipal authorities
and thus exposing oneself to government interference.

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9. PARMA
The ever thriving St. Benedict School in Parma was opened in 1888,
the year of Don Bosco's death, but negotiations had started a long time
before. The idea first came from Bishop Dominic Villa, who in 1879
planned to.build an orphanage and entrust it to the Salesians. Negotia-
tions were opened the following year. The bishop acquired a former
Benedictine monastery with its surrounding land, but shortly after a
tentative agreement had been drafted, the bishop died on July 21, 1882.
His will bequeathed the building to Don Bosco on condition that he
open it as an orphanage within three years; after that time, the condi-
tion not being met, the property would go to the diocesan seminary.
However, proper legal form was not followed in leaving the legacy to
Don Bosco. 18 This caused all sorts of problems; the matter became a
tangle and the would-be undertaking was not faithful to the original
plan.
Still determined to open a Salesian house in Parma, Don Bosco
appealed also to public charity and to the munificent Duke Roberto of
Parma, whom he had met in Nice and who was then residing at Biarritz
[a fashionable summer and winter resort] in the Basses-Pyrenees. Hav-
ing been informed that he was to address the duke as ''king,'' he wrote
as follows:
Your Majesty:
Turin, July 28, 1882
For many years the city of Parma has been longing for a hospice for
destitute boys who presently are routinely referred to our home in Turin.
Lengthy discussions were held with Bishop [Dominic] Villa of blessed mem-
ory, who contributed to the purchase of the former monastery of St. Benedict.
In this monastery, bought and registered in my name, we could set up a public
church for adults, a hospice and a playground where neglected boys could
enjoy wholesome games after fulfilling their religious duties.
We were in the process of gathering needed funds for the purchase and
1sToe bishop had stated: "I bequeath the former Benedictine monastery, its orchard and
grounds purchased by me from Rondani-Manici for a boys' orphanage to Father John Bosco of
Turin, superior of the Salesian Congregation, which will administer and operate such institution.
If the orphanage is not opened within three years after my death, the said monastery, orchard,
etc., shall pass to the diocesan seminary of Panna." [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
restoration of that property when God called to Himself our charitable and
zealous prelate. He gave me your name and address along with those of others
to whom I might apply for aid. The project is planned for 1883. I believe that I
shall have the blessing of God and men; however, it is to you that I address my
first appeal.
I do not know whether at this time and in the present circumstances Your
Majesty will be able to give kindly thought to my request. However, I still
appeal to your good he~ and shall be grateful for whatever you may decide to
give.
On my part, I shall not fail to pray to our compassionate God that He keep
you, the duchess and your entire family in good health. May He hear our
prayers and let us see better days.
I assure Your Majesty of the prayers offered by the one hundred thousand
am boys in our care. I highly honored to be,
Your most obedient servant,
Fr. John Bosco
Duke Robert, son of Charles III~ whom he had succeeded in 1854,
went into exile in 1859. 19 He certainly must have known of Don
Bosco's treatment of the tragic murder of the duke's father in his Storia
d'Italia [History of Italy]. 20 When he and Don Bosco met in Nice, the
duke let him know that he was acquainted with the Panna·project and
felt that he should make a contribution to it because of a promise he
had made to Our Lady on behalf of his wife. He immediately sent Don
Bosco a donation of ten thousand lire enclosed in a letter which over-
flowed with love for him and with Christian piety.
We cannot omit a gracious episode preserved among the documents
concerning the planned hospice. While negotiations were going on,
Bishop Villa took to heart the lot of a well-to-do family which suddenly
found itself in critical financial conditions through the father's sudden
death. The bishop asked Don Bosco to accept as a pupil the older of the
two sons who was barely nine. "This lad is very promising," the
bishop wrote. "He is bright and alert." Might he "be accepted into a
Salesian school," he pleaded "and be given a chance to continue his
studies and grow in the holy fear of God, as his excellent parents have
taught him?" The bishop's request was one of the items in an ordinary
business letter which the bishop sent to Father Durando, imploring
I9Duke Robert (1848-1907) died in his villa at Pianore near Viareggio. [Author]
WSee Vol. V, pp. 322-333. [Editor]

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"his kindly intervention with the wonder-worker Don Bosco." He was
not writing directly to Don Bosco because he knew he was absent from
Turin. We do not idly say "imploring," for the bishop actually wrote in
the following terms: "I kneel to you and beg you to the best of my
ability." The boy was accepted at the Oratory for the 1882-83 school
year.
On Bishop Villa's death, Canon Tescari, his protege and future
bishop of Borgo San Donnino (today's Fidenza), taking upon himself
the late bishop's solicitude for that family, prepared the young lad to
leave home and informed Father Durando as follows: "The mother, as
fine a woman as she is a poor widow, cannot go with him, and so the
boy will come alone. Kindly have someone meet him at the station, lest
he get lost and fall into the wrong hands. The Lord will repay you for
this deed of charity. " 21 The boy, who had been so lovingly brought up
by his parents and was then quite young and very lively, was warmly
received by Don Bosco.· Once he got over his initial shyness, he be-
came so attached to the Oratory that he decided never to leave it. He is
our confrere Father Paul Ubaldi,22 professor of Greek literature in Ital-
ian universities; presently [1934] he is a highly esteemed professor in
the Catholic University of Milan. 23
10. PISA
Pisa came to Don Bosco's attention in 1880. Jesuit Father Emil
Pardocchi, a resident there, happened to be in Lucca on the day Don
Bosco was holding a meeting of the Salesian cooperators. He attended
it and was deeply impressed by Don Bosco's talk. Speaking to him
later, he gave him such a realistic account of the religious situation in
Pisa where Protestantism was spreading far and wide that Don Bosco
felt compelled to go to the city's aid. Then and there he urged him to
mention the matter to Archbishop Paul Micaleff. Upon receiving the
message, the prelate, elderly and ailing, lifted his hands and eyes to
heaven and cried, ''If only this were true! Come, Don Bosco, come! I
211..etters from Bishop Villa, October 9, 1881, and from Canon Tescari, August 6, 1882.
[Author]
22See Appendix 1. [Editor]
23When Paul Ubaldi was a fourth year secondary school student, he read a brief Greek
composition of his own to Don Bosco on the latter's name day celebration in 1885. When he went
up to greet Don Bosco, expecting a few congratulatory words, Don Bosco told him, "My, what a
Greek scholar! We shall make a university professor out of you." [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
ask for nothing more and then I shall sing my Nunc dimittis. '' The
vicar general, Monsignor Ricci, also could hardly believe the news; it
was just too good and wonderful to be true. In tum, the Salesian
cooperators in Pisa called a meeting to discuss how they might best
expedite the coming of the Salesians. Among them was the incompara-
ble professor, Joseph Toniolo, the glory of Pisa's university school of
political economy, who combined vast knowledge with rare Christian
piety.
The archbishop's death did not stop the initiative, all the more so
since his successor, Archbishop Ferdinand Capponi, was of the same
mind. The plan began to take shape. In the outskirts of the city there
stood a retreat house and an adjoining public church dedicated to St.
James; it was proposed to offer both to the Salesians. Besides, the
Visitation Sisters had a convent in the vicinity, and they too insistently
wrote long letters asking Don Bosco to send the Salesians without
delay. In June 1883 the archbishop sent Don Bosco a detailed draft of a
contract, but he could not accept it because its terms made it so
nebulous that, despite the best of intentions, it offered no guarantee of
stability. Ultimately, Don Bosco was to see from heaven his Salesians
and the Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians enter this historic city
on the Amo River.
11. ARENZANO, PEROSA ARGENTINA, OuLx
Not to prolong this chapter, we select only three projects among
others. The first project was in Arenzano in the Genoa province. In
1881 the town officials negotiated with Don Bosco about providing
Salesian teachers for the municipal schools. To his suggestion that they
apply to other religious congregations, the mayor replied, "In these
trying times, what congregation is as kindly tolerated by the govern-
ment as are the Salesians?" However, Arenzano was less fortunate than
Perosa Argentina and Oulx, which eventually did welcome Don
Bosco 's sons after a long wait.
Perosa Argentina, a large town near Pinerolo, had a population of
two thousand Catholics and some two hundred scattered Waldenses24
24A Christian sect founded by Peter Waldo, a merchant of Lyons, in southern France in the
twelfth century. The heresy rejected the hierarchical structure of the Church, the sacramental
system and other doctrines. Its adherents were excommunicated in 1184 and their tenets were
condemned several times thereafter. If interested, see also Vol. V, pp. 17f, 78, 89ff, 291-295,
388f, 413ff, 435ff, 474f. [Editor]

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[also known as Waldensians]. Some forty thousand had settled here
and there throughout Italy, half of them forming various communities
in the Pinerolo valley [in Piedmont]. Fairly large groups of Waldenses
also populated the villages bordering on Perosa Argentina, such as
Pomaretto, for example, where they not only had an imposing church
and hospital, but also a boarding secondary school which drew Catho-
lic boys from other areas. The parish priest of Perosa Argentina, who
had seen this agricultural community tum into an industrial, commer-
cial center through the establishment of two major silk factories, had
also seen a change in the people's living habits- particularly the harm
being done to young people who, lured by attractive amusements,
deserted religious instruction. Since this town was an important center
in that valley, the Waldenses yearned to install themselves in it and
control it.
Faced with this sad situation, the zealous parish priest, Father Joseph
Paolasso, a good Salesian cooperator, appealed to Don Bosco on Sep-
tember 23, 1881. "I tum to you and to your Salesians," he wrote.
"God has chosen you to be ministers of His mercy in these tragic
times. I ask you to consider how you can best open a festive oratory
and, perhaps, a small boarding school in some suitable spot in this
town." Don Bosco realized the advisability of doing something there,
but put it off for the future, when personnel might be available. Sixteen
years went by before his successor was able to tum Don Bosco's desire
into reality.
In 1881 and 1882 the leading citizens of Oulx, a mountain village in
the district of Susa, did their best to get Don Bosco to establish a
boarding and day secondary school for the benefit of the entire valley.
Many plans were considered but then and there no suitable locality was
found.
12. TURIN
Let us now rescue from oblivion an incident which is to Don Bosco's
credit and gives us a good idea of his practical business sense. As
things turned out, it was by a mere accident that he was not entrusted
with the spiritual care of Turin's Mauritian Hospital.
In 1573 Emanuel Filbert, duke of Savoy, established the Order of St.
Maurice by merging the Military Order of St. Maurice, founded by
Amadeus VIII in 1434, with the Hospitallers of St. Lazarus [of Jerusa-

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
lem] whose origins date back to the twelfth century. Even today [1934]
it is a knighthood second only to the Order of the Annunziata and has
the king for its grand master.
At its onset, the Order of St. Maurice with the help of private and
state donations opened a hospital in the eastern outskirts of Turin; it
soon became known as the Mauritian or Knights' Hospital. It had
modest beginnings, but it gradually expanded and today [1934] cares
for a large number of patients. At first it stood outside the city, but, as
Turin grew, the hospital became surrounded by apartment complexes
and was soon too small to meet the needs of the burgeoning population.
A new and larger hospital was planned in a more suitable locality along
a boulevard leading to Stupinigi-as relaxing and healthy a site as one
could ask for.
The site was ideal, but not so the funds. The Order of St. Maurice
could not finance the costly venture by itself. Though King Humbert
conferred with his council, and especially with Caesar Correnti, first
secretary to the grand master and minister of education for two terms,
no solution could be found for this grave problem. Correnti knew Don
Bosco quite well-so much so that Father Lemoyne's notes tell us that
he was indebted to Don Bosco for some outstanding service rendered,
for which Correnti always said he was most thankful and eager to show
his gratitude in some practical way. He may have been referring to the
time when, as a follower of Mazzini,25 he lived in Turin as a political
exile from Lombardy. He had already lent the prestige of his name to
Don Bosco's defense in the matter of the closing of the Oratory second-
ary school. 26 The difficulties of financing the construction of the hospi-
tal made him think of Don Bosco. He mentioned his name to the king,
portraying him as a most successful fund-raiser for great undertakings.
The king welcomed this suggestion, and so it was decided to consult
Don Bosco on this important matter, but only in strict confidence.
Correnti called on him several times in the king's name. Don Bosco
willingly agreed to come up with a plan and in fact implement it
himself on condition that his name should never crop up and, above all,
25Giuseppe Mazzini (1805-1872) was an Italian patriot who in 1832 organized a secret revolu-
tionary society, La Giovane Italia, whose purpose was the unification of Italy under a republican
form of government. He instigated rebel manifestations in several parts of Italy and aided in
organizing Garibaldi's expeditions. Until his death he remained an uncompromising republican.
[Editor]
26See Vol. XIV, Chapters 4 and 7. [Editor]

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that no one should interfere with his plan. "Let me figure out the whole
thing," he said. "I need total freedom. If I err, patience; I will take the
blame." Correnti took pains to point out to him that the king did not
want him to put up a single penny of his own money because His
Majesty was aware that he had to provide for his many institutions. The
king merely asked that he submit his plans, and he assured him that no
one would interfere. He even went beyond this; he wished to know
whether Don Bosco could take on the spiritual care of the hospital
through his Salesians. In reply Don Bosco stated that he was not averse
to serving his king also in that.
With this understanding, Don Bosco set to work. He studied the
situation, looked for a site and then came up with a plan. He suggested
a grand lottery with specified cash awards, a limited number of tickets
and set prices. The sale of tickets and collection of money was to be
done by two hundred prominent gentlemen acceptable to the court.
These gentlemen, however, should neither be the kind that liberals
called "churchy people" nor opponents of religion. Forming a national
committee, they would distribute the tickets, sending them, above all,
to every knight of the Mauritian Order. Don Bosco then reached an
understanding with [Joseph Anthony] Musso, a banker, about allocat-
ing the necessary funds. Sensing a good business deal and knowing
that there were no risks in dealing with Don Bosco, Musso quickly
agreed.
We may well wonder why Don Bosco ever got involved in such a
venture. His main concern was the spiritual care of the sick, for he
could foresee that it would be overlooked. He therefore hastened to
suggest that a church be built near the hospital to serve a double
purpose: caring for the spiritual needs of the patients and staff, and
serving the people of the adjacent Crocetta borough, whose parish
church was far too inadequate for the burgeoning population. If the
Order of St. Maurice could not finance the hospital, he said, he himself
would raise the funds. He also brought to their attention that the old
smaller church might be given to the Order of St. Maurice in exchange
for the new, and that the clergy assigned to the parish, who were
already receiving a salary, would be content with a modest fee and
might even forego any stipend at all for the sake of the hospital. In any
event, he said, he could provide Salesian personnel for that purpose.
After detailing his plan for the lottery, he sent it to the king with the
notation that the prize money was already available. The sovereign read

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
it with wonder, finding it to be an excellent idea and assuring Don
Bosco that as regards the church, funds would be provided. In the
meantime, Don Bosco had prepared a circular in which, after mention-
ing the new hospital as an undertaking not connected with him, he
went on to say: "The Or~er of St. Maurice and its grand knight, our
esteemed sovereign, desire that a church be built near the planned
hospital to serve both patients and staff, while meeting the needs of the
area residents who do not live close to any other church. To raise funds
for this house of worship, I appeal to those fellow citizens who have the
moral good and the honor of our great city at heart. We believe that the
public will be glad to hear that the construction and design of this
church, as well as all the religious services it will provide, have been
entrusted to Father John Bosco and his priests. " This circular, whose
original autograph is in our archives, was not published, but it speaks
eloquently of Don Bosco's zeal for the welfare of souls.
As agreed, secret negotiations went on for some time between the
king, Correnti and Don Bosco, since any intrusion of busybodies could
create problems. But then precisely what had been feared did happen.
News leaked out at court generating high praise for Don Bosco; some
individuals, however, smarted at not having been consulted. Among
them were Father Pavarino, chaplain of the Royal Basilica of Superga,
and Canon Durio, court chaplain. Both dropped in on Don Bosco to
say that they had heard of his plans for a lottery and were very eager to
contribute to its success. Don Bosco tried to make them understand
that it was the king's will that no one was to meddle or have anything to
do in the matter, but they so insisted that he alerted Correnti about it;
Correnti, in tum, through Baron Cova, repeated to him in the king's
name that he alone was in charge of directing and carrying out the
project.
Opposition, however, whether covert or blatant, kept hounding him.
Eventually Archbishop Gastaldi got into the fray, voicing his objection
to any parish transfer and complaining that he had not been the first
person to be consulted; he alone-he declared-had the right to decide
which church should be a parish church. He, therefore, vetoed the
idea. Doubtless, in principle he was within his rights; however, ex-
pressing an opinion did not constitute an infringement of his
jurisdiction.
This kind of publicity forced Correnti to call a meeting of the hospi-

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tal's administrative board to which he invited Don Bosco. He attended,
escorted by coadjutor Brother [Andrew] Pelazza, who waited for him
in the reception room. After the board members were briefed about the
whole plan, everyone had his say about the fund-raising, but Don
Bosco kept quiet. Finally, Correnti halted the discussion. ''Let us now
hear what Don Bosco has to say," he announced. Don Bosco then
acquainted them with the plan he had submitted in writing to the king
and guaranteed its success. After listening to their objections, he
smilingly remarked: "Well, let me tell you the quickest way to get a lot
of money. Ask every knight of Sts. Maurice and Lazarus and every
knight of the Crown of Italy27 to contribute ten or twenty lire. You will
find how willingly they will pay! There are so many, many knights!"
Everybody laughed at such a bright idea and the whole issue seemed to
be settled.
After the meeting, Correnti escorted Don Bosco to the door, bade
him good-bye, and asked for a remembrance in his prayers. Brother
Pelazza, bewildered that such a great personage should be so obliging,
could not keep his astonishment from Don Bosco once they were in the
street. As they walked home, Don Bosco said, "Correnti is a man of
lofty ideals, and he would do much good if he were not so tied up to the
sects. Still, I believe that were he to have Don Bosco or some other
priest at his side at the point of death, he would make his confession."
Correnti died at Meina (Novara) eight months after Don Bosco's death.
In his last days he was visited by Monsignor Anzino, court chaplain,
and by his parish priest. All that we can positively say is that the latter
administered to him the anointing of the sick. 28
Now that Don Bosco's role in the hospital project was pretty well
known, he got no rest, especially from the two priests who called on
him practically every day, suggesting changes or additions to his plan.
How much time they made ·him waste! His well-founded views could
not penetrate their minds. Their obstinate interference so wearied him
that he finally told them they could take over the whole project, if they
so wished; he had enough business of his own and had not accepted the
task for his own pleasure but only to satisfy the king's wish. Happy at
27This order of knighthood, founded by Victor Emmanuel II in 1868 in commemoration of the
annexation of Venice to Italy, had been joined to the Mauritian Order. [Author]
28Unita Cattolica, October 7, 1888. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
Don Bosco's proposal, the two gadflies inquired if he would be willing
to support their plans. He agreed to that. However, he never heard from
them again; brushing him aside, they took the whole matter in their
own hands. But they lacked two qualities: Don Bosco's expertise and
the trust of the officials who had to provide the lottery funds. When the
king and Correnti came to know of these dealings, they both felt that it
was wiser not to press Don Bosco any further. His masterful project
came to nought, and the hospital's construction not only drained the
resources of the knights but also imperiled their financial situation for
quite some time.
November 11, 1881 was set for the laying of the cornerstone in the
presence of the king. He was very eager for Don Bosco to be present.
Also in view of this, Correnti adamantly wanted Don Bosco to officiate
at the ceremony. Don Bosco, however, dissuaded him very per-
suasively and, overcoming his objections, convinced him that he would
act wisely if he would brush aside his personal feelings and invite the
archbishop. Still, having at heart to introduce Don Bosco to the king on
that occasion, Correnti purposely called on Don Bosco at the Oratory,
refusing to leave until he had obtained his formal promise to attend.
Don Bosco agreed, but on condition that if-as was rumored-
[Guido] Baccelli, minister of education, should represent the govern-
ment, the minister was not to deliver any speech. It was only too
obvious that if he spoke, he would blast out against the clergy and the
Pope-something Don Bosco found repugnant in one who had once
been a citizen of the Papal States and a professor at the Pontificia
Universita della Sapienza. It is hard for us today [1934] to see how
having contact with such people could then embarrass a priest in front
of Catholics. The Roman Question was still a painful thorn in their
hearts. Don Bosco was assured that Baccelli would not come to Turin;
in fact, he did not budge from Rome despite persistent rumors that he
would certainly be in Turin. 29
Don Bosco kept his word, but though he was personally invited as
an honored guest-we have his invitation in our files-he merged with
290n November 11 [1881] Unitii Cattolica carried this description of the ceremony: "Leading
city officials will attend the formal ceremony, as will Minister Guido Baccelli, who will represent
the government." But the following day it reported: "Minister Baccelli was not present, having
been detained in Rome by official duties. The government was represented by Senator [Bar-
tholomew] Casalis, prefect of [the province of] Turin." [Author]

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263
the crowd and made no attempt to draw attention to himself throughout
the ceremony. 30 On his arrival, the king immediately asked Correnti
where Don Bosco was. Correnti looked about and, not spotting him,
felt disappointed and somewhat hurt. A few days later he called on Don
Bosco to complain that he had not kept his word. Apologizing as best
he could, Don Bosco remarked: "I kept in the rear so that I would not
be introduced to the king. If he had addressed only a few words to me,
you can imagine what the newspapers would be saying about me all
over Italy! Worse yet, who knows what impression it would make in
Rome? It would have been an awkward situation for me, and even the
king would have felt uncomfortable!'' Correnti was silent for a moment
and then, admitting that Don Bosco was right, expressed admiration
for his discretion. "I had not thought of that," he stated. It was then
that he understood what Don Bosco had told him on some other occa-
sion which we cannot pinpoint. Correnti had asked him how he had
managed to keep going at a time when so many factions were locked in
conflicts. "I give to each his own," Don Bosco had then told him,
''and I shun all unnecessary arguments and publicity.''
Despite all the setbacks we have described, Correnti did not want to
forego Don Bosco's cooperation completely, nor did Don Bosco feel
that he ought to abandon the hospital project entirely. When in 1884
Don Bosco asked Correnti, first secretary of the Mauritian Order, for a
decoration for Professor [Joseph] Bonzanino,31 Correnti graciously
consented and used the occasion to ask Don Bosco to help in the
construction of the planned church for the hospital by recommending it
to the charity of the faithful. As things stood, Don Bosco could not
openly solicit funds for this cause because, with the discarding of his
plan, he was no longer in a position to handle that task successfully.
Still, anytime he sought a knighthood for anyone, he would persuade
the petitioner to contribute handsome sums for the projected hospital.
Moreover, once the plan for a neighboring church was dropped, the
30Flanked by Canons Chiuso, Antonelli and Bertoglio, by Father Genta, dean of the parish
priests, and by other notable clergy, Archbishop [Lawrence] Gastaldi blessed the cornerstone and
delivered a speech before the king. The speech contained several expressions which were criti-
cized as offensive to Catholics professing greater loyalty to the Pope. Those were the days of Don
Bosco's afflictions which we described in previous chapters. Most certainly he would have felt
very uncomfortable if he had sat among the honored guests. [Author]
31Professor Bonzanino was running a small private secondary school in Turin and accepted
many Oratory pupils at no charge. See Vol. IV, p. 465; Vol. V, pp. 175f, 257. [Editor]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
hospital was left with not even a private chapel. This should not sur-
prise us, for, since the Order of Sts. Maurice and Lazarus had become a
lay order and had been affiliated with the Order of the Italian Crown, it
suffered the common fate of all secularized institutions. When Don
Bosco visited the new hospital, he asked Correnti if provisions had
been made for religious worship. Secretary Correnti hemmed and
hawed, claiming that they had followed the norms set by the health
department and passed on to the architects. Heeding the suggestion of
the nuns who had joyfully welcomed him as he entered the building,
Don Bosco pointed to a large room which could easily be converted
into a chapel. Correnti remained silent, but he did comply with Don
Bosco's wishes. Hence, the patients owed it to Don Bosco if they had
the presence of the Blessed Sacrament to comfort them in their
afflictions.

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CHAPTER 10
Start ofthe Salesian Work
in Spain, Florence and Faenza
THREE Salesian works which are doing very well today
[1934] date back to 1881; they are the boarding school at Utrera, Spain,
and the two houses in Florence and Faenza. We shall start with Utrera,
which came first and introduced Don Bosco to Spain.
It almost seems as if Divine Providence injected some humor in the
way the seed of a lordly tree fell on Spanish soil and in time spread its
branches to all comers of that nation. It all began with Marquis Don
Diego de Ulloa who was thinking about opening a hospice for poor
boys in Utrera. To this end he wrote to the superior general of the
Marist Fathers to ask him to assume its direction. The superior general
in tum called on the marquis too early in the morning and was not
received; he returned on another day, but only the womenfolk were at
home. Somewhat in a huff, he walked away and let the matter drop.
After waiting in vain for a reply, the marquis consulted with Arch-
bishop Joachim Lluch y Garriga of Seville, to whose diocese Utrera
belonged, asking how he might realize his charitable intent. The arch-
bishop, a Carmelite, had resided at his monastery in Lucca when the
Salesians were there and had been very favorably impressed by their
work. He suggested that the marquis appeal to Don Bosco. Having no
knowledge of either Don Bosco or the Salesians, the marquis asked the
archbishop to write to Turin on his behalf, and the latter willingly
obliged.
A reply was not long in coming, but it only gave vague hopes. The
year was 1879. On January 24, 1880, as we have already mentioned in
the previous volume,1 Father John Cagliero and Coadjutor Brother
1See Vol. XIV, p. 315. [Editor]
265

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
Joseph Rossi arrived in Seville, capital of Andalusia. They were wel-
comed enthusiastically by the archbishop, who, giving thanks to God,
told them that he was most delighted to meet Don Bosco's sons. Wait-
ing for them at the archbishop's house were the marquis, his son
Anthony, and his son-in-law Henry Mufioz. At seventy-one the mar-
quis, a patriarch of stalwart faith, hoped to see the Salesians estab-
lished in his home city of Utrera before he died. His wish was shared
by his entire family, all of whom were imbued with the same Catholic
spirit. His personality reminded Father Cagliero of the Argentinian
nobleman, Francis Benitez. 2 With holy enthusiasm, the archbishop
talked to the family about Don Bosco and his work.
The marquis' son-in-law then took the visitors to Utrera. As the
archbishop had already notified the local vicar general of their arrival,
the city's clergy was assembled to give them a warm welcome. The
"alcade" or mayor, an excellent Catholic, not only went to meet them,
but for two full days personally took them to see churches, schools and
other institutions.
Utrera is some eighteen miles southeast of Seville in the heart of a
vast, fertile plain decked with wheat and rich in olive orchards and
cattle, but it is best known for its ganaderos or breeding farms of bulls
trained for bullfighting.
Utrera in those days numbered slightly over twelve thousand people,
all Catholic but, as was common in much of Spain, not practicing;
hence the Protestants had no trouble sinking their roots there. Practic-
ing Catholics were hopeful that the Salesians' presence would shake up
the prevailing religious apathy and force out the preachers of
falsehood.
The city had several churches, particularly two dating from the
fifteenth century, veritable cathedrals; however, quite a few churches
were just about abandoned for lack of priests. The archbishop told the
Salesians to take their pick from among them. Father Cagliero chose
the church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel because it was centrally
located, within easy reach of the people, and far from the nearest
parish. Since the adjoining rectory was too small, the marquis offered
to share half of his fine home with the Salesians until they could find
better accommodations. On the feast of St. Francis de Sales, which
2See Vol. Xill, p. 127. See also the Indexes of Volumes X, XI and XII under "Benitez."
[Editor]

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Start of the Salesian Work in Spain, Florence and Faenza
267
occurred shortly afterward, Father Cagliero gave the sermon in that
church and enrolled the first Salesian cooperators of Spain.
He took no step without duly informing Don Bosco, who was then in
Marseille, and, at his wish, also Father Rua, sending them long letters
sparkling with spirit and wit. On his departure he not only left behind
him, but also took with him, the very finest impressions. "The arch-
bishop," he wrote to Father Rua,3 "wants us in Seville and in other
locations of his vast archdiocese. He has set himself up as the Sales-
ians' great Spanish 'Papa.' Marquis Ulloa, his son, his son-in-law, and
the mayor of Utrera all intend to be Spain's first and foremost Salesian
cooperators. In our world travels we have come to know courtesy and
brotherly concern, but I believe that Spain, particularly Andalusia,
holds the record." To Father [Julius] Barberis, novice master, he
wrote,4 ''They may have too exalted an idea of us, and I fear that when
they see us in action, the sparkle will fade away. So tell your novices to
be manly and cheerful. It may well happen that God will choose some
of them to work wonders in these lands which promise a vast harvest!
Bid them remember that Spain is the land of Teresa of Avila, Ignatius,
Dominic, Rodriguez, Isidore, Thomas of Villanova, and their fol-
lowers.'' Among the novices who heard this prophetic utterance was
the one whom God had already chosen to develop and organize the
Salesian Congregation in Spain, Father Philip Rinaldi, Don Bosco's
third successor.
As soon as Don Bosco had a free moment on his return from Mar-
seille to Nice, he sent letters of thanks to Marquis Ulloa and to the
archbishop of Seville. To the former he wrote:
Illustrious Marquis Don Diego de Ulloa:
Nice, February 26, 1880
I have no way of thanking you for the kindness you have shown my Salesian
sons who were greatly honored to be your house guests. I am most sincerely
grateful to you. God will amply reward you.
It is my fondest hope, however, that you will honor us with a visit to Turin
so that I may have the opportunity to thank you personally for all you have
done and are ready to do in favor of our humble, fledgling Congregation.
God bless you, my dearest and kindest marquis! May He keep you and your
whole family in good health and in His grace.
3Seville, January 30, 1880. [Author]
4Seville, January 31, 1880. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
I rejoice to consider you one of our most distinguished benefactors, and I
assure you that you, your worthy son Anthony, your son-in-law Henry and his
family will be remembered in our community and individual prayers offered
daily in each Salesian house.
Asking for a kind remembrance in your prayers, I am highly honored and
grateful to be in Jesus Christ,
Your most gratefully,
Fr. John Bosco
P.S. I confirm all that Father Cagliero, my delegate, has concluded with you
concerning the house we hope to open in Utrera, and trust that, God willing,
all will be ready by next October. The Salesians, your sons and mine, will be
ready to set out at that time to accept the commitment which Divine Provi-
dence has assigned them through you.
Your humble servant,
Fr. John Bosco
We do not have a copy of his letter to the archbishop, but we do have
the archbishop's reply in Italian, a language which the archbishop
learned while studying in Italy.
My revered Don Bosco:
[No date]
A thousand thanks for your eagerly awaited letter of February 26. I rejoice
in the Lord that Father Cagliero and his companion have arrived home safe and
sound from their visit to Seville. I too am very happy to have met them, and I
hope that I may have these dear Salesians working in my archdiocese by
October. God bless this foundation of ours in Spain; those who come after us
will reap its harvest. God, the giver of all good, will repay us generously for
our efforts.
My ailments continue to shake my peace of mind. As soon as I can under-
take my longed-for journey to Rome, I shall let you know in ample time and
set up a meeting with you in Turin. Meanwhile, please give my regards to
Father Cagliero; I thank him for his note, to which this is an answer, and for
the Marseille newspapers. I ask the Salesians and you to remember me in your
prayers. I am
Yours devotedly,
+[Jo&chim Lluch y Garriga],
Archbishop of Seville

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The opening of a house in Utrera was therefore presumably decided.
"Negotiations in Utrera have already been concluded," Father Cagliero
wrote to Father Rua in his aforementioned letter, "and we have picked
six Salesians for next October." However, he mistimed the actual
opening.
As we mentioned in the first chapter of this volume,5 Father Cagliero
accompanied the staff of Salesians who had been assigned to the new
house in Utrera at the beginning of 1881. By that time, news about
them had spread through the Iberian peninsula like wildfire, as the
travelers were soon to find out at Gibraltar. Having missed the ferry
which sailed from Gibraltar to Cadiz every Friday, they had to wait
until the following Tuesday. It was an endless hassle to get permission
to land on that English stronghold, but once they did, they found
themselves surrounded by good friends. The episcopal vicar and his
ten priests seemed very well informed about Don Bosco and his diffi-
culties, so that they gladly accepted his invitation to be enrolled as
Salesian cooperators. It was the archbishop of Seville who had been
Don Bosco's press agent, for in his Diocesan Review he published a
history of the Oratory, drawing from the Bollettino Salesiano which
from January 1879 had been serializing Father Bonetti's brilliant nar-
rative, later to be published in book form entitled Cinque lustri di
storia dell'Oratorio di San Francesco di Sales [Twenty-Five Years in
the History of the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales]. In addition, the
Popular Review of Barcelona, the Madrid newspapers and other peri-
odicals reprinted the articles of the Diocesan Review of Seville, caus-
ing Don Bosco's ventures to be heralded throughout the land. 6
Utrera gave them a glorious welcome. On February 22 Father
Cagliero and Father Branda, the director, called on the archbishop, who
wrote to Don Bosco that very day, "Your sons have arrived in Utrera
amid demonstrations of affection and joy from my beloved Andalu-
sians. Today I received a visit from Father Cagliero and the newly
appointed director. They have already started their sacred ministry. I
trust that they will do a great amount of good in Spain. I have already
prepared another residence for them in Ecija, once the episcopal see of
St. Fulgentius. Have no doubt, my dear Don Bosco, that I will be leur
grand Papa [their big daddy]."
5See pp. 7ff. [Editor]
6Letter (already quoted) to Don Bosco, Seville, February 23, 1881. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
The diocesan clergy of Seville was warmly sympathetic toward the
Salesian Congregation, seeing it as a blessing for Spain's youth which
had steadily been going downhill ever since 1868, when the radicals
began to sink their roots ever deeper. Valencia's bishop also did his best
to win the Salesians' promise to open a house in his diocese, as did also
the bishop of Malaga, who anxiously sought to meet a Salesian with
· whom he could discuss his proposal. Father Cagliero obliged him with
a visit. He found that some zealous priests and laymen had already
started something resembling what they had read about Salesian enter-
prises in Turin, Sampierdarena, Nice and Marseille, but the Salesians
were needed to orient, direct and advance the undertakings according
to our educational system. He enrolled twenty Salesian cooperators.
From what he heard there and elsewhere, he got the impression that
everywhere ''a pressing need was felt to instill good morals into the
working class," and people were convinced that "our Congregation
offered the only remedy for the social ills" of the day. These are quotes
from a letter of Father Cagliero to Don Bosco. The watchful clergy's
assessment was correct. Recent events have proven that Spain's salva-
tion no longer rested with the aristocrats but rather with the populace,
who therefore needed immediate attention to the utmost.
As remarked above, Seville's archbishop praised the promptness of
the Salesians in setting about their sacred ministry. The Church of
Mount Carmel had been abandoned for quite some time. It lacked
everything, so that they had to borrow candles, candlesticks and vest-
ments, but in less than two weeks they put together everything needed
for divine worship. The functions were drawing ever increasing
crowds. First came the boys who flocked around the Salesians, filling
sacristy and sanctuary, some vested as altar boys, others learning to
become altar boys, many joining catechism classes which had been so
long neglected. The mothers hailed the arrival of the new apostles.
Marquis de Ulloa wept with joy. Father Cagliero, in a letter updating
Don Bosco, exclaimed:7 "And we? We have already given thanks to
Divine Providence for using los muchachos [the scamps] of Valdocco
to highlight ever more His glory and mercy in this country. ''
Also neighboring Portugal turned to Don Bosco's sons. Through the
apostolic nuncio, Father Cagliero received a registered letter from the
chairman of the Association for the Protection of Workers who invited
7Utrera, March 1, 1881. [Author]

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him to visit the capital and see for himself the urgency of coming to the
rescue of the children of the poor working class. From Oporto he
received a second letter written on behalf of the cardinal telling him
how eagerly he was being awaited in Portugal's second largest city to
set up a Salesian house there without delay. On receiving all this
information, Don Bosco replied in writing with his usual unshakable
calm:
My dear Father Cagliero:
[No date]
I received your letters and forwarded them to Turin. Your fellow missioners
were soundly rocked as far as St. Vincent, 8 from where they sent me mail.
Our work is progressing very nicely. God has blessed us. Forward! My re-
spectful regards to all our benefactors, especially our most revered archbishop
of Seville- dearer to us than a father-to whom I hope to write before long.
'fry to do something for our Church of the Sacred Heart in Rome.
We urgently need your presence here. I hope to be in Rome by the begin-
ning of April and then return quickly to Turin. Heartiest greetings to all our
dear friends, confreres and boys in Jesus Christ.
God bless us all! Pray for me
Yours affectionately,
Fr. John Bosco
It was only after he had returned to Turin from Rome and received
Father Cagliero 's report that Don Bosco found time from his busy work
to write to the archbishop. He wrote in Latin, perhaps forgetting that
the prelate knew Italian very well and also probably wishing to make it
easier for other clergymen to read his letter. It was a plain unpreten-
tious Latin, in which without much concern he voiced the sentiments
he sincerely felt for the archbishop.
His recommendation to Father Cagliero to give thought to helping
the Church of the Sacred Heart did not go unheeded; any wish of Don
Bosco was always an order to his loving sons and co-workers. Father
Cagliero made a translation from the Italian of a circular-which we
shall quote later-and of Don Bosco's letter and had both translations
8An allusion to a three-day storm they encountered during their voyage to Montevideo.
[Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
printed, sending copies to every bishop and parish priest of Spain. The
newspapers also gave them publicity. 9
The real problem for the Salesians was the language, which they had
never studied. It was one of the main reasons why Father Cagliero
stayed on in Utrera until Easter, April 17. On the evening of that
solemnity he publicly took leave of the faithful-the women, to be
sure-who frequented the Church of Mount Carmel. For the occasion
his lively fancy prompted one of those sparkling witticisms for which
he is still fondly remembered. Walking through the town that morning
he had seen the so-called bull of the aguardiente [firewater]. On all
great occasions a Spaniard cannot forego his favorite amusement. In
those days, when an arena for the corridas [bullfight] was not avail-
able, a simple expedient was used. A wild bull with a long rope tied to
its horns was let loose into the city streets and squares. Among crowds
of spectators, some strong men bravely confronted it, egging it on in all
kinds of ways, standing in front of it, and dodging its furious lunges,
while others were ready to stop the bull short by tugging on the rope
when things became dangerous. Since this took place at the hour when
people went out for a sip of brandy, the bull was called ''aguardiente. ''
Today this highly dangerous thrill is illegal outside an arena, but
Father Cagliero then saw it take place as he walked through the town.
So he began his sermon pretty much as follows: "I must return to Italy.
I have to admit that up to now the thought of leaving pained me,
because having seen none but women inside this church, I pitied them
as if they lived a lonely life, with no men to protect and care for them.
This morning, however, while walking along the streets of Utrera, I
found myself in the midst of a thick crowd of hale and hardy men.
'Thank heaven!' I exclaimed. 'There are men too in Utrera!'" The
moral needed no further pointing, but the preacher's remarks bolstered
it further, and we are assured that once word of his clever comment was
made public, it yielded excellent results.
Although the marquis did not sit within the congregation, he was
faithful in attending Mass. He was loyal to the custom prevalent among
nobility of receiving Communion only at long intervals and in grand
style, that is, in ceremonial dress, his chest bedecked with decorations.
He approached Jesus as he would his sovereign. Now, as the Salesians
9Letter from Father Cagliero to Don Bosco, Utrera, March 17, 1881. [Author]

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started the practice of frequent Communion, he could not set his mind
at rest in seeing humble folk go to Communion so often. But he too
soon yielded and gradually shed his old custom, even receiving Holy
Communion daily. So ardent became the joy of this Christian soul that
he could never thank Don Bosco enough for the priceless gift he had
received in his declining years.
Leaving Utrera, Father Cagliero went first to Lisbon and then to
Oporto. In Portugal's capital he had a most cordial interview with the
apostolic nuncio, Archbishop Aloisi-Masella, a warm admirer of Don
Bosco, who characterized Don Bosco's works as works of God. He
also had an audience with Queen Maria Pia, daughter of Victor Em-
manuel II. Their half-hour interview touched on Turin, Don Bosco,
Mary, Help of Christians, the Salesian missions, the new foundation in
Spain, and future foundations in Portugal. With some curiosity the
queen asked, "How does Don Bosco manage to achieve all these good
ventures with no funds?''
"That is the great secret of Divine Providence," replied Father
Cagliero, "and from the very beginning Your Majesty's grandfather
and saintly mother were part of it. "
"I am delighted to know that Don Bosco's thoughts run also to
Portugal. He must begin as soon as he can."
"When that happens we certainly shall rely upon Your Majesty since
we are Italians, Piedmontese, and, more precisely, Turinese."
"That is understood."
Before leaving, Father Cagliero spoke to her of the Sacred Heart
Church and Hospice which Don Bosco was building at the Holy Fa-
ther's request as a monument to her godfather. "Ah, yes," she ex-
claimed. "Pius IX really deserves it! He was a saint." She added that
she would gladly make a donation. Before ending the interview, she
asked Father Cagliero to present her respects to Don Bosco and to
congratulate him on his magnificent achievements.
In Oporto Father Cagliero found a sincere friend of the Salesians in
Cardinal Amerigo Ferreira dos Santos Silva. He sought to have a
Salesian house in his diocese at any cost as soon as possible. However,
Father Cagliero left as soon as he could lest he compromise himself,
though he realized how distinguished a work of charity it would be for
the Salesians to set themselves up in Oporto where, in addition to a
broad spectrum of multiple moral problems, the Protestants were

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
firmly entrenched. At that time Father Mendre's brief French sketch of
Don Bosco10 was translated into Portuguese and printed in Oporto.
On April 27, crossing central Spain, Father Cagliero went to Bar-
celona by way of Badajoz and Valencia and from there crossed the
frontier into Marseille. 11 He arrived in Turin shortly before Don Bosco
got back from Rome.
Don Bosco seems to have had a very clear notion of the good work
his sons were called upon to carry out in Spain. In fact, he had told the
future director of Utrera [Father John Baptist Branda] on the feast of
St. Teresa of Avila in 1880, "Utrera will serve to hone our weapons and
whet our swords as we move forward into much broader fields. In the
near future a married woman living presently in Barcelona-and,
mind you, this is certainly no dream-will be widowed and will ask us
to go to Barcelona. There we shall establish a house, and then many
other houses will follow." This prediction began to come true in 1882
when Dorotea Chopitea de Serra became a widow; in suffrage for her
husband's soul she decided to sponsor a festive oratory and a hospice
for abandoned youth, entrusting both to the Salesians. That was the
real source of the vast growth of Don Bosco's Congregation in Spain.
The opening of the house at Utrera was followed two weeks later by
the inauguration of the house in Florence. Don Bosco had been well
known in Florence for some time. His many visits to the city, Italy's
provisional capital, on government business, the astonishing outcomes
of his blessing, and most of all the miraculous restoring to life of
Countess Gerolama Uguccioni's godson12 had not only spread his fame
but had endeared him to the city's ancient families. Archbishop
Limberti and Archbishop Cecconi also held him in high regard. Hence,
when the Protestants boosted their efforts to win over the people of
Florence, the faithful turned to Don Bosco as the one best prepared to
halt the flow of this evil propaganda.
The Tuscan capital had first asked Don Bosco to establish his work
there as far back as 1877 through the Society for the Mutual Assistance
of Catholic Workers, headed by Marquis Pompeo Bourbon del Monte.
10A obra de Don Bosco, translation from the French by Father Louis Mendre, Oporto, Palavra
Press, 1881. [Author]
11Letter from Father Cagliero to Father Lazzero, Oporto, April 26, 1881. The Lisbon weekly A
Cruz do Operaio [The Worker's Cross] had written about Don Bosco, the beginnings of the
Oratory, Father Mendre's booklet and the Salesian missions in its issues of July 23, August 6 and
13, and September 3. [Author]
12see Vol. Vill, pp. 240f. [Editor]

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The original invitation was quite vague. Later the society appointed a
committee to run a fund-raising drive, to find a suitable site, and to
conduct. negotiations. Chairman of this committee was Attorney John
Grassi; the corresponding secretary was George Rastrelli. The search
for a suitable site went on for quite some time; finally in May 1880 a
small house located at 31 Via Cimabue was rented. The aim was to start
with an art and trades school and a few elementary classes, but long-
range plans called for much more: an institution which would be a
monument erected by the Florentine Catholics to the sacred memory of
Pius IX. Don Bosco personally saw the premises that very May and
agreed that it should be the modest cradle of his Florentine apostolate.
In July the committee pressured Don Bosco to send one Salesian to
start the .work. Don Bosco, instead, sent Father [John] Marenco, 13
director of the house at Lucca, to see whether the place was really
ready to be opened. Father Marenco13 found the facilities large enough
for a beginning, but everything else was no more than a flood of words,
with loads of assurances, many hopes, but nothing definite; in fact he
even had to go to a restaurant for his dinner. Archbishop [Eugene]
Cecconi wrote to Don Bosco on August 1, "We have very little money,
but you are used to beginning with little." Father Dalmazzo, sent to
investigate more closely, heard some rumors which counseled delayed
action.
Meanwhile the committee issued a circular asking for outright dona-
tions or pledges, but they went too far in stating that the Salesians
would certainly be there at the opening of the school year. Though
determined to please his Florentine friends, Don Bosco had set no
date, and so, on learning this, he wrote that the required personnel
could not be made available by that year, due to the recent death of
several Salesian priests. The archbishop called a committee meeting
and decided to insist, as he actually did on November 12, stating that he
could not count on the local cooperators until the Salesians had actually
settled there. Meanwhile, he added, the Protestants were hard at work
and rejoicing. Would Don Bosco at least send him a definite reply?
After this meeting, Canon Justin Campolari, a devoted cooperator,
wrote to Don Bosco: "I learned of the meeting from a person who was
present and thought that maybe a shortage of personnel was not the only
and main reason for your deferment, the real reason being the uncertain
13See Appendix l. [Editor]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
financial support for the institution. I too believe that the funds collected
in the drive are inadequate. Should this be the case, I suggest that you say
so very frankly in a letter to the archbishop, because it would be a shame
to see your project begin with so meager and shaky a support and at the
risk of being forced to close it down in two or three years. In that case it
would be wiser not to open it at all.... Believe me, my dear Don
Bosco, there is a dire need for a Salesian house in the site they selected in
Florence, but once it is opened it must be strong enough to hold its own
against the Protestants. They certainly do not lack money to lure unwary
parents to send their children to their school, which unfortunately is
already full of innocent little ones."
Don Bosco was so deeply touched to the quick by these last words
that he strove with his chapter to find some way to speed up the sending
of Salesians. In January [1881] the archbishop renewed his appeal. "I
have done my best," he wrote, "to assure you of a steady income. I am
now glad to say that it is prudent to begin. As you know, the house is
ready, and I can assure you of an annual income of fifteen hundred
francs to support three Salesians for a few years. My dear friend, delay
no longer! Yield to the ardent plea of a bishop who begs your help in
God's name!" We have a copy of Don Bosco's final answer which he
had held back as he awaited the outcome of several letters that he had
asked be sent to some women cooperators. A secretary's note informs
us that, as of the end of December [1880], he had received but one
donation, and that not very substantial. Furthermore, the people with
whom he had corresponded were not sufficiently reliable since none of
them could guarantee either financial or moral support. Don Bosco
therefore had waited for the archbishop to take the initiative, and the
prelate's last letter had come up to his expectations. He therefore
replied:
Your Excellency:
Turin, January 25, 1881
In response to your touching letter I am, as we say here in Piedmont, ready
to do the impossible. I delayed my reply because the people whom I was asked
to contact by mail either did not answer or sent disheartening replies. Now that
I have seen Your Excellency's good will and know that I shall be dealing with
you personally, I put myself into your hands and will do all you say.
Meanwhile, trusting in your letter, I am writing to Father Marenco, director
of our house at Lucca, asking him to go to Florence next week to set up the

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place so that the Salesians who will soon be there will find all they need to
cook their pasta.
I trust that you will good-heartedly host Father Marenco for the day or two
he will be in Florence.
Meanwhile, I will pick a few Salesians from several of our houses so that
within a few weeks a priest, a young cleric and a coadjutor brother will be
available for our new undertaking. I will let you know the exact date of their
arrival. For the time being I think that it would be wise for them to limit their
activity to the festive oratory and recreation center; later, as they become
better acquainted with the town, its ways and customs, they may start evening
classes and whatever else Your Excellency may judge best.
My thanks to you and everyone who has put such trust in our lowliness.
While humbly requesting the kindness of your holy prayers, I am highly
honored to remain,
Your humble servant,
Fr. John Bosco
The archbishop was thrilled. A few days later he joyfully welcomed
Father Marenco on his return to Florence to finalize arrangements,
showering him with graciousness, kindness and fatherly affection.
After pointing out what things were still needed, things for the house,
Father Marenco returned to Lucca and wrote to Don Bosco that the new
Salesian community could set out in a couple of weeks. "From what
I've heard," he wrote, "I suggest that those who go to Florence keep
in close touch with the archbishop, who is truly a genuine father to
us." We shall soon see how timely was his recommendation to work
closely with the archbishop.
Three Salesians took possession of the house on March 4: the direc-
tor, Father [Faustinus] Confort6la, 14 a cleric and a coadjutor brother.
They immediately ran into serious problems, the first of which arose
from the committee which was supposed to tum everything over to Don
Bosco and the Salesians without further ado. Those gentlemen felt that
doing so would only put them in a bad light. Therefore, grossly exag-
gerating all they had done and having not the slightest notion of what a
religious congregation was all about, they took it for granted that the
Salesians should be subordinate to them in some way or other. Conse-
quently, they proposed a contract that would keep the new institution
t4See Vol. XIII, p. 659. [Editor]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
perpetually fettered to the Society for the Mutual Assistance of Catho-
lic Workers, much like a subsidiary. Don Bosco would never have
agreed to any such embarrassing dependence which would have made
his Salesians puppets in the hands of others or, as Father Confort6la put
it, would have forced them to beg others for legs to walk with. From
the correspondence in our files relating to this annoying situation, we
can readily understand a complaint expressed by Don Bosco. "Look at
these developments," he told the director in April. "Before any Sale-
sians went to Florence, we in Turin were being flooded with the most
enticing offers. Now that Don Bosco is there, they fence him in,
practically saying, 'Now we shall dictate our own terms.'"
However, this attitude was not shared by the two members of the
society who had more often kept in correspondence with him, Mr.
Rastrelli and Mr. Lucaccini. The one most opposed to that kind of
contract was the archbishop, who, on Don Bosco's stopover in Florence,
advised the society not to shackle Don Bosco with those unfair terms.
They did not heed him, but he did manage to convince them to draw up
another contract less barbed with odious clauses. Don Bosco brought the
contract with him to Rome to let Father Rua check it out, but it was
obvious that even the amended draft would not guarantee the financial
independence and freedom of action he sought. However, on his stop-
over in May, he found that the archbishop's conciliatory efforts had
proved quite successful. The society handed over the undertaking to the
Salesians and accepted an exquisitely tactful, unfettered statement
drawn up by Father Rua who personally presented it to the society.
This is not to say that all bad feelings disappeared, but Don Bosco
let it pass. Heaven help him had he easily yielded to resentment or
discouragement! This time the doors of several gentlemen of means,
among them the chairman of the society, were closed to him, and his
fund-raising conference brought in no more than two hundred and
forty-four lire and eighty-one cents, the lowest realized by any fund-
raising conference. The poor result was probably due to the disheart-
ened feelings of some of the fund-raisers, committee members, and the
mistrust of the Salesians felt by others who were influenced by current
rumors. In this regard it should be noted that the committee had dis-
tributed a printed memorandum during the conference to let everybody
know that the signatories were "gladly" handing over "the institution
that had been brought into being by the united efforts of Catholic
charity to the well-deserving Father John Bosco and his Congrega-

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tion." At the same time the committee issued on behalf of the Society
for the Mutual Assistance of Catholic Workers a report of the funds it
had collected and its expenses. It named an actual total income of
eighteen thousand and thirty-one lire and fifty-six cents, which in
reality was only a paper sum since most of it was in pledges only. A
copy of this report was formally presented to Don Bosco, who rapidly
scanned it in silent thought for a moment, and then, slightly shaking
his head, handed it back without a word. At the very moment that he
was to request contributions, this report gave everyone to understand
that, thanks to the society, the Salesians were already generously pro-
vided for.
As regards Don Bosco, the effect of these unpleasant incidents was
dispelled by personally seeing and hearing from others that the festive
oratory was making steady progress. Although, in a city like Florence,
young people were lured by public shows and festivals, the oratory
enrollment reached two hundred. Later, when summer vacation began,
some fifty youngsters used to frequent it daily, keeping the Salesians
busy from morning till night. "The Lord makes up for our feeble
efforts by giving us good health and the comfort of achieving some
good," Father Confort6la wrote. 15 "He enables us to protect these poor
boys from evil and from manifold dangers.''
Don Bosco invariably found great support in the motherly concern of
Countess Uguccioni, who was always ready to exert her telling influ-
ence among Florence's foremost families for his benefit. As soon as he
could after his latest stopover in Florence, he wrote her this letter of
grateful tribute: 16
Dear Mamma in Jesus Christ:
Turin, June 22, 1881
I have a free moment and will use it to write you a few lines. I wrote to
Countess Guicciardini in the terms you suggested; perhaps she will answer.
I was very sorry to hear of the death of Costance Donati,17 a good Christian
lady. We have prayed for her and are also praying for her family.
15Letter to Father Rua, Florence, July 2, 1881. [Author]
160nly recently did we get hold of copies of Don Bosco's many letters to the countess. We
have been able to compare them with the originals. In the appendix of hitherto unpublished
documents, we shall print thirty-seven of them, written between 1866 and 1888. [Author]
11see pp. 388f. [Editor]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
For you I wish abundant health and holiness, as well as patience when I
come to weigh you down in your own house with our problems.
God grant you and both your small and large family [what God was to grant
them is missing]. Please pray for this poor man who will always remain in the
Sacred Hearts of Jesus and of Mary,
Your most grateful son,
Fr. John Bosco
More problems arose from another source. The lease on the house
expired at the end of October. The landlord wanted to sell, and had no
intention of renewing it, and so the Salesians had to move out. Don
Bosco asked the director to find other premises for a permanent resi-
dence. It was not in the Salesians' interests to buy the building and stay
there, since there were too many inconveniences. For example, on
Sundays crowds watched the boys playing as though they were in a
stadium. In any event, Father Rua had already looked at several houses
in the area but had not as yet come up with any choice. Continuing the
search, Father Confort6la came across a place, and everyone he con-
sulted agreed that the location, premises and price were satisfactory.
The property skirted the left side of Via Fra Angelico, not far from Via
Cimabue. Father Joseph Franco, brother and fellow Jesuit of Father
Secondo Franco, S.J., who knew the town well, told the director, "By
all means write and tell Don Bosco that he could not find a better place
in Florence to advance his work and to benefit the people. This area is ·
fast becoming a pagan stronghold. It has neither church nor priests,
and so it won't be long before no one will any longer know anything
about religion or the sacraments. Worse still, the Evangelicals have
cleverly encircled it and set up their nest at its very center, thus easily
making new conquests. But once the Salesians will set up a hospice, a
festive oratory, day classes and a public church, all Protestant endeav-
ors will come to naught, God will be glorified, and souls will be saved.
Just let Don Bosco send four men of God, and that will be enough. Tell
him also that when the lucky day will dawn for the opening of a public
church, those four priests will hardly suffice to hear confessions, for at
heart Florentines are upright people, and when they come to see some-
thing good they love it and go for it with a passion." Father Confort6la
wrote this in a letter to Don Bosco on June 10. Moreover, the arch-
bishop not only urged the purchase of that property, but begged them
not to delay because the Protestants were keeping an eye on the Sales-
ians and any procrastination would give the devil more leeway.

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Don Bosco therefore set up a purchasing committee made up of five
Salesians and a diocesan priest representing the archbishop. Father
Confort6la acted as agent for the five Salesians; the seller was Mrs.
Joan Glatz nee Panzani. The matter proceeded rapidly-so rapidly
indeed that by September 5 the deed of the purchase was properly
drawn up, and its terms were excellent. Then with lightning speed the
work of renovating the building was begun so that the hospice could be
opened as soon as possible. However, at the very peak of activity, funds
began to run out, and so Don Bosco, then at San Benigno Canavese,
wrote and sent to Florence the following circular letter:
From afar I appeal to your well-known charity to aid an undertaking which
is meant entirely to benefit the endangered youth of Florence.
I believe you are aware that a festive oratory and a hospice for the poorest of
the city's boys has been opened as a line of defense against the great harm
being done to the young by the Protestants.
But the large number of these boys soon convinced us that our premises
were too small and that we could do much more if we had more spacious
facilities. Driven by this serious and growing need, encouraged by His Excel-
lency Archbishop Cecconi, and relying on the charity of the people of Flor-
ence who have never failed me, I thought it best to begin remodeling and
expanding the building we now own. Work has progressed rapidly, but funds
are now running short, and despite all our best efforts I find myself faced with
the risk of having to halt this work of charity on behalf of religion and
morality.
Lest I leave any stone unturned in the interest of a work of public and
private charity, I now appeal to your zeal and generosity. Certainly God will
reward your benefaction, and those youngsters whom your donation will en-
able to return to the path of uprightness and eternal salvation will unfailingly
invoke heaven's blessings upon you and your family every day.
lhisting fully in your help, I ask God to grant you a long, healthy life. I am
highly honored to remain gratefully, etc.
At about the same time he took the opportunity to express his thanks
to Countess Uguccioni and indirectly to recommend the venture to her.
Dear Mamma in Jesus Christ:
Turin, October 6, 1881
Please tell Mr. Pestellini that we shall say many prayers for him at Mary's
altar and that he should put all his trust in the great goodness of this Bene-
factress of the entire human race.

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
Our work has begun in Florence; there is much still to be done, but God's
aid will not fail us. Courage! You will always be our beloved Mamma, first
and foremost of our benefactresses.
God bless you, my well deserving Mamma, and with you may He bless
your family, both small and large. Keep praying for this poor man who
gratefully will always be in Jesus and Mary,
Your devoted son,
Fr. John Bosco
Father Confort6la, who during the complicated purchase transac-
tions had shown sharp business acumen, kept the work going forward
at a record pace, dreaming up ways of finding money, and, while
directing the festive oratory in Via Cimabue, speeding up the work so
as not to delay the opening of the hospice. Since it \\YOuld accept
secondary school students, authorization of the provincial superinten-
dent of schools was required. True, his office could be bypassed for
some time under the pretext that this was also a trade school, but in
those difficult times it was just too risky. It was the archbishop who
eased the situation. He had some seventy applications from boys aspir-
ing to the priesthood, and he planned to screen them carefully, sending
the best to Father Confort6la as soon as the hospice opened. Thanks to
this plan it was easy to obtain a decree from the archdiocese designat-
ing the hospice a junior seminary, over which the provincial superin-
tendent of schools had no control. The plan was carried out. Replying ·
to Father Confort6la's report in this matter, Don Bosco wrote:
My dear Father Confort6la,
Turin, October 14, 1881
I fully approve of what has been done in agreement with Archbishop Cec-
coni, but I wish to support his charitable goals as much as we possibly can.
Therefore:
1. We shall gladly take in the boys he will send to the hospice at a fee of
thirty francs, and if that does not work out, we will ask him to consider cutting
back on living expenses or slightly raise the monthly fee if absolutely neces-
sary. See if it is possible to enroll thirty of the archbishop's applicants. Try to
get the archbishop to send thirty boys.
2. The thought of seventy aspirants to the priesthood is truly enticing. If the
archbishop agrees, we could, for this year only, divide them up among our
schools in Lucca, Spezia and Sampierdarena. By next year I hope we shall
have ample facilities to put them all together in Florence. If the archbishop

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goes along with this plan, let me know immediately and I will set it in motion.
The train fare for the youngsters would not be too expensive since they are
entitled to half fare.
3. Tell the archbishop that preference will always be given to the boys he
recommends, and that he shall always have full say in all matters of religion
and instruction.
4. All I ask you to do is find funds for renovating and furnishing our new
house.
May God bless all we do. In Our Lord Jesus Christ always,
Your affectionate friend in Jesus Christ,
Fr. John Bosco
At the end of October the lease on the house in Via Cimabue ex-
pired, and so on November 2 the festive oratory moved, lock, stock
and barrel, to the new house. The dedication of the hospice had to wait
until the feast of the Immaculate Conception. The house was small;
thirty people easily filled it. However, once a sapling is rooted in good
soil, it grows steadily into a tree, spreading its branches and withstand-
ing foul weather.
The arrival of Salesians at Faenza occurred in the first days of
November. Negotiations for this foundation took much time, but we
shall condense them to a few pages. Father Paul Taroni, 18 the Faenza
seminary's saintly spiritual director, noted in a personal memo of his:
"Let me state once and for all that it was always Don Bosco who
wanted this Salesian house of Faenza, even rebutting the arguments of
his chapter and the difficulties it raised." Don Bosco's propensity to do
something for this staunchly Catholic city in central Italy goes back to
1877 when he met Father Taroni in Turin on the feast of Mary, Help of
Christians. 19 Both saintly men got along extremely well so that a fruit-
ful spiritual relationship was forged between the Faenza seminary and
the Valdocco oratory.
The following June Don Bosco asked Father Lazzero and Father
Barberis to stop off at Faenza on their return from Rome, giving Father
Taroni an opportunity to fire more strongly the people's aspirations.
But, in October, he suffered a deep hurt. In the course of a formal
dinner Cardinal [Lucido] Parocchi, elevated that year to the see of
Bologna, clearly showed little regard for either Don Bosco or the
1ssee Vol. XIII, pp. 324f. [Editor]
19/bid., pp. 323f. [Editor]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
Salesians. It is true that, when he later met Don Bosco in Bologna,20
this illustrious cardinal did a complete about-face and in a confidential
talk with Father Taroni on August 7, 1880 retracted everything he had
said. In the meantime, however, Father Taroni was forced to do all in
his power to dull the sharpness of the cardinal's words, which had
stirred up among the clergy hostile feelings against the Salesian
Congregation.
In the spring of 1878, Salesian cooperators, failing to find adequate
facilities in the city, went to the suburb of Urbecco where a former
monastery seemed quite suitable. It had been suppressed by Napoleon
I; in 1859 the papal government had assigned it to the two parishes of
Urbecco with certain conditions, one being that the parish priest who
held in trust the former monastery open a school for the area's poor
boys. However, because of a series of political turmoils nothing could
be done. So when Father Babini, now an elderly priest, whose abun-
dant correspondence with Don Bosco we possess, heard about the
plans of the Faenza cooperators, he thanked God for relieving his
conscience of a heavy burden.
The times were propitious. In July [1878] Bishop Angelo Pianori
brought the matter to the attention of Leo XIII, who encouraged him to
pursue it. In September, Father Clement Bretto, 21 a young Salesian
priest who later became economer general, after escorting some board-
ing students from Alassio to Lugo, went to Faenza with instructions to
check out the facilities; he liked what he saw. In March of the following
year, Father Cagliero and Father Durando stopped at Faenza while
doing their exploratory trip through Italy and confirmed his favorable
opinion. They were having dinner at the seminary when they received a
letter from Father Bonetti who, replying from Magliano Sabino in Don
Bosco's name to Father Taroni's letter of the year before, wrote: "As
soon as the nest is ready, the Salesians will settle in it. " This confirmed
what Don Bosco had said a month before to a student from Faenza who
was attending our school at Alassio: "The people of Faenza have stolen
my heart and I can't resist paying them a visit." The Salesians' arrival
and Don Bosco's visit became Father Taroni's favorite topics of conver-
sation both in the seminary and out.
2DSee Vol. XIV, pp. 72f. [Editor]
21see Appendix 1. [Editor]

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Father Babini, the parish priest, was at Valdocco for the feast of Mary,
Help of Christians and opened negotiations. Because of legal matters
connected with the former monastery, Don Bosco felt that he should
not further pursue the matter without the Holy See's previous consent.
The parish priest therefore immediately went to Rome. In a private
audience Pope Leo XIII praised the scope of the work, pointing out the
urgency of saving the young. Soon after, Cardinal [Theodulph] Mertel,
head of the Secretariat of Memorials,22 wrote to the bishop of Faenza,
asking about the need and feasibility of accomplishing the project. The
bishop's reply to both points was positive. A papal rescript followed,
approving the project and assigning two hundred and fifty lire yearly to
the Salesians for the first three years of residence in Faenza.
So unexpected a windfall kindled the enthusiasm of Faenza's Sale-
sian cooperators to such a degree that twelve priest cooperators banded
into a permanent committee headed by the vicar general in order to
expedite the plan and see it through to completion. In May 1880 three
of them went to Turin to relieve the superior chapter's lingering fears.
In a meeting with Father Rua, Father Durando and Father Cagliero, it
was agreed that three Salesians would be sent to Faenza in June if the
building could be made ready for occupancy.
During the remodeling, rumors began flying in Faenza that Jesuits
expelled from France were moving into the city. Protests and threats of
demonstrations against their coming were raised by loud-mouthed anti-
clericals who angrily egged the populace on, labeling the Jesuits as
immoral religious and troublemakers. But after the dust settled, the
common sense of the majority of the people quickly hushed the trou-
blemakers' uproar.
Although the twelve-member committee met repeatedly in an effort
to solve the problems raised by the central government and the provin-
cial authorities, the resulting delay made occupancy of the residence
impossible even by the end of 1880. On his return to Rome in 1881 the
bishop felt he could assure the Pope that the Salesians would soon be in
Faenza. "Good!" exclaimed Leo XIII. "They will be a great blessing
to your diocese." Responding to the pressing demands of Faenza's
citizens, the superior chapter announced that it was ready to send one
22A subdivision of the Secret Chancery of the Holy Father dealing with membership petitions
not handled by other Congregations. Source: The Catholic Encyclopedia, 1907, Robert Appleby
Co., New York, N.Y. [Editor]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
of its members to visit them. In fact, at the end of March, Father
[Anthony] Sala, economer general, stopped at Faenza while on his way
to Rome for matters concerning the Church of the Sacred Heart. He too
liked the premises and gave a few directives for the definitive setup of
the house, agreeing that it should be named after St. Francis de Sales.
However, everything seemed to conspire against it. Ten days after
Father Sala's departure copies of the Milan newspaper Secolo flooded
Faenza, making lurid charges against the Salesians in Alassio. 23 It was
an anxious moment for decent people; however, a refutation of the
charges was circulated throughout the city and foiled the sectarians'
plans.
How rough a road the committee had to traverse as they experienced
enthusiasm and discouragement, disagreements and reconciliation,
and some distrust stemming from Turin's procrastination. Romagna's
people, by nature ardent and generous, found it hard to understand that
time must often be allowed to run its course in business affairs. Even-
tually, on July 19 Father Durando wrote, "It is our policy to work in
harmony with the bishop. We shall write to him within this week and
will take action." Father Rua's letter to the bishop received an immedi-
ate reply voicing his hope for a quick opening of the house. Don
Bosco, deeply gratified by his letter, sent him a Salesian cooperator's
diploma and informed him that, when next assigning personnel, the
superiors would give foremost attention to meeting the wishes of
Faenza's Salesian cooperators.
Yet by the end of October no Salesian had as yet arrived, notwith-
standing the many prayers Father Taroni had urged his seminarians to
say! We can understand his utter disappointment on learning that per-
sonnel was not available. His grief knew no bounds when he saw the
Protestants descend in force upon Faenza.24 At the height of his distress
he was encouraged by a letter from the Salesian cleric [Henry] Fos-
23See pp. llOf. [Author]
24Having a poet's spirit he could not help expressing himself in poetry when deeply touched.
On this occasion he eased his sorrow in these three stanzas which he sent to the cleric Foschini:
"Are the Salesians coming?"
Christians demand.
"The Protestants are coming,"
the bad men reply.
The Protestants, yes;
The Salesians, no;
Mary,· see
What has befallen us.
Behold, 0 Mary, so many dear innocents at Thy knee;
Have pity on them, have pity, if Thou hast none for us. [Author]

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chini, formerly a seminarian of his, who informed him that despite the
obstacles raised by the other superiors, Don Bosco himself had not lost
hope.
And that hope was realized in a very unexpected way. On the night of
October 22, a train wreck occurred in Liguria between Sarzana and
Avenza: thirteen coaches derailed and were badly damaged with loss of
life and many casualties. Among the passengers was a young Salesian
priest who, after his spiritual retreat in Piedmont, was returning to
Randazzo in Sicily, where he was stationed. At that very time Father
Cagliero, on completing his tour of Sicily, had sent word to the superi-
ors in Turin not to send any more priests to Sicily, since there was no
need of additional personnel. Providence seemingly was intervening.
Immediately Don Bosco telegraphed both Father Cagliero and the un-
harmed Salesian to meet in Rome and go to Faenza together to open the
festive oratory. Thus it was that Father John Baptist Rinaldi became
director of the new house; though a young man, he was to win the love
and esteem of the people of Faenza and all Romagna. Later the cleric
[Henry] Foschini25 and Paul Bassignana, a coadjutor who became very
popular in the city-they used to call him Paolino-were sent to help
him. Paolino was truly a saint. To the end of his long life he was the
Salesian community's "wise and faithful servant" and an angel of
kindness to the city. Father Cagliero formally opened the festive or-
atory on [Sunday] November 20, 1881 in the presence of two hundred
boys. That evening the people of Faenza s~ng the first Vespers of Our
Lady of the People, their beloved patroness. The coincidence was
telling: the Salesians had gone there precisely to save the children of
the people.
At first it caused no small surprise that, with so many Salesian
cooperators, priests or laymen, in Faenza, Don Bosco should have
singled out only one person, Dr. Mark Cantagalli, to whom he recom-
mended the Salesians he was sending from Turin. On a business card
he wrote: "Father John Bosco thanks, greets and blesses the Salesian
cooperator Cantagalli, recommending to his care the small Salesian
family in Faenza. '' Dr. Cantagalli was a physician, and this explains
the timely recommendation, but no one understood why he should have
been singled out. Father Taroni, a man of God accustomed to seeing
God's plan in all things, later offered an explanation when the doctor's
25See Vol. XIII, pp. 665f. [Editor]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
brother was appointed bishop of Faenza; it was almost as if Don Bosco
had foreseen the future. On the evening of December 8 the Holy
Father's first subsidy reached the Salesians from Rome.
Don Bosco 's much awaited visit to the Salesian house in Faenza took
place on May 13, 1882. He immediately made it known that he wished
to hold a public conference, but opinion on this was divided. As we
shall see, the press had been waging for several days a fierce war
against the Salesians. Also Romagna's so-called "republican" pa-
pers-a name long synonymous with Freemasonry-had been dis-
gorging a flood of insults and blasphemies, and political rallies were
being held throughout the city. Fearing that the agitators might use this
occasion to provoke demonstrations against the unwelcome new-
comers, the local clergy tried to dissuade Don Bosco from holding the
conference. But he would not yield. "We want everyone to know what
this is all about," he stated, "lest they think that we are any kind of
conspirators or have come with evil intentions. " Deferring to his deter-
mined stand, the priests discussed which church they should choose for
the purpose. After letting them talk for some time, he interrupted,
saying, "Let's call on the bishop and do what he suggests." The choice
fell on the parish church of the Servites, one of Faenza's largest and
most frequented churches.
On the morning of Sunday, May 14, feast of Our Lady of Grace, Don
Bosco celebrated Mass in the cathedral at Her altar for the seminary's
upperclassmen. At Communion time, realizing that several other peo-
ple wished to receive, he took the large Host reserved for Benediction
of the Blessed Sacrament and broke it into particles for the eight
communicants.
After Mass he visited the seminary, to the clerics' joy. How often
they had heard Father Taroni talk about him, his virtue, his works, his
miracles, and now here he stood in their very midst! They received him
in the courtyard beneath a large balcony. As he slowly approached
them, he looked at them and exclaimed, "Oh how I love you!" He
addressed them in the lecture hall. Again he said that he had loved
them for a long time, that he had often spoken about them, and many a
time ha<;f prayed for them, warmly longing to meet them; now that he
finally saw them he was happy. He asked the rector if they went home
for [the summer] vacation. On being told they did not, he exclaimed,
"Lucky people!" He then told them about a twelve-year-old pupil of

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his who, after vacationing at home one summer, absolutely refused to
return to the Oratory. When Father Taroni asked why not, Don Bosco
answered, "If one could see the souls of youngsters who go home for
vacation, he would realize that many leave with the wings of a dove and
return with devils' horns. I regret to say it, but, unfortunately, one goes
home with good intentions and then ... I'll say no more. . . . I am
sorry to see my sons go home for vacation and would prefer they stay
with me, and so I suppose that your superiors feel the same way. You
are fortunate . . . but let's drop the subject." In closing he wished them
the three S's: Sanita, Sapienza, Santita [Good Health, Wisdom and
Holiness], commenting briefly on each.
We should not hide the fact that the bishop and some of his clergy
feared that the Salesians' presence in their city might hurt the seminary,
especially when they would open a boarding school. It was with this
latent anxiety in mind that the rector asked him to pray for the semi-
nary because of the decline in the number of applicants. Don Bosco
reassured him; the Faenza seminary's enrollment, he said, would go
up. So soon and effectively was his prediction verified that both the
bishop and rector used to say that this alone convinced them Don
Bosco was a saint.
That afternoon he spoke to three hundred boys. A certain father who
was dying, he told them, gave his three sons healthy grains of wheat.
One son put the seed away without planting it; one sowed it carelessly;
the third sowed it well on good soil. The moral of his talk was that as
one sows so shall one reap. Later he gave a talk, almost an hour long,
to a crowded congregation from the pulpit, standing, biretta in hand,
and dwelt on the objectives of the Salesian Society, stressing that it was
totally dedicated to the welfare of boys. He announced that on the
following day he would offer Mass in the Church of St. Anthony of
Padua and would address the ladies of the Society of St. Vincent de
Paul. Wherever he planned to establish his work, Don Bosco always
gave great importance to the cooperation of pious women whom he was
able to inspire to work with him.
At that Mass many received Holy Communion. In his brief talk, he
congratulated the good ladies and mentioned several indulgences and
how to gain them; then he spoke about the Church of the Sacred Heart
in Rome, asking them in the Pope's name to contribute toward it.
At this time, Count Marcel Cavina was critically ill. He and his

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
family were held in high esteem by the whole city for their dedication
to religion and works of charity. They hoped that, through Don Bosco's
prayers, heaven might grant him the grace of a recovery. Don Bosco
went to his bedside twice, the second time being right after the address
to the ladies of the St. Vincent de Paul Society and just an hour before
his departure. Father Taroni, recalling the blessings Don Bosco's visit
brought to the Salesian cooperators, to the seminarians and to the
count's family, wrote: "Don Bosco's visit served to bring strong en-
couragement especially to his cooperators, a remarkable increase of
seminarians, and a truly wonderful resignation, peace and serenity in
the count until his death."
Before the count's decease, Don Bosco wrote three times to Canon
Joseph Cavina, his brother. His first letter contains a further affirmation
of a statement of his. In 1875, when speaking to the directors26 [at the
annual conference of St. Francis de Sales] he had told them of his wish
that the Pope's acts of kindness toward him should return to the Pope
through donations to Peter's Pence. That his was not just a pious wish is
proven by the six thousand francs for the Pope which Don Bosco had
brought with him from Marseille to Rome, where, as we have seen,
they were stolen. 27 Here again we see the same noble thought. In this
he was very much himself. At the very beginning of Peter's Pence in
1849 had he not sent the meager but priceless contribution of his poor
Oratory boys ?28
My dear friend in Jesus Christ:
Turin, May 28, 1882
I received your kind letter and thank you. I saw your brother twice while in
Faenza and found him seriously ill. Since then I have prayed and have had
others pray for him. While I was with him I thought that I might suggest to
him an exceptional means of recovery which several times achieved good
results-a handsome donation to ease the Holy Father's financial difficulties.
But I went no further, because I knew it was the pious intent of your mother
and family to make such an offering when the grace was obtained. However
they graciously gave me a donation for Masses and for prayers; the latter we
have offered and continue to offer both morning and evening at the altar of
26See Vol. XI, p. 13. See also p. I19 of this volume. The originals of Don Bosco's letters to the
canon are preserved in the archives of the Cavina family. [Author]
27See Vol. XIV, pp. 352ff. [Editor]
28See Vol. III, p. 361. [Editor]

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Mary, Help of Christians. My dear Monsignor, I shall not fail to say a special
memento for you every morning at my Holy Mass. I ask you also to kindly
pray for me. In the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary,
Your humble servant,
Fr. John Bosco
Besides being generous to Don Bosco while he was their guest, the
Cavina family sent him a further two thousand lire which he assigned
to the Church of the Sacred Heart. In alluding to young Count Charles,
worthy successor to both the name and the virtue of his father, Don
Bosco used the epithet "graceful," which would seem quite out of
keeping with his usual way of describing one's physical appearance,
and so we should understand this as it is commonly used in the Pied-
montese dialect, meaning "courteous, obliging."
My dear friend in Our Lord Jesus Christ:
Turin [no date I
I have received your letters, and today I got the four money orders of five
hundred francs each to be used for the greater glory of God and of the Blessed
Virgin Mary by imploring Her aid for your sick brother. That was my intent
while I was in Faenza. Morning and evening I still keep praying before the
altar of Mary, Help of Christians. If God will not grant us the miracle of his
physical recovery, we may still be sure beyond doubt that the miracle of his
eternal salvation will be accomplished.
I had in mind to do something for the Holy Father who, I know, is in dire
need, and so the money you sent is being used today to pay off a debt
contracted in building the Sacred Heart Church and Hospice in Rome, in
which the Holy Father takes a keen interest.
May the merciful Lord deign to listen to our prayers and grant us those
graces which are in accord with His holy will and the spiritual good of your
brother.
Please extend my humble respects to your brother, your mother, your sister-
in-law and graceful little Charles, your nephew.
May the Lord bless you all. Please pray for me too. Always in the Sacred
Hearts of Jesus and Mary,
Your affectionate friend,
Fr. John Bosco

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
The third letter came shortly before the death of Count Cavina on
June 19.
My dear Father Joseph:
Turin, June 8, 1882
How grieved I am by the news you give me of your brother! Here we have
prayed morning and evening in Our Lady's church in order to obtain his
recovery. Were so many prayers in vain? I cannot believe so; it only means that
God intends to grant us a spiritual rather than a physical favor. Please assure
your mother, Marchioness Cavina-Durazzo, that we are also praying for her in
particular. Then, should God ask a complete sacrifice of us, let us respond
generously. God is Our Father and Our Lord, and we shall do our best to say
"Your will be done!" Warm regards to you and your whole family. In Jesus
Christ,
Yours devotedly,
Fr. John Bosco
The family of the deceased always kept a warm remembrance of Don
Bosco. At the approach of the Christmas season, Canon Joseph Cavina
sent him his best wishes and then confided his spiritual needs to him.
He received the following reply:
My dear Father Joseph,
Turin, December 27, 1882
I delayed for a short while my answer to your letter so that I might have the
pleasure of writing to you personally and letting you know how much I
appreciate your greetings and prayers. I heartily thank you and pray that God
may repay a hundredfold you, my dear Father Joseph, your whole family and,
especially, your little nephew. May God safeguard him.
You ask me to pray that God may enlighten you to choose the path which
will unfailingly lead you to life everlasting. Yes, I shall do that gladly and ask
you to do the same for me. Should the Lord inspire you to come and stay with
us even only a short while, you will be a brother visiting his family home-
stead, the master coming to his servant's house. There is plenty of work
awaiting you too. Yet we shall do our best to have regard for your health and
station.
Since you so kindly wrote to me in all confidence, I too commend myself
most warmly to your prayers and to your holy Masses. Just now I have to deal
with very important matters regarding our foreign missions, and my success
depends on heaven's aid. Therefore I rely very heavily on your prayers.

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God bless you, my ever dear Father Joseph, and may He keep you in good
health. Please pay my humble respects to your entire honorable family. I am
always honored to be in Our Lord Jesus Christ,
Your affectionate friend,
Fr. John Bosco
The festive oratory's success so enraged the enemies of good that
they fought against the Salesians tooth and nail. During recreation one
day a rifle was fired across the playground, the bullet meant for Father
[John Baptist] Rinaldi; almost miraculously no one was hurt. One night
the main door was soaked with gasoline and set afire. Even among
good people there were misunderstandings which caused hard feelings.
All these things aroused fears that Don Bosco would recall his Sale-
sians and close the festive oratory. But, as Father Berto affirmed at the
process [for Don Bosco's beatification], Don Bosco replied to someone
who begged him to avert this peril that, despite the opposition of Satan
and the sects, the house of Faenza would not be closed down but would
rather grow. Father Berto's statement is confirmed by this letter of Don
Bosco to Canon Cavina:
My dear friend in Our Lord Jesus Christ:
Turin, September 17, 1883
I was very happy to receive your letter which gave me such heartening news
of your family. I thank God that all of you are enjoying satisfactory health and
sincerely pray that it keeps getting better and better and that the Lord's grace
may make you steadfast in His service until you receive the reward of the just
in heaven.
However, I was deeply grieved to hear of the obstacles hindering the work
we do to help poor and endangered youth. Shall we leave the field to enemy
hands? Never!
When dangers threaten, we must redouble our efforts and sacrifices. We
shall willingly do all that lies in our power, but you and your friends too must
lend a helping hand so that we can open a hospice for poor boys. Let all of you
think and do something about it.
Father Rinaldi will explain my thoughts better to you.
I have no time to write more, but I assure you that I shall not forget to pray
for you, my dear Father Joseph, and for your well-deserving family at my
Mass every day.

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
Please commend our entire Salesian forces to Our Lord, especially now that
we are making a decisive foray into Patagonia.
God bless us all. In Jesus Christ,
Yours affectionately,
Fr. John Bosco
Far from leaving Faenza, Don Bosco gave orders to look for prem-
ises which might offer greater possibility of apostolate and afford
greater freedom of action. In the meantime an unofficial stipulation was
made between him and the committee of Salesian cooperators. It re-
mained in effect until the festive oratory was successfully transferred
from the suburb to the center of the city. Here the work grew by leaps
and bounds; at present [1934] it still continues to exert a beneficial
influence for good not only in the immediate area but throughout the
entire Romagna region.

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CHAPTER 11
The Daughters ofMary, Help
ofChristians at the Death
ofTheir First Mother General
«I HILE the Bonetti case was running into further complica-
tions in Rome because of jurisdictional problems, Attorney Leonori
wrote to Don Bosco:1 "I would suggest that this is the time for you to
seek approval of the constitutions of the Daughters of Mary, Help of
Christians, following the same procedures you adopted for obtaining
your Congregation's approval; this would eliminate all problems."
Other people too were of the same mind, but Don Bosco was in no
hurry to seek such approval. He knew only too well that Rome's
tendency was to make the women's communities totally independent
from their male counterparts and that just then such a separation would
be both untimely and harmful, for he felt that he still needed time to
shape the promising Congregation according to his ideal. In this he was
merely following the precedent set by the Vincentians, who for similar
reasons never sought approval of St. Vincent de Paul's rule for the
Daughters of Charity.2
The new community, we have said, was a promising one. In 1881,
imitating the policy set by the Salesians in 1872, the Daughters of
Mary, Help of Christians started issuing their General Directory of
1Rome, June 21, 1881. [Author]
2In 1901 a decree of the Congregation of Bishops and Regulars required that, among other
conditions for approval of a women's congregation, it be totally independent of any male con-
gregation having a similar mission. In 1918 that decree was incorporated into the new Code of
Canon Law. For the Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians, the decree went into effect in 1906. In
1921 Pope Benedict XV appointed Father Paul Albera apostolic delegate for the Daughters of
Mary, Help of Christians; his duty was, personally or through delegates, to safeguard the
founder's spirit. [Author]
295

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
sisters and convents, adding brief obituaries of deceased sisters. Their
superior chapter was then listed as follows:
Superior General
Vicar
Economer
First Assistant
Second Assistant
Novice Mistress
Sister Mary Mazzarello
Sister Catherine Daghero
Sister Joan Ferettino
Sister Emily Mosca
Sister Henrietta Sorbone
Sister Petronilla Mazzarello
The directory listed the names of ninety-seven perpetually professed
sisters, fifty-six with triennial vows, fifty-five novices, and seven lay
sisters. The lay sisters formed a distinct group; dressed in black, they
wore a shawl rather than a guimpe. While their duties and rights did not
differ from those of the other sisters, their distinct habit clearly desig-
nated a difference of status. Hence they often felt ,somewhat ill at ease,
like second-class religious-a situation very alien to the mind of the
founder and the spirit of the community. However, the appropriateness
that the sisters who did housework or ran outside errands should wear
something lighter seemed to advise against any changes, and so this
situation continued until 1922, when Article 21 of their constitutions
was drawn up, stating "The sisters engaged in errands outside the
convent may wear a plain cloak over their religious habit when they go
out." From then on, all the sisters wore the same habit inside the
convent.
The motherhouse in Nizza Monferrato was structured after the Val-
docco Oratory. The mother general was the directress, but she was
assisted by a vicar who actually ran the community. The other houses
numbered twenty-three: two of them were in Sicily (Catania and
Bronte), three in France (Nice, La Navarre and Saint-Cyr), and six in
South America (Almagro, La Boca, San Isidoro, and Patagones in
Argentina; Villa Colon and Las Piedras in Uruguay). During 1881 and
1882 ten more convents were founded: eight of them were in Italy
(Fontanile, Visone, Incisa Belbo in the Acqui diocese; Rosignano
Monferrato in the Casale diocese; Sampierdarena in the archdiocese of
Genoa; Trecastagni in the archdiocese of Catania, and Mascali
Nunziata in the diocese of Acireale); one was in France (Marseille),
and one in Argentina (Moron near Buenos Aires).
In the midst of all this activity, God called to Himself the woman

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The Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians
297
who, wrapped in her humility, had been its inner driving power from
the early days of its slow growth. Until then the Congregation's need
was to sink roots deeply into the religious virtues, so that it might grow
into a straight and sturdy tree. In this regard, the gentle holiness and
relentless work of Mother Mazzarella were all that Don Bosco could
wish. But now the Congregation's ever more rapid and vast develop-
ment demanded a leader blessed with a happy combination of super-
natural gifts and uncommon natural talents. Mother Mazzarella
herself, inspired as she was, had a surprising grasp of this need, so
much so that before the June 1880 elections she would approach the
sisters who were to vote and gently suggest to them something like this:
"As you can see, the Congregation now needs knowledgeable superi-
ors, since well educated young women are entering, and it becomes
ever more difficult to discern if they are really called to the religious
life. Not so for country girls, who are open-hearted, and one can see
through them. Guiding the first group calls for much virtue and learn-
ing. Hence, vote for Sister Magdalene Martini, who is now in South
America, or Sister Catherine Daghero." Though they paid her no heed
then, a year later they took her advice. 3 The illness which brought
Mother Mazzarella to her grave had long been dormant within her.
Throughout that winter a dull pain in her side would now and then flare
up with considerable discomfort, but she paid no attention to it. While
accompanying her missionary sisters to the port of departure, she was
overcome by a high fever at Sampierdarena; nevertheless, feeling
somewhat better, she set sail for Marseille, planning to visit the sisters
in France. However, on arriving at Saint-Cyr, she was stricken by a
very violent attack of pleurisy and had to stay in the convent for a
month in great pain, to everyone's edification.
On her journey home she met Don Bosco at Nice and asked him
whether she would ever fully regain her strength. Don Bosco replied
with a story. "Once upon a time," he said, "Death came knocking at a
convent door. To the sister portress, who opened the door, Death said,
'Come with me.' But the portress replied that she could not, since
there was no one to take her place. Without another word Death walked
into the convent and kept telling everyone it met, 'Come with me,'
whether she was a sister or a postulant or a pupil, even the cook. But all
answered that they could not heed its call because they still had a lot of
3See Maccono, Suor Maria Mazzarello, p. 268 (1st edition). [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
things to do. Finally Death approached the superioress. 'Come with
me,' it told her. She too presented her excuses why she could not. But
this time Death did not back down and insisted, 'The superior must
lead by example, even on the journey into eternity. So come, and don't
hold back, because I cannot accept your excuses.' What was she to do?
Naught but bow her head and follow." Mother Mazzarello understood,
but passed it off in fun, so as not to grieve the sisters who were with
her.
At Saint-Cyr she had had but one desire-not to die away from
Nizza Monferrato, far from her good daughters. The Lord heard her
prayer. She arrived there on March 28, but she harbored no illusions.
Don Bosco had made it clear enough that her last hour would not be
long in coming. Knowing this, how deeply the joyous welcome she
was given must have distressed her! Indeed, hardly two weeks later the
pleurisy returned with most grave symptoms.
In her humble, unabashed simplicity she prayed in her sufferings,
humming hymns to Our Lady, interesting herself in the needs of others
and speaking kindly to all. One day she made three recommendations to
the chapter members and to the more elderly sisters gathered about her
bed. First, there should be no jealousy among them after her death; as
long as her poor scrap of a body was still with them, such danger would
not arise, but later who could say? Second, they were to help one another
in doing good but leave the running of the Congregation to those who
were in charge. . . . Third, the sisters had forsaken the world, and
therefore should not create another like it in the Congregation.
Father Cagliero arrived from Spain on May 10. Since Don Bosco
was away from Turin and Mother Mazzarello could not have his final
blessing, she prayed that at least the sisters' director general might
come to her before her death. When Father Cagliero arrived, she had
already been given the last sacraments, but on the eve of her death he
spent three quarters of an hour at her bedside, giving her the oppor-
tunity to talk at ease about her spiritual needs. She died a holy death on
the morning of Saturday, May 14 [1881] at the age of forty-four.
Mother Mazzarello 's life and governance prove beyond argument
that Don Bosco had really been inspired in choosing her to head the
newborn Congregation. Though rather irritable by nature, she con-
trolled herself and became patience personified; though without
schooling, she enjoyed the sincere respect of sisters who were well
educated; always most modest, she had an extraordinary talent in cor-

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The Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians
299
recting others, discerning vocations and calming disturbed minds. Her
death brought bitter grief to all her daughters, but the reputation for
holiness enshrining her memory made her the pride of her religious
family, and they took steps before long to urge her cause of
beatification.
There was and there still is some surprise at the lack of clues indicat-
ing Don Bosco's reaction to this sorrowful happening. A few things
must be pointed out. The day Mother Mazzarello died he was with
Father Rua in Florence, striving to resolve some regrettable problems
in that house and to come up with a final and better arrangement. Also
we must admit that we have no information on what he privately said or
did in many instances. Then, too, when we consider the sisters, we find
it is an irrefutable fact that, though Don Bosco privately and publicly
praised the sisters' work, he never singled out any sister by name-a
reticence very much in keeping with his reserve in certain matters, a
reserve he would not break for all the world. Nor can we forget the
objections Rome made concerning the ties between the Salesian rector
major and the Congregation of the Daughters of Mary, Help of Chris-
tians,4 as well as the insinuations rampant in Turin about Don Bosco's
alleged maneuverings to wrest the sisters and their convents from the
archbishop's authority. 5 All these things must have convinced him at
the time that he would be wise to be on guard and forestall misunder-
standings by refraining from public comments which others might
seize upon to charge him with excessive interference in the government
of a Congregation which was only diocesan.
Though Don Bosco did not speak about Mother Mazzarello's death,
the Bollettino Salesiano did. Its June issue published a brief but highly
laudatory obituary. Then in five other issues,6 it gave its readers a
spellbinding biography which highlighted the deceased mother's vir-
tues and merits. Can we suppose that any of these notices went unob-
served by Don Bosco? Rather, it seems to us that here and there we
detect the touch of his pen.
According to the rules of the Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians,
the governance of the Congregation during the vacancy passed into the
hands of the vicar, and a new mother general was to be elected not later
4See Vol. XIV, pp. 162, 166f. [Editor]
5See p. 155. [Editor]
6September, October and December 1881; March and June 1882. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
than two weeks after her predecessor's death. The vicar, Sister
Catherine Daghero, while informing the sisters of the details of Mother
Mazzarello's death, enclosed a letter written to the vicar by Father
Cagliero, director general, in Don Bosco's name. It read:
Dear Sister and dear Daughters in Jesus Christ,
Turin, May 24, 1881
Our beloved superior and father, the Very Reverend Don Bosco, has deeply
shared your rightful grief for the profoundly felt loss each of you has sustained
in the death of your Very Reverend Mother General.
He commends to God the lovely soul of the deceased and prays for her
orphaned daughters.
He asks that you all resign yourselves to God's holy will and he prays that
you all stand united in the beautiful bond of charity and in the perfect obser-
vance of your Congregation's holy rule. Since present circumstances prevent
you from carrying out Article 3, Chapter 4, of your constitutions concerning
the election of a mother general, he postpones that election to next August at
the time of your spiritual retreat.
He urges all of you to put your trust in Divine Providence and in the
motherly protection of Mary, Help of Christians. He also asks that all recite a
daily Pater, Ave, and Gloria to the Holy Spirit in all the Congregation's
convents, that you may be given a mother like your former one to guide you all
to heaven!
I ask for a remembrance in your fervent prayers. In Jesus Christ,
Your director and father,
Fr. John Cagliero
The election was scheduled for August 12. The general chapter,
comprising all the mother superiors of Italy and France, together with
the members of the superior chapter, met in the Church of Our Lady of
Grace at Nizza Monferrato. The boarders were also allowed to attend.
After calling upon the Holy Spirit's enlightenment, Don Bosco, as
rector major, assisted by Father Cagliero, director general, and Father
Lemoyne, local director, gave an appropriate talk and then in God's
name declared the meeting in session. Tellers were chosen by secret
ballot: Sister Rosalie Pestarino, superior of the Chieri convent, and
Sister Adele David, superior of the Vallecrosia convent. The chapter
would have preferred that Don Bosco choose three candidates from
whom they would elect a mother general, but Father Cagliero at once
opposed the plan. Twenty-one sisters voted and elected Sister

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Catherine Daghero of Cumiana as their superior. The rule required that
the mother general be at least thirty-five years old, whereas Sister
Daghero was only twenty-five, but Don Bosco gave her the necessary
dispensation. The new mother general's election was everywhere
hailed with great rejoicing, since she was already highly esteemed by
the sisters, both near and far.
While election preparations were still underway, she happened to be
with Don Bosco, who told her, "I have a fine box of bitter macaroons
for the poor soul who is to succeed Mother Mazzarello, because that
poor soul. . . ." In fact, he sent the new superior not one but two
boxes, one of macaroons, the other of candy, with this note:
Dear Mother General:
Nizza Monferrato, August 12, 1881
Here are a few tidbits for your daughters. Keep for yourself the sweetness
you are to show them at all times, but also be ready to accept the bitter
macaroons, or, better still, the bitter pills it may please God to send you.
God bless you and give you virtue and strength to sanctify yourself as well
as the entire community entrusted to you.
Pray for me.
Yours in Jesus Christ,
Fr. John Bosco
When the meeting was over, the sisters poured into the courtyard and
gathered about Don Bosco. Close to him there was also Countess Gatti.
"Look how many you are already!" Don Bosco exclaimed. "Your
house is big, but it will expand further. Be women of courage. Though
you have lost a humble mother, you have .been given another most
humble. You had a saintly mother and now you have one no less
holy.... But where is she now? Look for her and tell her to show
herself!" They sought about and found her in the attic, hiding in tears.
That evening a show was given in the little theatre to honor both the
newly elected mother general and Don Bosco. The latter asked Mother
Daghero to sit between him and Countess Gatti. At the end of the
performance he said, "This is your mother. And, Mother, these are
your daughters. I see two trays on the table, one containing tiny mac-
aroons, the other candy. Now, Mother, give each sister a spoonful of
macaroons first, then one of candy." After that was done, Don Bosco,
turning toward the mother general, said to her, "Do this always. For

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
each and for all something a little bitter because it is good for both soul
and body, and then candy-but this always later."
Since August 2 Don Bosco had been at Nizza conducting the usual
retreat for women and girls and keeping very busy hearing their confes-
sions and counseling. Then each evening after prayers he gave a short
talk. Sister Angela Rinaldi recalls that in one of them he dwelt on this
thought: "Many people say Don Bosco is a saint, and that he does
wonderful things, but I can tell you that Don Bosco is just an ordinary
priest, an instrument for great things in God's hands, great things for
the salvation of souls, especially those of the young. But he can do
nothing without your cooperation.... He relies on the spiritual help
coming from your prayers strengthened by a truly Christian life, and he
looks to you for material assistance in the form of small or large
offerings.... "These retreats always produced such good results that
in 1882 he went so far as to remark, "If I had not already founded the
Congregation of the Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians, I would do
so now just to accomplish this much good."
Among the retreatants there was young Eulalia Bosco, his grand-
niece, daughter of Francis Bosco who was the son of Don Bosco's
brother, Joseph. On seeing her, he said: "Your sister Mary asked to
become a postulant this year, but Our Lady wants her in paradise and
wants you to take her place." The girl was taken aback and stammered,
"Oh no! My sister is getting better, and I do not feel like becoming a
nun." Her sister died, and young Eulalia returned to the convent a year
later as a postulant. She is still alive today [1933]. After serving in
Rome as mother provincial, she was elected to the superior chapter, of
which she is still a member.
While caring for the sisters and retreatants, Don Bosco snatched
spare moments of free time to revise his ll Giovane Provveduto [The
Companion of Youth]7 and update it. He therefore wrote to his
secretary:
My dear Father Berto,
Nizza Monferrato, August 8, 1881
When you come, make sure that you bring .the other notebooks of the old
edition of fl Giovane Provveduto because I brought the wrong sequence with
7See Vol. Ill, Chapter 2. [Editor]

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303
me. Take care of yourself and of all our young bean plants8 and grapes.
Farewell and pray for me. In Jesus Christ,
Yours affectionately,
Fr. John Bosco
On August 8 he wanted to gratify a former pupil of his who had
founded a Catholic Workmen's Association at Nizza. This man, recall-
ing the pertinent gratifying words uttered by Don Bosco on his name
day,9 thought that he should take advantage of this opportunity to honor
him and benefit the association. In agreement with the honorary chair-
man, Count Caesar Balbo, he invited the members to a formal recep-
tion, enhanced by the presence of parish priests and other clergy, at
which Don Bosco himself presided. Father Joseph Bertella read a
masterly address between several other speeches. Don Bosco then
spoke and moved his listeners as he reminded them how he had always
been the friend of the workingman. 10 Four days later, while preparing
to leave Nizza, he sent a gracious letter to the association and its
chairman:
My dear Charles Brovia:
Nizza Monferrato, August 12, 1881
Yesterday I wanted to thank each and every member of the Catholic Work-
men's Association, which you so well manage, but I had neither the time nor
the opportunity. Please thank them for me, and tell them I took much comfort
from the evening and shall retain an undying recollection of what might be
truly called a Christian social gathering. May God increase your numbers!
God bless you and the entire association. Humble regards to Count Caesar
Balbo. Pray for me too. In Jesus Christ,
Your most affectionate friend,
Fr. John Bosco
Through his graciousness Don Bosco had also in mind to win well-
wishers to the Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians, all the more so
because some townsfolk did not look upon them with a kindly eye, as
we have already had occasion to demonstrate. 11 In October the new
BSee Vol. xm, p. 678. [Editor]
9See p. 142. [Editor]
10Bollettino Salesiano, September 1881. [Author]
usee Vol. XIV, pp. 198ff. [Editor]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
mother general went to Rome. Father Cagliero, whom Don Bosco had
sent to Sicily to visit the Salesians and Daughters of Mary, Help of
Christians and preach their spiritual retreat, made a stopover in Rome
and visited the Salesian house at Magliano. As he was preparing to
resume his trip, Mother Daghero brought him some nuns so that he
could escort them to Trecastagni [in the province of Catania] and help
them start a new foundation.
It was a solemn occasion. A vast number of Italian Catholics were
flocking to Pope Leo XIII in protest and reparation for a most shameful
insult recently given to the Vicar of Jesus Christ. On the night of July
13 [1881] as Pius IX's mortal remains were being transferred from the
Vatican to the place he had chosen for his burial, a gang of roving
madmen hired by the Freemasons charged the cortege in a vain effort
to scatter it at any cost, even threatening with satanic fury to fling the
mortal remains of the great Pope into the Tiber. The entire world rose
up in indignation, particularly the whole of Italy. On October 16 [1881]
some twenty thousand Italian pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Basilica
in enthusiastic homage to Peter's successor. Then the following morn-
ing a papal audience was held in the Vatican halls where the pilgrims
arrayed themselves in regional groups to see the Pope. Mother Daghero
· and the sisters joined the Piedmont detachment, as did also Father
Cagliero and the other Salesians.
Never could they have dreamed of so magnificent a pageant, es-
pecially when the Holy Father, followed by a train of prelates, toured
the hall. They saw how graciously Leo XIII stopped when someone
presented the Salesians, and he stopped to talk first to the cleric Eu-
sebius Calvi12 and then to Father Cagliero. 13 They all heard the Pontiff
say, "Don Bosco is a saint." The sisters too were presented to the
Pope, who remarked, "The sisters of Don Bosco! Good! Good! How
many houses do you have? Where are they?" Mother Daghero, on her
knees, was so touched and taken aback that she could not find words to
answer, and Father Cagliero came to her aid. On hearing that they were
in Argentina, Uruguay and Patagonia, he exclaimed: "Oh, these good
120rdained a priest in 1885, he worked zealously in Piedmont, Liguria, Calabria and Sicily for
over forty years, inspiring many priestly and religious vocations among his pupils. He went to his
heavenly reward from the Oratory on January 4, 1923. [Editor]
13Bollettino Salesiano, November 1881. [Author]

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305
sisters! Even as far off as Patagonia! God bless you all, each of you,
your superior and all your houses!''
With the end of the year 1881 came a handsome heavenly gift to the
Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians. On the last day of December
Don Bosco had a dream about them which he narrated to Father Le-
moyne, who, as he always did with anything relating to Don Bosco,
immediately took notes of all he said. They form the basis of our
account.
Don Bosco found himself gathering chestnuts in a grove [of his] near
Castelnuovo. Scattered over the grassy ground were many, big, fine
chestnuts. While he was absorbed in what he was doing, a woman
appeared and gradually came toward him while picking up chestnuts
and placing them into a basket. Don Bosco, annoyed by the way she
was helping herself to other people's things, addressed her, "What
right do you have to come here? I can't see how you dare come and
take chestnuts from my land."
"Oh!" she replied. "You mean I have no right?"
"I think I'm the owner and this is my property. "
"Be that as it may, but I am also gathering chestnuts for you."
The woman spoke in so resolute a voice without pausing in her work
that Don Bosco thought it best not to pursue the matter, and so he
continued picking chestnuts. When their baskets were full, the woman
called to Don Bosco and asked, "Do you know how many chestnuts I
have here?"
"That's a strange question!"
"Just answer it. Do you know how many there are?"
"Of course not! Am I supposed to be a wizard?"
"Then I will tell you."
"Well, then, how many are there?"
"Five hundred and four."
"Five hundred and four?"
"Exactly. Do you know what these chestnuts symbolize?"
"No!"
"They symbolize the the houses of the Daughters of Mary, Help of
Christians. That is the number they will open."
While they were talking, they heard a loud uproar of a nasty crowd
of shouting drunkards. They could hear them advancing through the
trees. Frightened, Don Bosco took off, the woman following close

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
behind, until they were finally stopped by the bank of a river. They
could go no further, and going back was out of the question. Don
Bosco became very worried. Meanwhile the crowd drew nearer, shout-
ing and viciously trampling underfoot the chestnuts lying on the
ground.
At this point Father Lemoyne comments: "Possibly unfulfilled voca-
tions, mainly lost because of hostility against the Daughters of Mary,
Help of Christians, or, more likely, the fate of those girls who still
remain in the world."
Don Bosco was awakened by the uproar, but moments later he dozed
off again and the dream continued. He was sitting on the bank of a
swollen stream; a short way off sat the woman with the basket of
chestnuts on her lap. Far off could still be heard the drunkards' receding
shouts as they seemed to be fading away behind a hill; it all took but an
instant.
Don Bosco kept eyeing the chestnuts, which were really large and
beautiful. But, looking more closely, he noticed that many of them
were worm-eaten.
"Look at these," he told the woman. "What are we to do with
them?"
"Throw them away, lest they spoil the good ones. You must expel
the girls who are not good or who fail to keep the spirit of the house
because they are being consumed by pride or some other vice. Do this
especially with the postulants. ''
Father Lemoyne comments: "The chestnuts of the second dream
symbolized the Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians.''
As Don Bosco kept looking at the chestnuts, he sorted out a few and
found that the worm-eaten ones were not many after all, saying as
much to the woman. She replied, "Do you think that all the remaining
ones are good? Couldn't there be some with an undetected worm?"
"If so, how can we ferret them out?"
"It's not easy. Some postulants are so guileful that it seems impossi-
ble to unmask them."
"Then what shall we do?"
''There is only one way. Use the rules as a gauge and keep an eye on
them. You will see who is spiritually motivated and who is not. This
test will hardly ever fool a careful observer. "
Don Bosco kept staring at the chestnuts, lost in thought, and then he
suddenly awoke. Dawn was breaking.

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The Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians
307
As he told Father Lemoyne, the dream came back every night for a
full week, for no sooner would he fall asleep than instantly the woman
and the chestnuts reappeared. Once she told him, "Look out for the
rotten chestnuts and those that are hollow. To test them, put them into a
pot of hot water. The test is obedience.... Boil them and then squirt the
rot out of them. Throw them away. The hollow ones, that is, the vain
ones, always rise to the top. They cannot stay at the bottom with the
others, but will strive to come up somehow. Scoop them out with a
skimmer and fling them away. Bear in mind also that husking good
chestnuts after boiling is no instant job. First remove the husk and then
peel off the skin. They will appear very, very white. But look carefully;
some of them are twins; pry them apart and you will find another fine
membrane within. That's where some tartness is hidden."
We would find it hard to come up with a better metaphor of the
various kinds of persons who make up a religious community, and to
show how difficult it is to probe the inner recesses of the heart, even
when it is good.

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CHAPTER 12
Consecration ofthe Church of
St. John the Evangelist
IN his letter of January 1882 to the Salesian cooperators, Don
Bosco gave this account of the Church of St. John the Evangelist.
This sacred monument which the Salesian cooperators are raising to Pope
Pius IX, our great Pontiff and eminent benefactor, is now practically com-
pleted. Artists and craftsmen have finished the chancel, central aisle, side
aisles, and walls; final touches will be added in a day or so. The marble floor
has been laid, and the five bells whose most harmonious chimes will summon
Turin to worship have already been installed in the belfry; the altars are also
being set up and the confessionals, doors and pews are being made. Chevalier
Bernasconi of Varese, the celebrated organ builder, is at work on one which
will do him honor and be worthy of our church. 1
We now let Don Bosco lead us on a tour of the church's interior,
leaving the bells and organ to the end.
The "chancel" mentioned by Don Bosco contains the apse and the
sanctuary. The apse's paintings portray Jesus on Calvary as He says to
Mary, "Woman, there is Your son," and to John, "There is your
Mother." A group of pious women stand at the foot of the cross; from
above, a cluster of angels gaze upon the scene in grief and adoration,
while one of them holds out to the Redeemer the chalice of His pas-
sion. This painting, done to resemble a Byzantine mosaic, is the work
of Henry Reffo, a Turinese artist, who also decorated the side walls of
the sanctuary depicting a charitable deed of St. John the Evangelist,
passed on to us by ancient Church historians. The fresco on the Gospel
side of the sanctuary shows an assembly of the faithful reverently
1Bollettino Salesiano, January 1882. We have already devoted the entire Chapter 18 of Volume
XIII to this church. [Author]
308

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Consecration of the Church of St. John the Evangelist
309
looking upon John the Apostle as he entrusts to the bishop of Smyrna2
a young lad to be trained for the priesthood. Directly opposite, St. John
is seen in a rocky fastness as he comes upon the same youth and clasps
him to his heart, though the latter had unfortunately gone astray and
was now leading a band of robbers. In both scenes the artist wanted to
symbolize Don Bosco's protective and redeeming ministry to youth.
The two sanctuary paintings are matched by two others, the work of a
former Oratory pupil, Joseph Rollini. They portray clusters of angels
chanting a hymn of praise and victory to the Lamb of God, who is
shown breaking the seals of the book which contains the future destiny
of the Church, as St. John narrates in the Book of Revelation.
The church has three naves. The walls of the central nave are
adorned by seven medallions (one set above the main entrance) depict-
ing the seven bishops of Asia Minor mentioned in the Book of Revela-
tion. Henry Reffo is the artist. Two other medallions are set above the
two side doors opening into the vestibule. They are the work of Pro-
fessor Salvino Caneparo of the Regia Accademia Albertina and por-
tray, respectively, St. Alphonsus Liguori on the right and St. Francis de
Sales on the left; both saints were proclaimed doctors of the Church by
Pius IX. The two side aisles encircle the apse, thus providing an
unobtrusive ambulatory around the main altar.
Subdued lighting filters into the church through ten tall windows and
six magnificent rose-windows set high in the walls. Their stained glass
allows for just enough light to enhance pious meditation. Five of the
rose-windows are placed beneath the semi-calotte of the apse and por-
tray in stained glass St. John the Evangelist, St. James, St. Andrew, St.
Peter and St. Paul.
Six side altars are adorned with paintings of various artists, each
marked by its distinctive quality. The two more imposing are dedicated
respectively to the Immaculate Conception and to St. Joseph. The main
altar, Oriental in style, boasts a magnificent tabernacle, opening in the
front and in the back. The sanctuary is encircled by a broad balustrade
of Satrian marble with four artistic gates.
There is a story behind the Pompeian mosaic floor. Its cost had been
estimated at nine thousand lire. One day while at Sampierdarena, Don
Bosco happened to meet Mr. [Joseph] Repetto, 3 the owner of a marble
quarry in Lavagna Ligure. He greeted him with the title of chevalier.
2Now Izmir, a seaport city in Turkey. [Editor]
3See p. 124. [Editor]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
"Don't tease me, Don Bosco," came the reply. "I am not a
chevalier, just a plain business man who does his job as best he can."
"But could not a man in your position use a title of honor to enhance
your position before your peers, your workers, your business associates
and the social world? Don't you agree?"
"Of course I would not take offense!"
"Well, look, you have contracted to lay the flooring for the Church
of St. John the Evangelist. Could you not do it free of charge and rid
me of a worrisome expense? It would be an act of charity in God's
eyes. And I promise to obtain a chevalier's cross for you."
"We could manage that," Repetto said.
"Then it's a deal," Don Bosco concluded.
On second thought, however, Repetto felt that it was too high a price
for a mere honorific title. He manifested his misgivings to Father
[Anthony] Sala, who urged him to follow Don Bosco's advice, assur-
ing him that anyone showing generosity to Don Bosco always gained
by it. As things turned out, Mr. Repetto laid the floor free of charge and
got his knightly cross. Some time later, thanks to the Oratory, he was
awarded the contract to build a monument to Bishop [Hyacinth] Vera in
the cathedral of Montevideo, which brought him a handsome profit.4
The main door, made of walnut with bas-reliefs in bronze, is a sin-
gular work of art in Turin. It was designed by Professor [Joseph] Boidi5
and inspired by Don Bosco, who wanted the faithful of Turin to re-
member that the church they were entering was a lasting monument to
Pope Pius IX. The bas-reliefs highlighted Pius IX's two most historic
acts: his defining the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the
Blessed Virgin Mary and his proclaiming St. Joseph patron of the uni-
versal Church. The first bas-relief has a remarkable detail: a prelate,
clothed in dalmatic and standing reverently before the Pontiff, holds an
open book. At Don Bosco's suggestion the artist gave the prelate the
features of Archbishop Louis Fransoni, Turin's intrepid shepherd in
1854, the year of the dogmatic definition. The entire cost of the door was
assumed by a former pupil of the Oratory, Father John Baptist Anfossi,
who, orphaned at thirteen, had been taken into the Oratory by Don
Bosco. It was a token of his undying gratitude to Don Bosco who had
been both father and teacher to him. Toe facade's majestic features with
4We have the rough copy of Don Bosco's letter to the Minister of the Interior for the honorific
title. [Author]
5See Vol. Xill, p. 443. [Editor]

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Consecration of the Church of St. John the Evangelist
311
its lofty bell tower rising from the center strikes the visitor who ap-
proaches the church from Corso Vittorio Emanuele II. In a panel above
the main door a gorgeous mosaic portrays the Divine Redeemer seated
on a throne, with the inscription "I am the way, the truth, and the life,"
drawn from St. John's Gospel. He is flanked by the Greek letters alpha
and omega, as St. John thrice hails Him in the Book of Revelation,
showing Him to be the beginning and the end of all creation.
Above that mosaic, in the panel of the triforium6 another striking
mosaic portrays the glory of St. John the Evangelist, borne tri-
umphantly aloft by an eagle, the symbol ascribed to him by the doctors
of the Church.
Don Bosco seems to have taken particular delight in writing about
the bronze bells in his letter [to the Salesian cooperators]. Their bless-
ing was truly an event, as their joyful peals cheered the whole neigh-
borhood, blasting the long grim silence which hung over the enclave of
the Waldensian church. The five bells were hoisted to their graceful
tower on December 1, 1881. The blessing, minutely planned and sol-
emnly carried out by Canon Berardi, pro-vicar general of the arch-
diocese, was held in the unfinished church in the presence of a great
number of benefactors and friends personally invited by Don Bosco
and a vast crowd of worshipers. Very unique and effective was a motet
sung to the accompaniment of a carillon rung on a special keyboard by
an experienced musician. The bells had been cast in the Bizz6zero
foundry in Varese in the key of E-flat. We point out only the inscription
carved upon the largest bell: Centenis domibus Salesianis Italiae, Gal-
liae, Hispaniae, Americae divinam opem imploro [I implore divine
assistance upon the hundred Salesian houses of Italy, France, Spain
and America].
A wrought-iron rail fence enclosing the church grounds between the
hospice and an apartment building in Corso Vittorio Emanuele II was
offered by Archbishop Gastaldi. The cathedral canons had commis-
sioned a gate for the front of the cathedral, but the city building
department had denied permission; it was then offered to the new
Church of St. Secundus but, as it clashed with the church's architec-
ture, the offer was declined. In a letter to Father Rua on February 21,
1882 Archbishop Gastaldi wrote: "I am donating this gate hoping that
St. John the Evangelist will ever more protect our archdiocese; by this
6A triple-sectioned window. [Editor]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
gift I also intend to show my benevolence to the Salesian Congrega-
tion, regardless of what has appeared in print to the contrary. It is my
fervent wish that the relations existing between the Salesian Congrega-
tion and the present successor of St. Maximus7 may be marked by that
harmony which both the Gospel and the Church's laws require of all
religious congregations toward the head of the diocese. "
Since the fence was far too high and it would cost as much to alter it
as to build a new one, regrettably the only thing to do was to thank him
but decline the offer.
A fine work of art in the Church of St. John the Evangelist is a
marble statue of Pius IX set on a high pedestal at the right side of the
entrance. Right hand raised in blessing, the Pope holds the decree of
the Salesian Society's approval in his left. He is clothed in papal robes
and wears the triple tiara on his head. His expression is very fatherly,
his smile angelic. So lifelike is the statue that all it need do is speak to
be alive. It is the work of the sculptor Francis Confalonieri of Barzago
in Brianza. The Latin inscription [composed by Father John Baptist
Francesia] states that the church is a monument to the memory of this
great Pontiff.
On April 25, 1882 the statue was set on its pedestal, within which
was sealed a commemorative parchment bearing the signatures of sev-
eral illustrious persons. Father [John] Bonetti signed the document in
Don Bosco's name, for he happened to be in Rome at the time. Re-
markable is the statement to which the signatures are affixed: "It was
our wish to dedicate this statue with special solemnity, but reasons of
prudence, which posterity will appreciate, counseled us to forego it at
this time." These words echoed most poignantly a recent event which
had deeply grieved Turin's Catholics.
On the morning of April 11 [1882] Archbishop [Celestine] Fissore of
Vercelli consecrated the Church of St. Secundus. In a generous ges-
ture, as though to wipe out the past,8 Don Bosco offered the services of
the choir, the first one to sing in the church, and with them went also
the Oratory brass band to give a concert in the square after evening
services.9 Don Bosco most certainly felt delighted at seeing opened to
7A great fifth-century bishop of Turin. [Editor]
8See Vol. X, pp. 88f; Vol. XIII, pp. 446-454, 459-463. [Editor]
9See Vol. X, p. 522. Father Bonetti, writing from Rome to Father Berto on April 17, 1882, had
this to say: "To see our boys' choir and brass band take part in the archbishop's undertakings hurts
us very badly at this particular time because outsiders really believe that he is well-disposed
toward us." [Author]

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the public another house of prayer in which he had personally con-
cerned himself ten years before. However, the enemy of all good was
not pleased. We have already recounted how the construction of this
church, which had been suspended for several years, was resumed in
1878 with the intention of erecting it also as a monument to the mem-
ory of Pius IX. 10 In affirmation of this purpose a bust of the deceased
Pontiff was placed on the facade of the church with an inscription that
irritated the anticlericals, whereupon riots, sparked by the freemasons
and their main tool, the Gazzetta del Popolo, broke out with outrages
that would have shamed even barbarians. Bust and plaque were torn
away amid lewd jests and missiles thrown by the infuriated mob which
carried out this outrage, unhindered, to the bitter end. After happen-
ings like this, it was certainly unwise to publicize the dedication of
Pius IX's statue. In fact, we have reason to wonder that the simple fact
of erecting the monument went almost unheeded and without a scan-
dalous riot.
But then something happened to provoke biting verbal exchanges.
At the same time that Pius IX's bust was being torn away from the
facade of St. Secundus, a wagon drove up from the railway station to
deliver the statue of Pius IX to the Church of St. John the Evangelist.
Brother Buzzetti, looking for some workmen to help him unload the
enormous weight, came across the very masons who had just done their
work of removing Pius IX's bust from the other church, and he hired
them to carry the statue inside the church. And so the very same people
who had ripped out the Pope's bust at one church just moments before
now raised his statue in the very spot which had been the focus of so
much contention for the honor of erecting a monument to Pius IX.
Three months later, at the inauguration of the organ, it was deemed
advisable to proceed cautiously. The ceremony was advertised as an
academic presentation of a musical festival to be given July 3 to 6. To
make sure that event would fully and exclusively live up to its claim,
the invitations and programs for the occasion bore only the signature of
the producer, Father John Cagliero. But Don Bosco went further, re-
sorting to one of those clever ruses of which he was a master. Pricked
by the triumph of the mob which had so offended God in the person of
His Vicar both by word and deed, the Catholic press, branding the
action a brutal outrage, unwisely challenged it, boasting, "We shall
10See Vol. XIII, pp. 445ff. [Editor]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
attend the inauguration of the statue of Pius IX in the Church of St.
John the Evangelist. Meet us there, if you have the stomach for it!" Did
this herald a free-for-all? The members of the Catholic Youth Associa-
tion were certainly spoiling for a fight to show the world that fear could
not deter them when it was a matter of upholding their standard. And
so it was possible that the confrontation which had been averted at the
dedication of the statue could occur at the inauguration of the organ.
Don Bosco took steps to prevent that. Since admission was by personal
invitation only, 11 he cleverly invited all the liberal newspapers. The
editors, pleased by this courtesy, attended and of course saw the statue
of Pius IX. However, finding no demonstration to report, they let the
matter drop. The more tolerant Gazzetta di Torino12 went beyond mere
silence and published an article beginning: "For three full days this
new church, erected like so many others by that exceptional man Father
John Bosco, has been full of people except for short intervals when its
magnificent organ is silent. The elite of Turin's society assembles there
for the morning concert, from nine to noon, and again for an afternoon
concert, from three to six."
Let us add too that Don Bosco performed in his own inimitable
style. Generous as always in his poverty toward whatever would lend
dignity to divine worship, especially in urban areas, he never stinted on
either the dimensions of a church or its decorations. In 1870 the archi-
tect Edward Arborio Mella wrote to his daughter: 13 "Don Bosco
stopped in to see me, and we came to an understanding about a rather
beautiful and reasonably large church with three naves. We shall work
on it. What a unique person! Quoting the budget estimated by the city
building department, he remarked with calm and enviable self-confi-
dence, 'But it is better to do a good job, and if the new estimate should
be twice as high as the present budget, it does not matter. We will find a
way to cover the cost. ' " He therefore asked the contractor to order a
first class organ, and he got what in those days was an unrivaled
masterpiece. To bring out its range he sought out renowned organists in
Turin and elsewhere, among them Petrali of Bergamo and Galli of
Milan. He himself put in an appearance only on the fourth day, the last
11This "personal invitation" bore the names of the selected organists and the program. A
postscript read: "Donations to defray the cost of the organ will be appreciated." [Author]
12July 6, 1882 issue. [Author]
13Countess Adele di Rovasenda, mother of Marchioness Maria Terzi, owns the original letter
and allowed us to quote from it. [Author]

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one. The Gazzetta di Torino, in its aforementioned article briefly re-
porting on the church, the organ and the organists, concluded the
article with another tribute to Don Bosco: "Yesterday afternoon, the
author of all these marvels, Don Bosco, appeared in the new church's
sanctuary in the company of several other priests. His manner is grave,
but pleasant, and he conversed quite amiably between musical selec-
tions and at the end of the performance with the many people who
flocked to pay their respects. Just seeing him, one realizes that he is
what our friends in France would call 'quelqu' un'-a real some-
body-and indeed one must acknowledge that all he has accomplished
and still continues to accomplish is amazing!"
The organ recitals were but a prelude to a far more solemn event.
The church was finished in every detail; its architecture, frescoes,
paintings, decorations, floors, altars and door were like a lofty monu-
ment, whose sight delighted the benefactors; they felt that their money
had been well spent. Indeed it was time to get on with the solemn
consecration of the church.
To keep public interest in the coming event at its peak, Don Bosco
did not wait for the last minute to do his planning. Back on January 10
he had sent personal invitations to the leading families of the area to
attend a special meeting on the adjoining premises on January 14. At
the assembly he told his listeners about his plans and asked for sug-
gestions on what could be done to make the event a success.
The consecration was to be held toward the end of May. 14 Don Bosco
seemed to have given up hope that Archbishop Gastaldi would attend,
and so, while in Rome in April, he took steps to have a cardinal
offi.ciate. 15 In this attempt-truly unprecedented-he was encouraged
by an overture made by Rome's cardinal vicar the year before. Don
Bosco gives us to understand as much in his letter to the cardinal: 16
"Father Dalmazzo," he wrote, "has sent me the most wonderful news:
that Your Eminence is willing to come to Turin and consecrate the
Church of St. John the Evangelist now nearing completion, erected in
honor of Pius IX. I take it you mean it, and I rely upon you for this
most solemn occasion of ours. The ceremony is scheduled for May 6,
14Letter of Father Bonetti to Don Bosco, Turin, April 12, 1882. [Author]
15Above quoted letter and letter from Father Berto to Father Bonetti, Rome, April 16, 1882.
[Author]
16Sampierdarena, September 14, 1881. Forgetting that he was in Sampierdarena, Don Bosco
wrote "in our city" as if he were in Turin. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
1882. This coming winter we will personally finalize all arrangements
to suit Your Eminence's convenience."
News of Don Bosco's plan leaked out. On April 28 Father Rua was
informed in strictest confidence that Archbishop Gastaldi, working
through influential friends 17 whom he had sent to Rome or who had
offices there, had already taken steps or would soon do so to foil the
whole plan. June came and went, and still nothing had been finalized.
Father Dalmazzo informed Don Bosco, 18 "Cardinal Nina is the only
one who would agree to consecrate the Church of St. John in October,
because, he says, he has to go to Turin. However, not being a bishop,
he cannot perform the consecration. He suggests that either the arch-
bishop of Turin carry out this function or it should be postponed lest it
stir up another hornet's nest. " Our documents do not make it clear just
why Don Bosco was looking for a cardinal. At the apostolic process,
however, Father [John] Turchi testified that Don Bosco had personally
told him that Archbishop Gastaldi would neither consecrate the church
himself nor allow any other bishop to do so, and, therefore, to silence
the gossip occasioned by the delay, he (Don Bosco) had so informed
the Holy See which, in tum, gave the archbishop an ultimatum: either
he would consecrate the church or Rome would send a bishop to do so.
After reflection on Cardinal Nina's advice, Don Bosco hit upon a
compromise: defer the consecration to a more suitable date and, so as
not to delay the church's opening, ask the archbishop for permission
for a simple blessing. Therefore, at the beginning of July, he wrote to
the archbishop:
Your Excellency:
Turin, July 5, 1882
Work on the Church of St. John the Evangelist is now nearing completion,
and the neighborhood residents earnestly plead that it be opened for public
worship. I would very gladly satisfy this pious desire of theirs. However, in
view of present circumstances, I think it best to have it simply blessed,
deferring the solemn consecration to a more opportune moment.
It seems that the Church's laws concur in affirming that the superior of a
congregation definitively approved by the Holy See may perform the blessing
of a church belonging to that same congregation. However, should Your
Excellency have any doubt about this, I explicitly ask you to grant me the
17Letter from Father Bonetti to Father Berto, Turin, April 29, 1882. [Author]
18Letter to Don Bosco, Rome, June 30, 1882. [Author]

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Consecration of the Church of St. John the Evangelist
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required faculties with whatever provisos that may be required by the sacred
rites.
Most humbly,
Fr. John Bosco
Twenty-two days passed without a reply; finally on July 27 Don
Bosco wrote to the archdiocesan chancellor, asking whether the arch-
bishop, who had been away from Turin from the beginning of the
month, had left any instructions concerning his request. At that time he
had no knowledge of certain background details which we now know.
The day before Don Bosco's letter of July 5 arrived, Archbishop
Gastaldi went to St. Ignatius' Shrine near Lanzo, where several priests
.were making their spiritual retreat. Don Bosco's letter was opened and
held up in the chancery office. On July 6 Canon [Emmanuel] Colo-
miatti-cognizant or not of Don Bosco's letter-wrote to Cardinal
Nina: "Archbishop Gastaldi is willing to consecrate the new Church of
St. John the Evangelist personally so as to show his good will for Don
Bosco. This is also my desire, and, trusting this is pleasing to His
Holiness, to Your Eminence and to Cardinal Jacobini, I am doing and
shall continue to do all I can to favor it."
However, Colomiatti foresaw a problem; beneath the church was a
chapel and an auditorium. Since the chancery knew of this, the arch-
bishop had sent a query to the Congregation of Rites on March 3
asking whether a church might licitly be consecrated if stage plays
were given in its basement for the wholesome entertainment of the
young. On May 4 a negative answer came in, stating that a church and
its basement were consecrated as a single unit. 19 To clear this obstacle,
Colomiatti asked Cardinal Nina to advise Don Bosco to add in his
application to the archbishop a statement to the effect that the crypt
would not be used for such a purpose.
Colomiatti wrote a postscript to his letter, stating that as he was
about to seal it, the pro-vicar general who had received Don Bosco's
letter to the archbishop came in to ask his opinion on the matter. For
this reason, he was enclosing a copy of the letter, with this comment of
his own on the second paragraph:
I notice that this letter seems to take it for granted that the superior of the
Salesian Congregation is on a par with the superiors of religious orders or·of
19Cf. Bollettino Salesiano, June 1882. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
especially privileged congregations. Contrariwise, this is what the Sacred
Congregation of Bishops and Regulars decreed on January 13, 1875 concern-
ing the Salesian Congregation: The condition imposed on all institutes with
simple vows (hence the Salesians) is that in the event that they have been
granted any privileges by the Holy See, the said institutes are exempt or
otherwise not subject to the jurisdiction of the ordinary only in those things
contained in the constitutions approved by the Holy See. Now neither in the
Salesian Constitutions nor in the briefs issued to the Salesian Congregation do
we find the faculty claimed by Don Bosco. Will Your Eminence kindly let me
know as soon as you can what answer should be given to Don Bosco? I do not
want to forward his letter to Archbishop Gastaldi before receiving your reply. I
believe that Your Eminence will agree with my interpretation of the law, as I
also believe that you will not object to my promptly forwarding to you a copy
of the letter, so that, once I have your decision, I may inform the archbishop of
it and obviate any friction. Don Bosco's letter brings out into the open that
very same principle which has obsessed the Salesians in their contention with
the archbishop.
In those days Don Bosco and Archbishop Gastaldi were exchanging
letters as required by Leo XIII's Settlement. 20 Don Bosco already had
done his share when on July 26 Cardinal Nina voiced his own opinion
to him about the blessing of the church and basement. Though he
congratulated Don Bosco also in the Pope's name for having met the
conditions of the Settlement, he had only harsh words about the bless-
ing. After recalling his previous advice to invite the archbishop to
officiate at the consecration, the cardinal added: "I have also seen the
draft of your letter to the archbishop on this matter, and it does not at all
strike me as being suitable, since it both involves a doubt and implies
an evasion. We must be explicit and above board in all our dealings."
Cardinal Nina may have given greater weight to Colomiatti 's remarks
than to the wording of Don Bosco's letter. Supposedly, the alleged lack
of sincerity lay in hiding the suspicion that the archbishop might want
to consecrate the church himself and in deciding to dispense with that
through the use of a simple blessing. Yet the two facts cited by Don
Bosco were certain, namely that it was advisable to bless the church
immediately and inadvisable to stir up the anticlericals by a solemn
ceremony which would only rekindle anti-papal hostility whose em-
bers had barely died down. That Don Bosco had no ulterior motive is
20See Chapter 8. [Editor]

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Consecration of the Church of St. John the Evangelist
319
confirmed by the following few lines he sent to the cardinal on July 25
about his comments. Their letters crisscrossed. "I have sent the arch-
bishop a reminder about the blessing of the Church of St. John the
Evangelist," Don Bosco wrote, "but have so far received no reply. I
inquired of the chancery if he had left any instructions, but again no
answer. Meanwhile people are compiaining about the delay and I don't
know what to tell them." As for the problem posed by Church law
which Colomiatti made so much of, Cardinal Nina felt no concern.
Being well versed in canon law, he was certainly in a position to know
what competent canon lawyers thought about this particular case even
after Colomiatti had quoted the decision of the Congregation of
Bishops and Regulars.
There remained the matter of the church basement. It had no stage.
It was a spacious wide-open area surrounded by a semi-circular cor-
ridor; both could be used for almost any purpose. The Bollettino Sale-
siano had clarified all this, as Don Bosco also did in a letter to Unita
Cattolica rectifying a "mistaken rumor" which circulated after the
Roman decree was made public.
To the Editor:
Turin, June 21, 1882
Kindly help me correct a rapidly spreading false rumor concerning the
Church of St. John the Evangelist which you have often graciously written
about in your fine journal.
Your May 21 issue published a response from the Sacred Congregation of
Bishops and Regulars, which stated that a new church may not be consecrated
if its basement is being used to stage plays for young people. Since at present
the only church with a basement is St. John the Evangelist, many people
wonder if the delay in its consecration is caused by this ruling-Le., is the
religious consecration so eagerly awaited by the public being held up because
of the alleged theater in the church basement? Let me state that the official
reply cited above in no way applies to this church, since the basement contains
the following rooms and nothing else:
1. A children's chapel meant for religious instruction, Holy Mass and other
sacred services for children only, thus making it possible to hold sacred
services in the church for the large population of the neighborhood without
disturbance.
2. A separate hall for meetings, religious education and customary award
ceremonies for teenagers. As is quite evident, there is not the slightest shadow
of a theater or of anything intended for worldly entertainment.

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
The delay holding back the long-awaited consecration is due solely to some
last finishing touches.
Thank you for the cooperation which I trust you will grant me.
Gratefully yours,
Fr. John Bosco
Cardinal Nina, who certainly knew of all this, gave Don Bosco some
practical advice in his letter of July 26 which we have already cited. "If
you are willing to follow my advice," he wrote, "renew your request to
Archbishop Gastaldi and then, both in person and in writing, invite and
urge him to officiate at the consecration. Since the allegation that the
church basement is to serve as a theater is quite unfounded but is a
potential stumbling block, deal with it openly. Let the archbishop know
in writing what has already been published in the Bollettino Sale-
siano, 21 namely, th~t the basement area is in no way meant for theater
purposes, since that would certainly be unbecoming to a house of
worship. Take my advice, which is also the Holy Father's opinion, and
rest assured that all will be well."
Later22 it came to be known that Cardinal Nina had answered Colo-
miatti 's letter some days before, enjoining the archbishop to consecrate
the church without further delay. A letter of the archbishop to Don
Bosco from Forno Alpi Graie, dated July 26, is in accord with this
order. "The grave obligation weighing upon me to obviate any excuse
for un-Christian gossip and to edify the public categorically demands
that I myself, no one else, consecrate the new church, erected by the
faithful in Turin under your sponsorship and dedicated to God under
the title of St. John the Evangelist. This is my firm decision." He
closed with a few instructions concerning necessary preparations.
However, the previously scheduled pastoral visits to the parishes of the
Lanzo valley precluded his return to Turin before the end of August.
Having been apprised of all these things, Don Bosco, on August 4,
thought it best to write as follows to Cardinal Nina:
I trust Your Eminence will not mind if I keep you informed of developments
in the matter you have so graciously concerned yourself with. I had written to
Archbishop Gastaldi that because of the restless times in which we live, I was
limiting myself to a simple blessing of the Church of St. John the Evangelist.
211une issue, 1882. [Author]
22Letter from Father Dalmazzo to Don Bosco, Rome, October 25, 1882. [Author]

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Consecration of the Church of St. John the Evangelist
321
Almost a month later he replied, stating that he would personally come to
consecrate it. I gratefully acknowledged his offer. Hopefully, barring anything
that may disrupt this move for peace, the long-awaited era of peace will
commence. The usual problems remain, of course; given the occasion, he
treats us to strong verbal whippings in private conversation and also in caustic
newspaper articles. But I just ignore all that and struggle along in silence.
In the margin of the archbishop's letter Don Bosco jotted this note
for his secretary's reply: "All directives accepted; late October sug-
gested." In brief clipped phrases he added two reasons. At the end of
August priests and clerics would still be making their spiritual retreats
and the Oratory boys would not yet be back from vacation. Conse-
quently it would not be possible to train the altar boys and the choir.
Then, too-and he felt this was understood-the celebration would all
the more likely be undisturbed the more time elapsed after the recent
anticlerical outbreaks. The archbishop did not object to October. The
specific day only had to be set, and so Don Bosco personally wrote to
the archbishop on September 16 from Sampierdarena:
Sampierdarena, September 16, 1882
Your Excellency:
While here for [the Salesians'] spiritual retreat, I would like to follow
through on the consecration of the Church of St. John the Evangelist. If it is
not too inconvenient for you, Saturday, October 28 or the following Saturday
would be fine for us. However, October 28 would be more suitable because the
[university] students would still be away and we would be spared potential
trouble. Please decide as you see best.
Once a date is set, I shall submit a timetable and program for your approval.
If you wish, you may give an answer to this messenger.
With the greatest veneration and gratitude,
Your most devoted servant,
Fr. John Bosco
The archbishop agreed upon October 28. In mid-October an attrac-
tive circular printed in several languages informed the Salesian cooper-
ators of Don Bosco's joy and invited them to attend the ceremony or, if
they could not, to be with him in spirit or through a charitable
donation.

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
Dear Friend,
With a heart full of joy I send you the good news that on October 28 we will
consecrate to God's worship the Church of St. John the Evangelist erected in
Turin by the special zeal and charity of the Salesian cooperators. Eminent
artists agree that in both architecture and art this church is one of the most
exquisite and beautiful sacred buildings gracing this our city of the Blessed
Sacrament and of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary.
It is now our duty to offer thanks to God, who in so many ways has helped
us to overcome countless obstacles of all sorts in erecting this church to His
honor and by providing the financial means and the advice, artistic talent and
generosity of so many wonderful, devout Christians.
We must also beg Him graciously to take the new church under His al-
mighty protection and to look with kindness and love upon all who will come
to open their hearts to Him at its altars, to entrust Him with their spiritual and
temporal needs, and to implore His powerful help.
For this reason and also to render the consecration as solemn as possible, I
earnestly wish that the ceremony be attended by our Salesian cooperators not
orily of Turin but also of neighboring cities and countryside. Since such a fuU-
scale attendance is not possible, I ask all to be with us in whatever way their
hearts suggest.
If you or someone in your family can attend the ceremony, please consult
the timetable below of sacred services to be held throughout the eight days of
this celebration.
My intent in telling you of this event is that you may rejoice in the Lord in
seeing that your charity is beginning to attain its purpose, that is, God's glory,
the promotion of our faith, and the salvation of souls. The songs of praise that
from that day on we shall raise to God in His new church, the prayers of
thousands of the faithful, and the salvation of countless souls are treasures
which you too shall share in due course as your bountiful reward from God.
On my part, I shall forever unite my humble prayers to those of the Sale-
sians and of the youngsters entrusted to us, daily asking the Lord graciously to
shower His choicest blessings upon you and your family both in this life and in
the life to come, according to His promise, "My mercy I will not take away
from him who shall raise a temple to My name, and will set up for him a
throne in the eternal kingdom."
In closing may I request your continued charitable support for the many
undertakings which God has graciously entrusted to us, that we may do some
good to fellow men and above all to poor, destitute youth.
Most gratefully yours,
Fr. John Bosco

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P. S. The church has been completed and a few appurtenances still needed
have been ordered. Still, let me state openly that we have an outstanding debt
of forty-five thousand lire, partly for the organ and partly for decorations and
other work during the past few months. If you can help us defray this debt,
you will indeed be doing a work of charity and faith, which God will certainly
not fail to adequately reward.
Mindful also of spiritual treasures, he humbly petitioned the Holy
Father as follows:
Most Holy Father:
Rome, October 30, 1882
Humbly prostrate at the feet of Your Holiness, Father John Bosco begs that
a plenary indulgence be granted to all the faithful who, at the forthcoming
solemn consecration of the Church of St. John the Evangelist in Turin and
throughout the octave, shall visit this church, after having duly confessed,
received Communion, and prayed for your intentions and the needs of the
Holy Mother Church.
[Your devoted son,
Fr. John Bosco]
The Pope's prompt reply came through Monsignor [Gabriel] Boc-
cali, limiting the plenary indulgence to the single day of the solemn
consecration.
Don Bosco had not seen Archbishop Gastaldi for a long time be-
cause all the exchange of letters required by the Settlement had taken
place while the archbishop was absent from Turin. Upon returning
home, the archbishop wrote to him on October 20 and informed him
that before the consecration he wished "to confer with him personally
on several matters pertaining to the service of God." He also expressed
the hope that he would call at the archbishop's residence before that
date. Don Bosco promptly complied, but on the two occasions he
called at the residence, the archbishop was away. He therefore took to
pen and paper and wrote him with the utmost deference:
Your Excellency:
Turin, October 24, 1882
I too wish to pay my respects to you in person before the consecration of the
Church of St. John the Evangelist, but I happened to call just on those days or
at those hours when you were away.

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
On your return, I shall quickly come to receive your instructions. Mean-
while I humbly ask for two favors:
1. Please come to pontificate at Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament once,
preferably on the last evening of the octave of the consecration.
2. Please accept our invitation to dine with us at least on the day of the
consecration in the company of the clergy who took part in it. Since the
premises at the church site are not yet ready, dinner will be served at our
Valsalice College. Immediately after the ceremony you will find a coach at
your disposal. As soon as I know you are back, I shall hasten to call upon Your
Excellency to receive and carry out any instructions you might give me.
With deepest esteem and gratitude, I am honored to be,
Your obedient servant,
Fr. John Bosco
Despite the best of intentions Don Bosco had no chance whatever to
meet the archbishop during those few days. They finally met on the
morning of October 28, when the archbishop most punctually arrived
for the ceremony. Don Bosco was there to receive him with fitting
honors. As the archbishop approached Don Bosco, he exclaimed,
"Oh! Don Bosco!" and then turned to talk to others. He next donned
the vestments, performed the sacred ceremony and departed so quickly
that Don Bosco was barely able to escort him to his coach and say
goodbye without ever having a chance to talk to him. However, before
leaving, the archbishop did tell the diocesan seminarians who had
attended the consecration, most of them former Oratory pupils, "Go
and assist at Don Bosco's Mass." Although Don Bosco warmly re-
quested him to pontificate at least once during the octave, he did not do
so.23
Seeing that at last the toil and worries of so many years had been
crowned with achievement, and witnessing the splendor of the con-
secration rites and the vast concourse of people, Don Bosco was filled
with joy. If he did have any feelings of hurt, he kept them to himself, so
that not even a fleeting shadow could be seen to cross his face, nor a
word heard hinting at interior grief.
Even the weather contributed to making the event a glorious celebra-
tion. On the evening and the night preceding the ceremony there was a
steady downpour of rain, but on the morning itself of October 28 the
rain ceased before the archbishop's arrival. Then, after the consecra-
23Letter from Don Bosco to Father Dalmazzo, Turin, November 1882. [Author]

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Consecration of the Church of St. John the Evangelist
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tion, the sun appeared and, throughout the octave, the days were sun-
nier than they had been over the previous two months. Toward midday,
as the bells joyfully signaled the end of the holy rite, the doors were
flung open, and a stream of people poured into the church to attend the
first Mass, which was celebrated by Don Bosco, assisted by Father
Lemoyne and Father Bonetti. Don Bosco also delivered the first homily
in the church, after Vespers, describing how that neighborhood looked
thirty-five years before in contrast to the present, and predicting what it
would shortly become through God's protection and the people's good
will. 24
During the first three days of the octave, Bishop [Emilian] Ma-
nacorda of Fossano, Bishop [Basil] Leto of Biella and Bishop [Do-
minic] Pampirio of Alba pontificated in the new church. Throughout
the week, zealous preachers generously dispensed Go.d's word, and
splendid rituals followed one another amid excellent singing and mu-
sic. After the pontifical Mass of October 29, the Blessed Sacrament
was exposed as though for the Forty Hours. Some of Turin's outstand-
ing clergy celebrated High Mass in the church after the triduum of
pontifical Masses. There was also a solemn service for the souls of
deceased benefactors. In short, Don Bosco spared neither expense nor
effort to make the religious celebration truly magnificent in grandeur,
but always with an eye to corresponding spiritual benefits. In writing to
a French lady cooperator25 he told her with open delight, "You will
read about the consecration of the church of St. John the Evangelist in
the Bulletin Salesien. We witnessed a truly miraculous sight. Thou-
sands upon thousands of men made their confession and received Com-
munion with extraordinary devotion."
For prudent reasons the preachers refrained from speaking of Pope
Pius IX in whose memory the church had been built. But their silence
was more than made up for by the majestic statue which excited the
admiration of everyone who entered or left the church. There were
some underlying rumblings, but no disorders. Not without reason did
the November issue of the Bollettino Salesiano report: "Don Bosco
does not hesitate to thank even the handful of the city's troublemakers
who, driven perhaps more by the powers of darkness than by their own
malice, might have wanted to disrupt our festivities as they did last
24The January 1883 issue of the Bollettino Salesiano carried the highlights of his sermon.
[Author]
25Letter to Mademoiselle Claire Louvet, Turin, November 2, 1882. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
spring at the Church of St. Secundus, but refrained from doing so. If
this self-restraint was spiritually motivated-as respect for the freedom
and property of others most certainly is-then we ask the good Lord to
reward them by opening their eyes to the light of truth." But of course
thanks were also due to Don Bosco himself, who had so planned the
whole celebration as to give no pretext to anyone who was looking for
an excuse to create "an incident" and then justify its consequences.
Nevertheless Satan's fury, though restrained, did find vent in two
newspapers which personally attacked Don Bosco. It is not so much
the printed word that deserves study as the hidden instigators. Those
articles are proofs of the crafty wiles with which Don Bosco had to
contend, using prudent determination.
The Cronaca dei Tribunali-never at a loss to carry out its seem-
ingly self-imposed mission to shatter Don Bosco 's reputation as a
citizen-spouted its poisonous wrath against the "Valdocco Saint" in
its issue of Saturday, October 28, labeling his new church a "protest
against the present order of things. " For was it not true that he chose to
inaugurate it on the very same day which "summoned the people to
exercise their loftiest right," i.e., the right to vote? Of course that
symbolic protest sprang from the fact that the Church of St. John the
Evangelist was a monument to Pius IX, "the betrayer of Italy." The
writer saw the statue as the personification of the "Pope-King," be-
cause the head was crowned by the triple tiara. Hence the liberals were
put on the alert by pointing out this contrast: "While the people will
hasten to the polls, the clericalists will assemble in this church to
renew their oath against the present order of things and strive to restore
the Pope's temporal power."
Another attack was launched in two consecutive issues by an even
more vicious periodical which was published on Sundays and sacri-
legiously bore the name Jesus Christ. It was edited by the same rene-
gade who put out the Cronaca dei Tribunali. Its issue of October 22-29
blared out in bold print: "On the 28th of this month, Don Bosco, who
has finally had his way, will inaugurate a new church dedicated to St.
John the Evangelist. This church is another monument to the memory
of Pius IX." Then three other crushing charges were leveled against
Don Bosco. First, a lengthy article entitled "Father John Bosco" fired
this shot: "Father John Bosco, who enjoys a truly worldwide fame, is
representative not of the intrinsic holiness which bursts forth from the
Gospel, but of that religion which arrays itself with Christian doctrine,

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Consecration of the Church of St. John the Evangelist
327
and beneath that golden exterior hides a vicious ugliness. " Before
revealing where this vicious ugliness was to be found, the article went
on to portray a "former" Don Bosco, who "had eyes only for poor
boys and had no thought but of their future." This Don Bosco deeply
impressed him, the newsman wrote. Truthfully, it even impressed us.
But this "former" Don Bosco had nothing in common with the "latter"
Don Bosco. The former Don Bosco was a faithful copy of St. Vincent
de Paul; the latter Don Bosco was the genuine incarnation of a Catholic
reactionary. The sublime ideal of brotherhood had given way to that of
big business; politics and money had been lumped together with the
Gospel. Hence lay the vicious ugliness.
The would-be proof of that charge was a pack of lies expressed as
follows:
Hence books and newspapers for clerical propaganda are spread about;
associations and committees are organized; miracles are resorted to. Don
Bosco is turned into a saint, and his very clothing is sold at so much a snip, as
though it were a charm against the evils of this world and of elsewhere. Hence
he turns out biographies of young boy-saints, like Dominic Savio, biographies
of girl-saints like the Rigolotti sisters. I shall later return to these miracles and
to this Salesian association against which it is high time the government
protected itself by law. The banner is ever the same, the banner of charity, but
its bearer is no longer the same one. So beware of this powerful enemy of Italy
who is so opposed to our nation's freedom. Bear in mind his great sway over
the young and remember that it is to our youth that we pass on our unified
nation which has cost us so much blood and so many martyrs.
The article then quoted from a Lutheran source a forged docu-
ment-a would-be price list drawn up by Pope Leo X for obtaining the
pardon of various sins. This disgusting forgery was meant to show how
Don Bosco learned the art of "hoodwinking simpletons" in order to
raise funds for his undertakings.
Lastly in a short article entitled "Countering Propaganda" occasion
was taken of the above libel to counteract Don Bosco's publications
with the Biblioteca Universale, a very low-priced collection of irre-
ligious and immoral books. The sales pitch was in these lines: "To
learn, one must read. The priests offer you Don Bosco's Letture Cat-
toliche [Catholic Readings] or the lives of the saints. Our suggestion is
that you read books which will taint neither heart nor mind, but will

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
direct them to self-knowledge and to the knowledge of our rights and
duties."
This scandal sheet renewed the attack in its November 5 issue with a
string of venomous articles. First came a brief history of the new
church and a fair description of the building, both tinged with malev-
olence which reached its peak in this final blast: "This church is a
screaming protest against the magnificent temple of our nation's glory.
This monument honors Pius IX, the foremost enemy of our unifica-
tion." Then in a terse, untitled diatribe against Father [James] Mar-
gotti,26 the paper issued a veiled threat: "It was no mere chance that
Don Bosco chose to inaugurate his church on the very days the liberals'
attention was centered on their great electoral battle. Don Bosco is
cunning! But the liberals, even if they hold no demonstrations, have
their eyes wide open and will one day match monument for
monument."
Later, the same denigrator tore into a monograph on the Church of
St. John the Evangelist by the architect [Albert] Buffa. In the Foreword
to his "elegant booklet" the author paid this tribute to Don Bosco:
"People are astonished at the wonders of Divine Providence and ad-
mire the venerable person of Don Bosco." The Cronaca dei Tribunali
seized on this to hammer away again with greater viciousness at its
notion of a "dual" Don Bosco, underscoring especially the disgraceful
case of Father [Paul] Ricchino27 in such a way as to rip into the reputa-
tion of Don Bosco's holiness. Buffa had cited statistics in a footnote:
"The Salesian institutes now number a hundred and fifty, and they
house some one hundred thousand boys." The reaction of the
spokesman of masonic liberalism was: "Liberals, are you sound
asleep? Aren't you alarmed that these hundred thousand boys of today
will be tomorrow's hundred thousand priests?" The petty anticlerical
politicians, however, who bore Pius IX a mortal grudge, closed their
remarks by dragging the Pontiff's name through the mud, defying Don
Bosco to take up his defense and refute the indignities pr~sented in
those articles as actual facts which precluded discussion.
If Don Bosco read all the infamous remarks we have lightly touched
on here, he must surely have wept in his innermost heart at the thought
of the scandal given the little ones of all ages, but neither personally
26Editor and publisher of Unita Cattolica. [Editor]
21see pp. 146f. [Editor]

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Consecration of the Church of St. John the Evangelist
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nor through others did he give a rebuttal. To have done so would have
only added fuel to the fire. Furthermore, Dante's erstwhile verses were
singularly applicable to this new Capaneus:28
"No torment, other than your own mad rage
Could ever pain enough to match your fury. " 29
The newspapers ~ere but the mouthpiece of those pulling the strings
behind the scenes. The unknown bosses who had twice sent armed
henchmen in an attempt on his life, as we have already cited,30 were
now sharpening the pens of hired newsmen. The historian can draw but
one conclusion. If, despite Don Bosco's painstaking care to keep free
of all political ties, people still persisted in attaching political labels to
his work, what would have happened had he failed to exercise such
caution from the beginning? We today readily admire his sharp pru-
dence as we see its results, but that he so neatly traced his line of action
and followed it so unhesitatingly, even when greater minds went astray,
merits supreme praise. He had made up his mind that, when necessary,
he would breast the tide of his age and so he did!
Very much missed at the consecration services was Count Charles
Reviglio della Venaria, who had died in 1881. Throughout the gamut of
controve~sies sparked from the very beginnings of the construction of
the Church of St. John the Evangelist he had given Don Bosco his
boundless, very effective support. Once the eight-day celebration was
over, Don Bosco arranged for a solemn funeral Mass for him in the new
church, to which he invited Salesian cooperators and friends in a
touching circular letter.
Don Bosco also enlisted literary art to praise the new house of God.
He asked Father John Baptist Lemoyne, in whom he had a writer by no
means an amateur, to prepare as complete a biography of the church's
titular saint as could be done. The result was a rather original and
appealing story within reach of the masses while it still appealed to the
educated. 31 The author links the apostle to actual localities and people
and contemporary events which serve to highlight his noble figure. The
28The mythological king of Argos who challenged Zeus and was struck by a lightning bolt.
[Editor]
29Inferno, Canto 14. Translation into English Blank Verse by Lawrence Grant White, New
York, Pantheon Books © 1948, p. 24. [Editor]
'30See Vol. XIV, pp. 405ff. [Editor]
31Giovanni Battista Lemoyne, L'Apostolo San Giovanni e la Chiesa primitiva [The Apostle St.
John and the Early Church], Tipografia Salesiana, Torino, 1882. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
chapter entitled "St. John, the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Sorrowful
Way" is exceptionally good. St. John's works are also commented
upon: the readers are regaled with some of his Gospel's more exquisite
pages; significant passages of his epistles are considered and there is
even an attempt at a brief presentation of the Apocalypse in which he
depicts the early Church's battles to serve as a model and inspiration to
Catholics of the day. He also delights in seizing every opportunity to
combat in understandable terms contemporary errors concerning the
divinity of Jesus Christ, His teaching and His Church. His smooth
style gives this book a timeless touch.
Now let us return to the church itself. Albert Buffa, 32 the architect,
wrote an excellent monograph about it, which, like Father Lemoyne's
book, was available to the public at the consecration. He began with an
historical introduction describing the obstacles that had to be overcome
and briefly outlining the evolution of sacred architecture. The most
important part of the text gives a detailed description of the building
and its art, concluding with this summary statement: "Seen as a whole,
the Church of St. John the Evangelist possesses a harmonious unity
and well-balanced wholeness and lightness, a precision and noble sim-
plicity which enables it to meet the severest critical standards. Art and
beauty are predominant, raising the soul above earthly sorrows and
taking it into the pure, life-giving atmosphere of heartwarming
thoughts and eternal verities. It has nothing bizarre, fantastic, or garish
in its decor-only beauty and delicacy. Most praiseworthy is the ex-
ecution of design which matches the elegance of thought and purity of
art. In this grand building the demands of art were in no way sacrificed,
as unfortunately it all too frequently happens, to base economic
considerations. "
32Albert Buffa, La Chiesa di San Giovanni Evangelista [The Church of St. John the Evan-
gelist], Tipografia Salesiana, Torino, 1882. [Author]

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CHAPTER 13
The Church ofthe Sacred Heart
ofJesus in Rome
.tl[BOUT to set out for Rome in the winter of 1881, Don
Bosco wrote from Alassio to Father Cagliero, who was then in Spain: 1
"My head's in a whirl!" Unhappily that poor head of his was being
jarred by dissonance and harrowing anxiety from which only his
saintly serenity saved him. At the heart of his worries lay ·his concern
for the Sacred Heart Church. However, the die had been cast, and he
had no choice but to see the project through, regardless of what it cost
him.
Day by day the pressure kept weighing upon him to send money to
Rome without cutting back on the funds demanded by other undertak-
ings which needed his support if they were to be completed. And so,
being a good fisherman, in January 1881 he flung his nets far out into
the sea for a great haul by sending thousands of petitions throughout
the world. He wrote in Italian but immediately had the petitions trans-
lated into commonly spoken languages.
Acting on the principle that Christians the world over should take to
heart religious projects started and sponsored by the Holy See, he
addressed leaflets to the universal Church in Italian, French and Eng-
lish, his message being worded from an article published that month in
the Bollettino Salesiano, which told his cooperators about the project
the Holy Father had entrusted to him.
Without going into the whole story which we have already narrated
in Volume XIV,2 we note the order in which Don Bosco listed its
various phases:
1See p. 107. [Author]
2Chapter 24. [Editor]
331

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
1. A church on the Esquiline in Castro Pretorio, dedicated to the Sacred
Heart of Jesus to serve twelve thousand souls and to be a monument to the
immortal memory of Pope Pius IX. The parish has been duly recorded and
officially approved by Church and state authorities. 2. A youth center for boys
to meet their religious obligations and have a place for healthy recreation,
particularly on Sundays. 3. A night school for young workers who have little
opportunity for a regular education they badly need. 4. A day school for
destitute or abandoned boys who cannot attend city schools. 5. A hospice with
classes and trade courses for homeless boys who have left their villages and
towns and homes only to wander Rome's streets and squares. Many have come
in the hope of finding work and earning a living; they soon find their hopes
dashed and themselves in desperate straits, victims of crime and prison. The
hospice must accommodate some five hundred orphans; it will be run like the
Oratory of St. Francis de Sales in Turin.
He then listed ways of helping:
1. Contributing money or building materials. 2. Praying and recommending
the work to possible contributors. 3. All contributions are to be sent to His
Eminence, Cardinal Raphael Monaco La Valletta, vicar general of Rome, or
to Father Francis Dalmazzo (Torre de' Specchi No. 36, Rome) or to the Rev.
John Bosco in Turin. 4. Solicitors bearing an identification card signed by the
Rev. John Bosco will be authorized to collect donations. The card will bear the
seal of the Salesian Congregation with the words Pia Societas Sancti Fran-
cisci Salesii. 3 5. Archbishops and bishops, pastors, curates, and rectors of
churches are respectfully asked to volunteer as solicitors in their areas; they do
not need the identification card. Donations are to be forwarded to one of the
persons above. They are also asked to vouch for card-bearing solicitors.
The circular went on to list the benefits granted to donors and
solicitors:
1. The special blessing of the Holy Father who approves and commends this
project to all who work to spread the faith and to foster good morals, the care
of youth and the overall good of society. 2. After the church is built and
consecrated, a Mass will be celebrated at the main altar every Friday; the
chaplet of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and other prayers will be offered for
benefactors. 3. The same prayers will be offered on the feast of the Sacred
Hearts of Jesus and Mary, Christmas, Corpus Christi and the feastdays of the
3The wording of the seal was later modified to read: Societas Salesiana. Discite a me qui mitis
sum. [Author]

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The Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Rome
333
apostles. 4. In special homage to the august Mother of God to ask Her
powerful protection upon our benefactors the rosary will be recited, followed
by the singing of the Litany of Loreto or of the Ave Maris Stella [Hail, Star of
the Sea] and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. Prayers for the deceased
with the psalm "Out of the depths" will close the service. 5. This special
devotion will take place in perpetuity.
Solicitors were given forms to record the donors and contributions,
as well as a detailed procedure to follow. 4 To the norms were appended
the eleven more outstanding promises of Our Divine Savior to St.
Margaret Mary Alacoque for all who promote devotion to the Sacred
Heart.
Don Bosco's appeal to the charity of the Catholic world did not stop
there.5 He sent out another batch of appeals in Italian to the arch-
bishops, bishops and Catholic journalists of Italy and in Latin to their
colleagues in other nations. Archbishop Gastaldi graciously acknowl-
edged Don Bosco's invitation but excused himself by saying that he
could not help. Though, as the reader knows, relations were in those
days strained, his letter does him credit.
A few lines of Don Bosco to Father Dalmazzo show us how
tirelessly Don Bosco worked to insure the success of his worldwide
campaign. On receiving the solicitors' form sheets, printed in Rome
after his departure, he wrote to Father Dalmazzo on May 31, some days
after his arrival in Turin on May 16, once he got a brief respite from the
urgency and myriad details of the feast of Mary, Help of Christians.
"This is the first breathing spell I have had," he wrote. "I received and
am studying the forms. Are you sending them from Rome to the
solicitors in your files, or shall I mail them from here? It is advisable to
enclose a newsletter informing them of the special papal blessing, and
of the work's importance and progress. Due to our urgent need, ask
them to send in all funds they may have collected by the middle of
July."
Regularly, fifteen thousand lire were needed every month to cover
wages and running costs, but by mid-July the work moved so fast that
the architect, Francis Vespignani, informed Don Bosco that at that pace
he would soon be needing twice that amount. Don Bosco was not
40mitted in this edition. [Editor]
5Among the donations made in 1885 there is one of twenty thousand lire from the Superior
General of the Brothers of the Christian Schools. More will be said about his generosity. A large
number of Italian and foreign bishops also sent contributions. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
shaken, but rather gladly wrote to the Salesian cooperators in his
January 1882 report that the side aisle walls were up to the height of the
capitals and that the nave had also been considerably built up.
In his concern for souls he set up a fairly large temporary chapel as a
parish church for the area's six thousand residents. Rome's cardinal
vicar blessed it on July 10 and celebrated the first Mass. Three days
later the chapel received a blessing of another sort. At early dawn, a
crowd of mourners who had in the dead of night defended the revered
corpse of Pope Pius IX from infamous attackers escorted the casket
past the rising church-a memorial to his virtuous life-on their way
to entomb it in the Basilica of St. Lawrence-Outside-the-Walls.
Don Bosco, we have said, faced the cost rise without fear, but he
also did not tempt Providence. Reporting a particularly generous con-
tribution to the cardinal vicar, he took the occasion to tell him of his
fund-raising activities:6 "A certain Father Peter Lovatelli of Cerano,
diocese of Novara, has promised to send Your Eminence in October a
money order of ten thousand lire for the Sacred Heart Church; kindly
deposit it. I am working without pause to find funds and, thank God,
am succeeding, but Father Dalmazzo keeps spending and never cries
'Enough!'" Besides sending out circulars, he also appealed in person
to wealthy people, who he hoped would contribute generously. A brief
note to Father Dalmazzo says much:
My dear Father Dalmazzo:
Turin, July 15, 1881
All goes well. God be praised! I waste not a moment, but it is God who
blesses the work, so cheer up. I have several schemes lined up. Among them is
the one I am enclosing addressed to the cardinal vicar. Read it for your own
information, seal it, and deliver it personally to His Eminence. Let's pray that
it goes through because there are still more to come.
We are endeavoring to send you personnel and funds. I shall write again
soon. Regards to our friends and benefactors. In Jesus Christ,
Yours affectionately,
Fr. John Bosco
On July 1, he informed Miss Amalia Lacombe, an active Salesian
cooperator of Valence, France: "In the Holy Father's name I am send-
6Sampierdarena, September 14, 1881. [Author]

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The Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Rome
335
ing you a solicitor's certificate to collect funds for the project he has
kindly entrusted to us. The solicitor's name is blank, so that your parish
priest can insert his name if he will accept the commitment. If not,
would you please assume the responsibility?" He did the same with
other French and Italian women. To Countess [Charlotte] Callari he
wrote toward the end of July.
My dear Mamma in Jesus Christ,
I am enclosing a solicitor's certificate for you and hope that you will soon
fill up the donors' form with donations large and small. You may have some
success where you are going. If you get no contributions, you will still earn
valuable merit for the unrecorded humiliations you may have to suffer.
You love the mission work in Rome, and for that I rejoice because there is
so much need, all the more so now that the Protestants on the Esquiline have
launched a full-scale assault on Catholics. However, while some give alms for
the Patagonia which is in Rome, we let others zealously offer their very lives
for the many natives of the real, uncivilized Patagonia.
God bless you, my well-deserving countess. May He bountifully grant you
health and holiness! Please pray also for this poor soul. Always in Jesus
Christ,
Most gratefully yours,
Fr. John Bosco
Some days prior he had written to Princess Clotilda, daughter of
Victor Emmanuel II and wife of Jerome Bonaparte, whose year-round
residence was the castle of Moncalieri.
Your Highness:
Turin, July 24, 1881
As Your Royal Highness probably knows, the Holy Father has entrusted the
building of the Sacred Heart Church and Hospice in Rome to the Salesian
cooperators. I am the chief beggar, and in His Holiness' name I am seeking
financial help which is really badly needed.
I am therefore appealing to Your Highness' well-known kindness which
never refuses any work of charity if at all possible. I have another special
reason to hope: we are promoting devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, for
whom I know you cherish a love all your own.
The enclosed circular will give you an idea of the project's size and merit.
Presently, the building rises twenty feet above ground.
I rely on the services of my former pupil, Canon [Hyacinth] Ballesio, to

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
whom, if you will, you may send whatever response your kindly heart will
suggest. Let me assure you that throughout all the past vicissitudes I have
always commended Your Highness and your august family to our individual
and community prayers. I promise to join my prayers for you to those of the
eighty thousand boys whom God has entrusted to our care.
God bless you, my generous and worthy princess of the House of Savoy!
May God keep you and your children in good health and in His holy grace!
Meanwhile, it is my honor to remain, with highest esteem,
Most gratefully yours,
Fr. John Bosco
Though we have no documentary proof, we have good reason to
believe that the "saint of Moncalieri," as people called her for her
virtues and benefactions, secretly, or possibly under another name,
sent Don Bosco her charitable contribution. These two saintly souls
never met on earth. In Don Bosco's declining years the princess anx-
iously desired to make his acquaintance, but court protocol kept her
from going to him while illness and discretion would not allow him to
go to Moncalieri. At long last, through the good offices of Canon
Ballesio, it was arranged that Princess Clotilda would one morning go·
into the sacristy of the Church of Mary, Help of Christians where Don
Bosco would receive her, but shortly after he had agreed to this, Don
Bosco was forced to take to his bed, never to leave it.
He appealed also to Count de Chambord, who contributed one hun-
dred and, later, five hundred francs. 7 Since this undertaking was not
specifically French, it is not surprising that the count's donations were
kept at a minimum. 8
Salesian schools also made genuine sacrifices to respond to Don
Bosco's appeal and send in their savings. At Randazzo, on Father
[Peter] Guidazio's9 suggestion, teachers and staff agreed to keep their
pupils during study periods in their respective classrooms, freeing the
study hall to become a dormitory, so that fourteen more boarders could
be accepted and greater savings be sent to their good father at the
school year's end.
71..etter from the chaplain to Don Bosco, Froshsdorf, November 28, 1881. [Author]
8Don Bosco applied for a subsidy to the Ministry for Grace and Justice, as well, but on July 3
received the answer "that in view of lack of funds" it was impossible to contribute toward the
church and hospice he was building "with such zeal." [Author]
9See Appendix 1. [Editor]

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The Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Rome
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Despite all these efforts, however, Don Bosco realized that his funds
could no longer suffice, and so he decided that it was time to effect a
plan he had long been toying with: he would send his priests out
wherever he had hopes of getting financial aid. Toward the end of
August 1881, therefore, Father Peter Pozzan and Father Stephen Feb-
braro left Turin for a month's tour of the whole Trent area. 10 Don Bosco
had prepared the way by sending word of their coming to designated
individuals in a form letter which he carefully personalized.
Dear Friend,
August 10, 1881
I am very happy to inform you that work on the Sacred Heart Church and
Hospice in Rome is progressing rapidly, and construction has risen well over
twenty feet from the ground. One hundred and sixty workers are on the job,
their wages amounting to fifteen thousand lire a month. It is a considerable
though inescapable expenditure, and we have decided to take an exceptional
step and appeal directly to our more outstanding cooperators. With the Holy
Father's blessing we are sending you Father Peter Pozzan, trusting that you
will receive him kindly and respond generously. God willing, he will visit you
in the latter part of the month with a letter of introduction to all those people
who have been blessed by God with the means to help us.
Meanwhile, kindly welcome this personal representative of mine. Introduce
him to friends who take to heart the good of religion and society.
God bless you and reward you generously for your charity!
Very gratefully yours,
Fr. John Bosco
P.S. Rev. Pozzan is the director of the Sunday Oratory of St. Francis de
Sales and editor-in-chief of the Bollettino Salesiano.
He also gave each of them a letter of introduction to Bishop John
James della Bona of 'frent.
Your Excellency:
Turin, August 16, 1881
To carry out the revered wishes of His Holiness Leo XIII we have decided to
launch a fund-raising campaign among our Salesian cooperators so that we
can continue building the Sacred Heart Church and Hospice on the Esquiline
in Rome.
10Region in northern Italy; formerly the Italian speaking portion of South Tirol. [Editor]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
Hence I am sending two of our Salesians, Father Peter Pozzan and Father
Stephen Febbraro, to Trent. They will be calling on Your Excellency for your
blessing and permission to collect funds and to receive your moral support.
Since the Holy Father has very much at heart the construction of this church
and hospice and has warmly recommended it, I trust that you will be so kind
as to use your influence to introduce these priests to people who are in a
position to help us.
I hope that some happy occasion will bring Your Excellency to Turin, when
we shall have the unique pleasure and honor of welcoming you in our midst.
Assuring Your Excellency of my sincerest and deepest gratitude, I am
highly honored to be,
Yours devotedly,
Fr. John Bosco
They solicited funds in homes and churches with such outstanding
results11 that Don Bosco expressed his gratitude in a form letter of
thanks. 12 Moreover, the happy outcome of this venture prompted him to
do the same the following year throughout the Venetian provinces,
using the same fund-raisers, who were themselves natives of the Tirol.
When sending money to Don Bosco from this second tour, Father
Pozzan could not help mentioning the high esteem in which the Vene-
tian people held him. "These lively Venetians look upon Don Bosco as
a fellow citizen," he wrote on August 29 from Longarone, "and they
never tire of hearing about his life of charity." On September 10, after
covering parts of the dioceses of Ceneda, Feltre and Belluno located in
Cadore, Carnia and Upper Friuli, 13 he wrote again from Udine: "Thank
God, we have been most cordially received everywhere and, consider-
ing the poverty here, the contributions we have received are gener-
ous. . . . Do not forget us. Distant as we may be, you are always in our
hearts and on our lips. Pray for the many loving friends who keep
giving me messages for you." Lastly, on September 24 he wrote from
Spilimbergo in Friuli: "Everyone speaks enthusiastically of Don Bosco
and the Salesians." Such reverence for Don Bosco explains the gener-
osity of these good people despite their own critical condition in those
days when disastrous floods inundated the farms and towns of Veneta,
Piedmont and Liguria.
11Letter from Father Pozzan to Don Bosco in the Bollettino Salesiano of November and
December 1881 and March 1882. [Author]
12The Bollettino Salesiano carried it in December 1881; we have found no copy. [Author]
13Districts of Venetian and 'frent provinces. [Editor]

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Visible, too, was the hand of Divine Providence in comforting Don
Bosco. Within the limits we have set for this volume we cite only two
instances. In September 1881 Don Bosco had to take out a loan of
twenty thousand lire; his creditor, however, faced with a sudden emer-
gency, demanded repayment after just two months. Don Bosco was
caught short, not knowing where to tum, when surprisingly, like dew
from the sky, he received two letters. One came from Father [Dominic]
Tomatis, director of the Salesian school of San Nicolas, Argentina,
with a contribution of 60,500 pesos or 12,293 gold francs, for the
Sacred Heart Church, a donation from sixteen Italian farmers. The
second letter came from Cerano in the province of Novara and con-
tained ten thousand lire, given, as we have already stated, 14 by the par-
ish priest, Father Peter Lovatelli. Don Bosco asked Father Dalmazzo
to mention the generous contribution of the South American farmers to
the Pope, and then expressed his thanks to Father Dominic Tomatis in a
longer letter than usual.
My dear Father Tomatis:
Turin, December 21, 1881
I have received the handsome gift of 12,300 lire sent to us by our dedicated
cooperators of San Nicolas to help keep work going on the Sacred Heart
Church and Hospice in Rome. Such a generous offering from our overseas
patriotic Catholic countrymen certainly deserved to be reported to the Holy
Father, for he himself entrusted this project to our zealous Salesian
cooperators.
The Pope was delighted with the news and praised the donors' generous
charity. "Thank these good beloved sons of the Catholic Church," he said. "I
bless them, their families and their work. I grant them all a plenary indulgence
at their next reception of Holy Communion."
I gladly pass on these gracious words of the Supreme Pontiff to our good
friends and cooperators, confident that the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the bound-
less source of grace and blessing, will repay them a hundredfold in this world,
as he promised, and grant them an eternal reward in the life to come.
Should these friends ever visit Italy, tell them that they will be made to feel
at home in our Salesian houses.
Give them my heartfelt regards, and commend me to their prayers. I in tum
shall never forget them at my holy Mass.
Tell Graziano that his last letter pleased me no end, as did Father
Rabagliati's. I shall soon reply to them and others.
14See p. 334. [Editor]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
Father Lasagna, 15 fully recovered, has left for Montevideo. His piety and
zeal truly edified us. The confreres in Italy, France and Spain send you their
brotherly greetings and request your prayers. Very special best wishes for
heaven's blessings upon Monsignor [Peter] Ceccarelli.
The grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ be with you always! Pray for me. In the
Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary,
Yours affectionately,
Fr. John Bosco
One day in April that year, while Don Bosco was in Rome, Father
[Francis] Dalmazzo, pastor of the Sacred Heart Church, received a
contractor's bill of five thousand lire. When all attempts to raise the
money failed, he went to Don Bosco repeatedly to ask for his help. At
long last a registered letter addressed to Don Bosco came from France.
The envelope and enclosed letter both indicated an enclosure of four
thousand lire. Strangely, however, the envelope contained five thou-
sand lire. Father [Joachim] Berto gasped in surprise, but Don Bosco
remarked, "There are five thousand lire rather than four because that's
what Father Dalmazzo needed!" 16
Very rightly-and we have multiple proofs-did Leo XIII say about
Don Bosco and the Sacred Heart Church17 to the archbishop of Mes-
sina: "He is a living proof of Divine Providence." Yes, indeed, but he
was also a man who toiled hand in hand with Divine Providence and
left no stone unturned. The following letter18 also gives us a true
picture of Don Bosco exerting all his talent and efforts to help himself
so that heaven might help him.
My dear Father Dalmazzo:
Let me set things in order lest I forget anything.
1. I ran out of solicitors' forms. Please have more printed, stamped and
mailed, otherwise everything will come to a standstill. But make sure each
sheet bears the heading: "Contributions for the Church," etc.
2. See to the printing of the French leaflets, because I have received re-
quests and have none to send.
15In May 1881 Father Louis Lasagna had temporarily returned to Italy for surgery. Seep. 17.
[Editor]
16Summarium super virtutes, VI, 118 (De heroica spe). [Author]
17Letter from Archbishop [Joseph] Guarino to Don Bosco, December 1, 1881. [Author]
18This letter has neither date nor signature. Its context (item No. 10) places it doubtless in the
first half of September 1881, as pointed out by Father Ceria in his Epistolario di San Giovanni
Bosco, Volume IV, Letter 2225, p. 80f. [Editor]

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3. Count De Roubion of Nice will send you twenty-five hundred francs for a
column [of the Sacred Heart Church]. Send him a note of thanks.
4. Father Peter Lovatello, parish priest of Cerano, shortly to become a
Salesian, will send ten thousand lire for the church: eight thousand in October,
the rest in November. Please advise the cardinal vicar, because the money will
probably be sent directly to him.
5. Father Pozzan is seeking funds in the Tirol. He has already received two
thousand francs, with more to come. We are working elsewhere too, and God
has been blessing us generously, so let us give Him heartfelt thanks!
6. On leaving Rome I mislaid the list of solicitors and pledges for the
church columns. If you have a copy, send it to me so I can get some funds,
especially in France.
7. I believe that I wrote or had someone write to you to say that I shall
gladly consent to be a godfather, or perhaps I already am. 19
8. Shall I get some priests ready to send you?20 Father Biondolillo will
gladly come; so will Father Rossetti, Father Valimberti and others. Let me
know.
9. Also, in the midst of all your work, tell me if you have time to breathe
and if there is anything I can do to ease your burden.
10. I leave tomorrow for Sampierdarena, where I shall stay one week.
Before that he had written [to Father Dalmazzo] from Alassio21 to
pave the way for requesting a government subsidy from Rome's munic-
ipal administration and from several state departments. We do not
know what action Father Dalmazzo took, but the following brief in-
structions, date uncertain, briefly outlined the steps:
Call on His Excellency [Caesar] Correnti, secretary of the Knights of St.
Maurice; assure him that his orders will be carried out. Ask him to read the
letter and both memos. Do just about the very same for the Treasury Minister;
tell him that he will soon receive a memo. The same holds for:
1. Count Visone, majordomo of the king's household; tell him that our
Congregation has always been favored and to some extent even founded by the
king's ancestral family.
2. A similar note to the Department of Grace and Justice; stress the erection
of the parish and so forth.
19Marquis Leon Boulanger de Saint-Cyr, count of Villeneuve, had invited Don Bosco to
Marseille for the baptism of his newborn son. [Editor]
2CYfhey were needed for pastoral work in the Sacred Heart parish. [Editor]
211.etter of April 6, 1881. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
3. A note to the Department of the Interior; emphasize our goal to help
destitute boys.
4. A note to the Department of Public Works, which in the past has given us
subsidies and other benefits for youngsters we have accepted into our schools,
especially the children of the national railway employees.
5. A note to City Hall, so concerned about the well-being of the people and
poor boys. Marquis Francis Vitelleschi should go to the mayor with Father
Dalmazzo.
6. If possible, have someone go with you to the Department of Education,
stressing the work of our schools.
The list of donations sent to Rome have rare contributions of a
thousand lire, even less those above that figure. The offerings collected
by the solicitors amount at most to a few hundred lire. By far the most
contributions are made up of a few lire saved by lay people and clergy
of Rome and Turin who have a big heart but limited means. To arouse
this charity all the more among the people Don Bosco included in the
March issue of the Bollettino Salesiano a full-page engraving of the
church which could be cut out and hung up in a house or store window.
For our own edification and to the lasting honor of a great religious
order, we must recount the following incident. The superior general of
the Brothers of the Christian Schools, Brother Irlide, sent a circular
from his Paris headquarters to all his confreres on January 3, 1882
urging a renewal of piety and mortification during the months of the
Holy Childhood [January], St. Joseph [March], Mary [May], and the
Sacred Heart [June]. So as to make their prayers, fasts and sacrifices
more acceptable to God, he suggested that the funds saved during those
months be dedicated to the construction and the furnishing of the
Sacred Heart Church in Rome. Since France had already vowed to
erect a national shrine to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Paris, it had been
judged inadvisable to appeal to the people on behalf of a church being
built in Rome. Still, the superior general wrote: "We believe that our
worldwide institute, especially consecrated to the Sacred Heart of
Jesus, should do for the church being built in Rome what it has done
for the church in Montmartre. Our dear confreres' savings as they cut
back on food once or twice a week throughout the year, and the funds
collected from our students, especially of our boarding schools, are to
be allotted to the same cause. Our contributions to the church in Rome
will draw blessings of the adorable and merciful Heart of Jesus on our
entire order, especially on the houses making the offering. Obviously,

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343
such blessings will be in direct proportion to the generosity of the
sacrifices the brothers will have taken upon themselves." The contribu-
tions reaching our procurator general in Rome amounted to the hand-
some sum of twenty thousand francs, and the deceased Brother Irlide's
successor presented them personally to Don Bosco on February 15,
1885. 22
One donation has an interesting story to it. Archbishop (later Car-
dinal) Joseph Benedict Dusmet of Catania wanted to purchase some of
Father Cagliero's musical compositions for his seminary and ordered
them directly from Don Bosco, requesting an invoice. Don Bosco told
Father Cagliero to handle the order. He did so, facetiously making the
invoice: "Total cost 14.75 lire. Note that the decimal point may readily
be disregarded as useless." The good archbishop wrote back,23 "I take
your note as a voice from heaven that the decimal point is irrelevant and
useless. Please accept the enclosed fourteen lire in payment and an
additional fourteen hundred lire-with no decimals-for the construc-
tion of the new Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Rome. I have
been slowly scraping up this amount bit by bit to use it for a charitable
work I began and have not yet completed, but the irrelevant decimal
made me change my mind. It recalled the well known adage: Qui cito
dat, bis dat [A ready giver gives double]. So I hope Don Bosco will
graciously accept my donation and reciprocate with a fervent prayer to
that adorable Heart which so dearly loves us, still. And you, Father,
accept my fourteen hundred lire-no decimals-which will go down
in the annals of Salesian finances." This generous deed, published
anonymously in the Bollettino Salesiano, induced readers everywhere
to do the same and send donations they had set aside for later
projects. 24
But it was not only finances which hindered the church's construc-
tion. Countless obstacles were raised by the former committee headed
by Marquis [Julius] Merighi. 25 Its contracts had to be rescinded and old
obligations liquidated, but those responsible set forth claims and made
exorbitant demands. Even the committee chairman branded the Sale-
sians as intruders, denouncing them to Church authorities as impossi-
22The last detail is mentioned in the diary of Father [Charles] Viglietti. [Author]
23Letter from Catania, January 21, 1883. See Bollettino Salesiano, March 1883, and Cardinal
Dusmet, by Father Gaetano Amadio, Arte Sicula Press, p. 109. [Author]
24See Bollettino Salesiano, May 1883. [Author]
25See Vol. XIV, pp. 457f. [Editor]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
ble to deal with and dishonest. A coalition of stone workers and marble
cutters sided with him, ready to go to court. However, the most irate
was the general contractor, who charged exorbitantly for his work and
threatened to sue. Moreover, the architect favored his assistants and
workers. Regrettably, there was good reason to believe that he was
being egged on by a party interested in creating mistrust and blocking
smooth progress.
In the spring of 1882 Don Bosco went to Rome and did his best to
clear the air and forestall future misunderstandings, as we can see from
the following letter. Another letter [to the cardinal vicar], however,
which we shall quote later, makes it clear that the architect, once he
met Don Bosco, kept steering clear of him. The heart of the problem
was his stubborn refusal to acknowledge Salesian ownership of the
project.
Dear Count Vespignani:
Rome, May 9, 1882
Following the discussion I was honored to have with you, I took your
suggestion and brought in an expert to evaluate the work done and check if it
tallied with the contract's terms. Several rather substantial comments given to
me I now pass on to you. Since I must leave for Turin on business, I have
instructed two of my priests, Father Francis Dalmazzo, parish priest of the
Sacred Heart Church, and Father Angelo Savio to act in my name. I shall
accept their decisions.
Personally I hopefully wish that we can settle any differences amicably
through the mediation of a third person, an expert we can both trust. To
forestall future misunderstandings, I think that we must agree on these two
guidelines:
1. Settle past disagreements once and for all.
2. Establish clear policies and ground rules; specify exact costs for every
phase of the work in the contract. To avoid deterioration and damage to
materials because of delays, construction is to be immediately resumed now
when the weather is most ideal for work.
Let us please work out all differences in a way that will redound to our
utmost spiritual benefit and God's greater glory.
Yours sincerely,
Fr. John Bosco
The expert whom Don Bosco chose as arbitrator was G. Squarcina,
architect and parliament member. His reply to Don Bosco cited Don

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345
Bosco's guidelines to Count Vespignani as prompted "by sound admin-
istrative tact and plenty of common sense." He added: "I think that
much time is being wasted in futile discussion, while even the very
nature of the work demands its immediate resumption. "26
As a matter of fact, construction had come to a standstill on June 17
until a satisfactory solution could be found. The cardinal vicar called a
meeting of Marquis [John] Patrizi, Count [Francis] Vespignani, An-
dolfi the contractor, Father Dalmazzo, and Father Savio. The architect
submitted his resignation, and the cardinal accepted it; this helped
speed the final break-up of the obstructive committee. However, An-
dolfi adamantly refused to work under Father Savio. The result was an
impending court action. Furthermore, the cardinal, reluctant to entrust
the entire project to the Salesians, kept wavering from the Salesians'
side to the committee's. Also he balked at hiring Squarcina, feeling
that as a member of parliament he would always favor the Romans.
Meanwhile rumor got around that the Salesians had already gone bank-
rupt. As Father Dalmazzo aptly put it, Rome was a tough nut to
crack. 27
While Squarcina was doing his best to break the deadlock, the
opposition became stiffer than ever, nor did Father Savio's reports give
any hope that the impasse would soon break. In July, anxious to have
his representatives' authority definitively honored, Don Bosco penned
the following tactful letter to the cardinal vicar:
Your Eminence:
Turin, July 5, 1882
Father Savio has sent me a report on the controversy surrounding the Sacred
Heart Church. I gather that there are those who would like to muddy the
waters and flout all authority, even that of the parish priest, Father Dalmazzo. I
will confine my remarks to a letter I will address to Father Savio, who will
hand it to you personally. However, if we are ever to expedite matters, I believe
it indispensable that Your Eminence withdraw from this mess and leave all
problems to Father Dalmazzo, who has to come up with funds to meet the
costs. Hoping to settle the issue, I wrote twice to Count Vespignani, but he
neither replied nor came to see me during my stay in Rome.
I earnestly desire that construction be resumed. I am making incredible
26Letter to Don Bosco, Rome, June 17, 1882. [Author]
27Letter from Father Dalmazzo to Don Bosco, Rome, June 7, 21 and 30, 1882. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
efforts to raise money. But when shall we ever see that church completed if
things continue like this?
I trust that my [poor] eyesight will allow me to write you very soon.
I ask your blessing.
Most respectfully,
Fr. John Bosco
The letter meant for the cardinal was to be drafted jointly by Father
Dalmazzo and Father Savio and then sent to Don Bosco in Turin for his
comments, but we have found neither the original draft nor a copy. Our
archives do have, however, a copy of Don Bosco's letter to Father Savio
the following day.
My dear Father Savio:
[July 6, 1882]
I have written to the cardinal vicar and asked him to leave all decisions to
you and Father Dalmazzo. I also said that as long as they refuse to acknowl-
edge our ownership, we shall only be a thorn in his side, and nothing will ever
get done. Now sit down with Father Dalmazzo and together draft a reply to the
cardinal vicar, but first send it to me. I will read it and return it immediately. I
amended a few lines in my report and then realized that the cardinal vicar had
already received his copy.
Time and money are being wasted, adding to the mess. We are not Romans,
and hence ...
God bless us all! Regards to the confreres.
Yours affectionately in Jesus Christ,
Fr. John Bosco
P.S. You may consult some lawyer.
Don Bosco was quite convinced that this procedure would stop all
arguing and work would resume without delay. And so we can under-
stand the holy impatience expressed in his letter of July 29 to Father
Dalmazzo: "We haven't heard a word from you! Write or send word by
someone about the Sacred Heart Church. Has work been resumed or
will it resume soon? Is there anything I can do from here? Are your
funds running out? Are you still receiving contributions in the mail?
[. . .] Regards to Father Savio. Tell him to concentrate on the problems
and see the church through to its completion, despite the hurts inflicted
upon us by wicked old Satan."
The serenity of these last few lines is heightened toward the middle

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347
of the letter, when, after calmly touching on two very thorny issues-
the first concerned procedures to obtain ecclesiastical privileges [usu-
ally granted to religious orders] and the second related to the arch-
bishop of Turin-he went on, "Your brother dropped in the day before
yesterday with good news about his family and your mother. Next
Tuesday we get ready for our spiritual retreats which will run until the
feast of All Saints. More news will reach you from others. Heartfelt
regards to all the confreres. Pray for me."
Despite Don Bosco's firm insistence that work immediately resume,
summer went by and fall set in and there still was no progress. On
returning to Rome from his October retreat in Turin, Father Dalmazzo
found the situation messier than ever. 28 On December 6, with the onset
of winter, Don Bosco wrote to him: "Is there no way of resolving this
impasse with the general contractor? Maybe you and Father Savio
might sit with him and amicably come to some solution." On De-
cember 18, calmly as ever despite the many setbacks, he wrote again:
"Best wishes to you and to all the confreres for spiritual and temporal
happiness! Please extend my greetings to all the confreres and my
recommendation as well-the exact observance of poverty, chastity
and obedience, through which we consecrated ourselves to the Lord. It
will be a great day for us when perfect charity shall reign among us,
when all this mess with the general contractor will be done away with,
and we shall resume work on the Sacred Heart Church. Is the lottery
asleep? Get it moving, and we'll do our best here to lend you a hand."
The lottery was but one of Don Bosco's usual means of raising funds
for his enterprises; even while in Rome he did not overlook it. He set
about it without fanfare and prudently since everywhere collections
were being taken up for the victims of northern Italy's tragic floods. We
shall tell the story of this Roman lottery and its ups and downs in a later
volume.
The thorny conflict began to be resolved with the beginning of the
new year. It broke when Count Vespignani terminated the general
contractor's services and sent the final bill which amounted to some
forty thousand lire. As Don Bosco's legal agent, Father Savio decided
to pay this sum promptly without questioning it so as to hasten the
contractor's withdrawal and bring the matter to an end. Father
28Letter to Don Bosco, Rome, October 30, 1882. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
Dalmazzo quickly informed Don Bosco, knowing "how much you
desired that news. " 29
This decision led to the final termination of the old contract; legal-
ities and signing took place on February 6. Don Bosco 's representatives
then bought up all the equipment, lumber, security fence, and remain-
ing building materials, paid off the balance due on the residence and
chapel, and took over undisputed ownership. Thus, with the old con-
tract out of the way, it was an easy task to dissolve the various schemes
devised by the now defunct committee which, in neglect of its watch-
° dog duties, had allowed all parties to go their own way. 3 Finally, once
the unusually rigid winter began to break, work was resumed. While
all workers were striving to make up for lost time, a new block was
raised threatening another shutdown. That was in 1883, but we will
bring it up now. Architect Vespignani, perhaps too easily swayed by
the sly insinuations of intriguers, abruptly quit supervising the con-
struction and sent notice of his decision to the cardinal vicar of his
decision, who, of course, asked him to state in writing his reasons for
such a drastic step. He listed five: 1. arbitrary changes in dimensions of
walls and ceilings; 2. other arbitrary alterations with no regard to
safety; 3. demands to see blueprints for additional work; 4. false state-
ments that he demanded unneeded and very costly art work; 5. poorly
concealed attempts to drop him.
Upon receiving this notice, the cardinal passed it on to Father
Dalmazzo, who, uncertain of what to reply and probably anxious to act
in agreement with him, asked him what he thought should be done.
Rather than offer suggestions, the cardinal took back Vespignani's
letter and mailed it to Don Bosco with the cryptic remark: "Father
Francis Dalmazzo has asked what reply he is to make and what as-
surance he can give the architect that his orders will be obeyed." To
begin with, Don Bosco asked Father Dalmazzo to state in writing his
response to each of the architect's complaints and send it to him. He
did so promptly, whereupon Don Bosco wrote to the cardinal:
Your Eminence:
Turin, July 31, 1883
I would have wished Count Vespignani did not bring you problems plaguing
the construction of the Sacred Heart Church, lest the weighty load which
29Letter from Father Dalmazzo to Don Bosco, Rome, January 31, 1883. [Author]
30Letter from Father Savio to Father Rua, Rome, February 20, 1883. [Author]

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already consumes your precious time be aggravated. I read your note to the
architect's letter and sent it back to Rome for more detailed information. The
problem stems from a difference in the mode of operation. In northern Italy
architects submit finished plans; it is the general contractor who deals with the
owner, and the owner then takes over all payments and ultimate responsibility.
In Rome, however, architectural plans [for further work not contemplated at
the start] are not available and so that part of the work cannot be put up to bids.
However, somehow or other, even with greater sacrifice, the work seems to
be moving. May it continue! I am doing my utmost to raise funds for Father
Dalrnazzo to meet scheduled payments. I fully trust that, with Your Emi-
nence's help, resources will no longer be lacking and the construction will
move rapidly ahead.
We always ask God to grant Your Eminence good health for many more
years for the good of holy Church, and we pray that one day you will preside
at a very solemn ceremony of consecration of our, or I should say your, church
in Rome.
Give me and all the Salesians your gracious blessing. On their behalf I am
greatly honored to be in veneration and esteem,
Yours most devotedly,
Fr. John Bosco
Don Bosco had deftly put his finger on the hurt. A general contractor
who takes orders only from the architect, not the paymaster, and an
architect who is not required to furnish the owner with the plans of the
work done make for a bad combination that inevitably causes financial
waste and endless wrangling which ultimately hurts the owner.
Count Vespignani, who, after all, was an honorable man, finally
yielded to reason and took back his ill-advised decision; he again
directed the work with the help of his associate, Valentine Grazioli.
The general contractor was Chevalier James Cucco.
Even with this situation now under control, Don Bosco knew from
experience that not all disputes would cease, all the more so because he
planned to start adding a large hospice to the church. He wrote about it
to Father Dalmazzo and gave him directives.
My dear Father Dalmazzo:
Turin, August 3, 1883
Enclosed please find some papers I had no time to hand over to Father Sala.
He is on his way to Rome with money and with full power of attorney to
obviate our having to face continual crises.

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
We have to get things ready to start work on the hospice as early as next
spring. If you are going to attend our next general chapter, put your ideas
down on paper and either send them in or bring them with you.
God bless you all! Regards to my dear sons of Macao. 31
Yours affectionately in Jesus Christ,
Fr. John Bosco
The Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus was to cost Don Bosco
many more sacrifices before it was finished. Father Rua, who was in a
position to know, confirmed this during Don Bosco's apostolic process,
claiming that the project was a severe drain on his strength. It was
painful to see him in his advanced years frail in health, often racked
with major afflictions, going up and down stairs to beg alms, often
being subjected to harsh humiliations. So great was his pain at times
that, when speaking intimately to his sons who asked why he was so
stooped, he would answer, "The Sacred Heart Church weighs heavily
on my shoulders." At other times, in humorous fashion, he would play
on the word "persecute" and remark, "They say that the Church is
persecuted. I, instead, can say that the Sacred Heart Church persecutes
me."
31At one time the Jesuits had purchased land and houses at Castro Pretorio, using funds
contributed by their mission at Macao in China; hence the name of this locality. [Author]

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CHAPTER 14
The Last Blocks to the
Granting ofPrivileges
~ HEN Don Bosco's straightforward attempts of 1875 to
obtain the communication of privileges from the Holy See failed, 1 he
neither panicked nor gave up, but, adhering to his usual practice of
circumventing obstacles which he could not meet head-on, he sought
alternate approaches to achieve his purpose. The Congregation's
growth and spread convinced him more and more that he had to win for
it full juridical identity consonant with his times. Daily experience
taught him how precarious it was to be at the mercy of local bishops;
even with the very best of intentions the Congregation's legitimate
freedom was all too often being curtailed and its identity altered.
Instead he needed to solidify his Congregation and give it such homo-
geneity that in any environment at all it would be in a position to fulfill
its commitment, unfettered by prejudice, in perfect singleness of spirit.
Perforce, therefore, he could not help but view his Congregation as
incomplete until he could assure it of that legitimate autonomy which
other great religious families advantageously enjoyed.
And indeed, as he saw it, the Salesian Society would in the future be
on a par with the great congregations. Its greatness-no mystery to
him-had not yet shone to all who observed it, and this was the main
reason why Church authorities were at first reluctant to grant his Con-
gregation the charism of privileges. Also, the fact that widely disparate
forces worked against him should come as no surprise to the historian
who has learned skillfully to find his way through the ceaseless clash-
ing of those human shortcomings which we call passions, nor does it
shock the biographer who knows quite well that Divine Providence is
1See Vol: XI, Chapters 9 and 21. [Author]
351

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
wont to refine the virtue of saints through many tribulations and thus
lead them to victories for God's kingdom. His unalterable calm not-
withstanding, Don Bosco did not try to cover up a certain haste to
reach his goal. Feeling that his days were numbered, he doubtless was
anxious to be at hand to guide his Salesians during their initial experi-
ence of total canonical exemption. This too should help us to under-
stand the inflexible tenacity with which he pursued his goal, regardless
of the countless obstacles that might arise and block his every step. The
fact also that his efforts were happily crowned with victory once Turin's
hostility was breached is the best proof that there were no real reasons
in all honesty for anyone to oppose his cause.
When his first requests of 1875 were repeatedly presented and re-
jected, Don Bosco was satisfied to obtain various temporary favors
with the least possible formality from his ever kindly friend, Pius IX.
Thus he was able to avail himself of three highly important privileges:
1. pastors' rights which directors of Salesian houses could use toward
dependents residing in their houses; 2. extra tempus ordinations for
Salesian clerics; 3. dispensation from testimonial letters from a pos-
tulant's bishop before admission to the novitiate. These privileges had
been granted in 1876. The first two were valid for three years in Italy
and five abroad; the third bore no time restriction. 2 When the three-year
period of the first two expired, he requested an extension, with the
following results. As regards the pastors' rights, after lengthy insis-
tence on his part, a brief dated March 21, 1882 renewed the 1876
privileges for a further three and five years respectively. He got no-
where with the ordinations extra tempus until 1884. In 1881 Archbishop
Joseph Guarino of Messina warmly championed his cause, specifically
for the sake of the boarding school of Randazzo, but to no avail. 3
Obtaining the dispensation from the bishop's testimonial letters was
a complex problem since this privilege had been revoked rather dramat-
ically four years before. Don Bosco himself left us this account in
1882.4
Five years have passed since Cardinal Ferrieri condescended to receive me.
Since then, despite all my pleas and letters, I could never obtain either an
2See Vol. XIV, p. 179, footnote 10 and pp. 180ff. [Editor]
3Letter from Archbishop Guarino to Don Bosco, Rome, December 1, 1881, and from Attorney
Leonori to Don Bosco, Rome, December 26, 1881. [Author]
4Letter to Father Dalmazzo, San Benigno, September 8, 1882. [Author]

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audience or even a written reply. In the last interview he granted me, he
backed up the charges brought against me by the archbishop of Turin that I
admitted postulants to the Congregation without applying for his testimonial
letters. I replied that I always made it a point to request the letters, but that
when obstacles were raised, I availed myself of the faculties I had received
from the Holy See to proceed without them.
"Who granted you these faculties?' the cardinal demanded somewhat in a
huff.
"The Holy Father," I answered, "our well-deserving Pius IX. The relevant
papers are with the Sacred Congregation of Bishops and Regulars and I have
an authentic copy."
"That permission ceases as of now. Take care not to use it in the future."
I wonder whether the prefect of a Roman congregation has power to sus-
pend a privilege granted so formally. Be that as it may, however, I merely
replied that I would abide by his orders, and I have never again invoked that
privilege.
Such was the situation when Don Bosco went to Rome in 1881 with
the resolve to renew his struggle against the Holy See's reluctance to
grant him the privileges. He had prepared himself with some prelimi-
nary work. Through his secretary Father Joachim Berto, well skilled in
researching and gathering such material, he had compiled a printed
monograph documenting the privileges and permissions granted to the
Salesian Society by the Holy See and various bishops.5 The list opens
with the first spiritual favors granted by Gregory XVI on April 18,
1845, which could be shared by fifty "collaborators," and it ends with
the faculties recently granted by the bishop of Frejus and Toulon and by
the bishop of Ivrea to Salesians working in their dioceses. Wanting all
his confreres to share the benefits of this painstaking work, Don Bosco
sent a copy to each house with a covering letter explaining its
application.
Dearest sons in Jesus Christ:
[No date]
Desiring to help you more easily understand and apply the privileges gra-
ciously granted by the Holy See to our Pious Society, I decided to have them
5Favori e grazie spirituali concessi dalla Santa Sede alla Pia Societa di S. Francesco di Sales
dal 1835 al 1879, Torino, Tipografia Salesiana, 1881 [Spiritual Favors and Graces Granted by the
Holy See to the Pious Society of St. Francis de Sales, 1835-1879, Turin, Salesian Press, 1881].
[Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
printed for our common benefit. These privileges are precious gifts granted to
religious institutes by the Holy See, which can modify or add to them when-
ever it judges it to advance God's greater glory. Hence we must use them as
needed and express our deepest thanks and profound veneration to the Su-
preme Head of the Church.
This list of privileges shows that during its first decade our Congregation
consisted of one director assisted by some priests and laymen. To that director
these papal and diocesan concessions were granted.
In 1852 he was formally appointed superior of the Congregation with all
needed powers to govern it.
By 1858 the Society began to look like a religious congregation, and after
sixteen years of study and testing it was definitively approved in 1874.
That these privileges or concessions may serve their purpose, please
remember:
1. Take advantage of these spiritual favors whenever they can contribute to
your spiritual well-being as, for example, the indulgences.
2. Use them moderately and prudently in your own communities and private
chapels.
3. Use them only most sparingly when they touch upon the authority of the
bishop, to whom at all times we owe respect, obedience and reverence.
The rescripts, decrees and briefs herein contained have been carefully com-
pared with their respective Qriginals and found to be identical.
The translation was made and checked by qualified members of our own
Congregation.
However, since some rather serious problems may arise in implementing
these privileges, we are working on a commentary for a precise and faultless
way to apply them, so as to achieve the Holy See's aim, which is God's greater
glory and the welfare of souls.
Live in joy. May the grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ be with us always.
Fr. John Bosco
Just what positive action Don Bosco was able to take during his 1881
stay at Rome to win the communication of privileges we cannot ascer-
tain from the documents at our disposal, but it would seem that he used
his time mainly to gain the good will of influential prelates and have
them on his side in the hour of need. The only thing we know for
certain is that just before leaving Liguria to proceed to Rome, he had
Father Berto send him the original documents relevant to the three
privileges we have just mentioned; with them he also took along the

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The Last Blocks to the Granting of Privileges
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printed list of privileges.6 To come up with definite facts we must jump
from spring to autumn. Our account will be quite touching, as it shows
us what means he had to resort to so as to finally achieve his aim.
The reader surely recalls the anxious pleas of Messina's archbishop
to Don Bosco to breathe new life into his seminary. When the prelate's
letters appeared to be penned with tears, Don Bosco proposed a deal: if
the archbishop would get him the privileges, he would send the Sale-
sians to his diocese. "A hard bargain!" the archbishop replied, but then
added:7 "Let me try. I'll turn Rome inside out.... Meanwhile let me
know who are the people in Rome who oppose you and on what
grounds.... I need some leads because I certainly intend to do my
very best. "
When the archbishop went to Rome in November, he kept his word.
First he took pains to learn how things stood as regards the granting of
privileges to the Salesian Congregation, but in no time he became
convinced that as long as the cardinal prefect of the Congregation of
Bishops and Regulars was against it, there was little or no chance of
hope. Still, when in audience with the Holy Father, he gradually
steered the conversation to the subject. The Pope matched his praises of
the Salesians' meritorious undertakings, but, on hearing mention of
privileges, he remarked that the other religious orders had acquired
them only after centuries of merit and that the Salesian Congregation,
but of recent origin, had a long way to go to deserve them. 8
There was no reply the archbishop could make to this statement.
However, Don Bosco asked him to deliver a letter of petition to His
Holiness. "Please be convinced," the archbishop wrote back, "that
only among your Salesians can you ever find anyone more committed
than I to your cause and to that of your distinguished Congregation,
even though my concern is not beyond comparison. I speak with my
heart on my sleeve. The obstacles you keep running into in Rome
originate in Turin. " 9
As on other occasions, the archbishop consulted Cardinal Nina and
asked whether on his next visit to the Holy Father he should again bring
up the subject and present Don Bosco's petition. Seemingly Cardinal
6Letter from Don Bosco to Father Berto, Alassio, April 8, 1881. Seep. 109. [Author]
7Letter to Don Bosco, Messina, October 1, 1881. [Author]
8Letter from Archbishop Guarino to Don Bosco, Rome, November 21, 1881. [Author]
9Letter, Rome, December 1, 1881. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
Nina advised against it, suggesting that he rather call on Cardinal
Ferrieri. He did so, but the cardinal was out. He was quite unhappy
over this because he was anxious to hear some sort of explanation from
the cardinal's own lips; furthermore, he could not protract his stay in
Rome. Nevertheless, he did leave Don Bosco's petition with the Sacred
Congregation's secretary. He then wrote to Father Dalmazzo, "Kindly
offer Don Bosco my respects and please tell him of the many stairways
I have climbed, the endless hours I have sat in antechambers, all the
comings and goings I had to go through to help him. I did all this out of
deepest love, and I am very much distressed that I made no
headway." 10
Archbishop Guarino 's zeal drew attention to the privilege invoked by
Don Bosco to issue dimissorial letters for the ordination of his Salesian
clerics. Just why this happened at this time we do not know, but the fact
is that no sooner did Archbishop Guarino leave Rome than Don Bosco
was called to order. In a communication dated December 28, Arch-
bishop Agnozzi, secretary of the Congregation of Bishops and Reg-
ulars, wrote: "The Sacred Congregation. of Bishops and Regulars
requests precise information concerning the privilege and indult of
issuing testimonial letters for ordination to holy orders, inclusive of the
priesthood, for professed members of your Congregation. Please
oblige by sending a copy to this Sacred Congregation." We do not have
a copy of Don Bosco's reply, but we have no doubt of its contents. On
April 3, 1874 Pope Pius IX, replying to Don Bosco's petition, had
graciously granted him the above faculty for a period of ten years in a
rescript signed by Cardinal [Joseph] Bizzarri, then prefect of the Con-
gregation [of Bishops and Regulars]. Consequently, the matter was
dropped, either to let the rescript expire, or because the resumption of
negotiations for privileges in general made it advisable not to suspend
one particular privilege.
In 1882 Don Bosco took direct action to obtain the privileges ad
instar [after the fashion (of religious orders)]. That year he personally
pleaded his cause in Rome in a private audience with Leo XIII. The
Pope did not seem opposed to the idea but told him to see Archbishop
[Innocent] Masotti, newly appointed secretary of the Congregation of
Bishops and Regulars, and ask him to bring the matter up in one of his
regular audiences [with the Pope]. Some days later, a very good friend
IOLetter, Rome, December 14, 1881. [Author]

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The Last Blocks to the Granting of Privileges
357
of the Salesians, Cardinal [Louis] Bilio, bishop of Sabina, reminded
the Pope of Don Bosco's desire; the impression he got was that His
Holiness was inclined to grant his wish. A third attempt came from
Don Bosco himself: he personally wrote a petition in Latin, perhaps at
the suggestion of Archbishop Masotti. The Pope read it at an audience
with Cardinal Nina and praised the Latin style as being simple and
direct, yet polished. "Who actually wrote this?" he asked the cardinal.
"Don Bosco," the cardinal answered.
"Really?" exclaimed the Pope. "Don Bosco is not a man of letters."
"Still he wrote that himself. "
When telling Don Bosco of this conversation, Cardinal Nina asked if
he had done literary studies. "Yes," Don Bosco answered, "I have
read all the Latin classics and their finest commentaries. " He then went
on to list all the books and authors he had read until the cardinal,
raising his hands, interrupted with, "That's enough! I'll surely mention
this to the Holy Father. "
Don Bosco's petition described the Salesian Society's growth during
the nine years following its final approval; he emphasized the urgency
of being granted the requested privileges, listing several motives on a
separate sheet. 11 He then asked to be granted the privileges which Leo
XII had given on September 12, 1826 to the Oblates of the Virgin Mary,
founded by Father [Pius Bruno] Lanteri. These were the very same
privileges which the Redemptorists were then enjoying, and he felt that
they would be the best suited to the nature and aims of the Salesian
Congregation.
After his papal audience, Don Bosco hastened to call on Archbishop
Masotti, who received him most graciously and even appeared pained
that Don Bosco had anticipated his own resolve to pay him a personal
call sometime during the day. In fact the Pope had already asked him
whether he had conferred with Don Bosco and, on receiving a negative
reply, had told him, "Well, take good care of him, poor man! He is
dear to me. Try to comfort him." After telling this to Don Bosco, the
archbishop advised him to keep it confidential and let him handle the
whole matter. Don Bosco simply replied that if further clarifications or
other information was needed, he could speak to Cardinal Bilio, who
was well acquainted with the Salesian Congregation's affairs. Later
0 we have not found a copy. Probably it contained the arguments put forward in 1875 .12
[Author]
12see Vol. XI, pp. 175ff. [Editor]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
Cardinal Nina told him in confidence that the Pope had secretly ap-
pointed a committee of three cardinals, [Aeneas] Sbarretti, [Thomas]
Martinelli and [Thomas] Zigliara, to look into the matter.
Don Bosco left Rome on May 9 with hopeful heart. However, back
in Turin, he kept up the pressure for his cause even though the case of
Father Bonetti was then in its most crucial phase. 13 Archbishop Masotti
wanted him to list the privileges he was requesting in a detailed and
documented petition. 14 This was time-consuming but he completed it
quickly enough and sent it to Father Dalmazzo with a note:15 "Here are
the required papers concerning the privileges. Take them to the car-
dinal vicar and then to Archbishop Masotti. Also find out whether all
or some of the documents need to be printed. Keep me informed of
everything, and I will give you instructions."
No sooner did he send those documents than a letter from Attorney
[Constantine] Leonori16 reached him with news neither new nor quite
encouraging. "Many pious societies similar to yours," the attorney
wrote, "have been founded these latter years, all with simple vows,
and yet not all of them have privileges; furthermore, I can say that none
of them has all the privileges. . . . I suggest that you get a copy of the
constitutions of the Passionist Fathers, who enjoy more privileges than
others, examine them, choose those that you feel will most help your
own Society, and ask for them.... There is no likelihood that you
will be granted these privileges; the opposition is frightening.... "
Don Bosco seems to have paid but little attention to these ominous
forebodings. In fact, at the end of July he roused his procurator to
action. "Has the matter of our privileges been put to sleep?" he
wrote.17 "If we don't strike while the iron is hot, we labor to no
purpose. Call on Archbishop Masotti, pay my respects to him, and ask
him to let me know what I am to do or to prepare and, if there are
obstacles, to tell us what they are. We have the promise of the Holy
Father and Archbishop Masotti. Be patient. If things get too hot, get an
ice-cold coach and keep going."
But it all looked like wasted toil. The very same day that Don Bosco
was writing from Turin to urge his procurator to act, the latter wrote
13See Chapter 6. [Editor]
14Letter from Father Dalmazzo, Rome, June 7, 1882. [Author]
15Letter, Turin, June 19, 1882. [Author]
16Letter to Don Bosco, Rome, June 27, 1882. [Author]
I7Letter, July 29, 1882. [Author]

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The Last Blocks to the Granting of Privileges
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from Rome to inform him that the privileges ad instar could not be
granted. Therefore, he was to compile a list of desired privileges
properly worded and fully documented and then send it to Archbishop
Masotti in ample time before the summer recess. The archbishop
would do his utmost to push the matter through.
However, Don Bosco had quite clearly not given up all hope. In fact,
not having received an official negative answer, he wrote to Cardinal
Nina on August 4:
Your Eminence:
I have already sent in my formal request for the concession of privileges and
have adhered to the required formalities which Your Eminence has already
seen and the Holy Father repeatedly approved. However, Archbishop Masotti
now tells Father Dalmazzo that I must specify the privileges we are request-
ing. If we ask for only certain privileges, we shall be just as badly hampered at
every move as we have been in the past.
If the Holy See wants to normalize the Salesians' status and not expose them
to endless conflicts, the formal granting of privileges is necessary, as was the
case with the Passionists, the Redemptorists, the Oblates of Mary, the Rosmi-
nians and the religious congregations definitively approved by Holy Church.
However, should the Holy See decide to grant only some privileges, I must of
course be forced to accept that decision and reword my petition.
I hope however that Your Eminence's gracious intervention with the Holy
Father will manage to obtain for me what every congregation of this land has
enjoyed and continues to enjoy from the day of its definitive approval.
Father Dalmazzo will call upon you, prepared to follow out whatever coun-
sel you will graciously give him.
Please overlook this miserable scrawl. It is the best I can do, and I don't
want to dictate this letter to anyone.
In greatest veneration, I am honored to be,
Your obedient servant,
Fr. John Bosco
P.S. I have only one copy of the above mentioned formal request; if copies
must be made, please let me know.
He followed Father Dalmazzo's suggestion [to list the privileges he
needed], and then, as though his mind were free of worry, he wrote him
about the approaching feast of St. Joachim [the Pope's name day]
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
Enclosed are my greetings to the Holy Father. Read my letter if you have
time and either personally or through Monsignor Boccali or Cardinal Nina
have them conveyed to His Holiness. If there is no other way, send them
through the mail. I am most concerned to know of your health and that of your
confreres. Spare nothing to safeguard it. I have drawn up a list of privileges
from those of the Redemptorists, the Passionists and the Lazarists, in case our
petition to have them ad instar gets blown away. You will get it in two days.
Just remember that even when the wind blows, it always lets something fall.
He had selected ninety-four privileges and sent all the documents
with the following cover letter to Archbishop Masotti:
Your Excellency:
Turin, August 21, 1882
I venture to write to you not officially but more as a son respectfully seeking
to do some good, always in accordance with the Supreme Pontiff's sacred
wishes which I take for commands. Please let your response be a fatherly one.
Last April, at an audience which His Holiness graciously granted me, I told
him of the trying situations our little Pious Society had to face in comparison
with other congregations in its dealing with some ordinaries. After listening to
me, he gave me some hope that we would be granted the privileges ad instar.
With this in mind I drew up a respectful position paper to be presented to the
Congregation of Bishops and Regulars, of which you are the most worthy
secretary. However, I have just been informed that the Holy See rarely grants
the communication of privileges, and so I have picked out those privileges and
faculties which I judge indispensable for our Congregation to achieve its goal
and to hold its own in the various dioceses and parishes, especially in the
foreign missions, which here and now are a major concern of ours and enjoy
the warm recommendation of the Holy Father.
My formal request and all pertinent documentation have been compiled and
submitted to your authoritative Sacred Congregation. Should some clarifica-
tion be needed, please inform our procurator general, Father Dalmazzo, who
will hasten to seek it or provide it in some way or other.
I entrust this matter to your kindly care; ours is certainly a most urgent
petition. Our missions in South America keep growing daily. Some of our
communities are nearly two months of travel apart. How can we set up clear,
abiding norms if they have not been laid down and placed under the control of
the Holy See?
Please excuse the trustful informality of this letter.
In a slight token of our undying gratitude, all Salesians and the one hundred

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The Last Blocks to the Granting of Privileges
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and fifty thousand pupils entrusted to us by Divine Providence will fervently
pray for you.
Please remember me in your kind prayers.
In deepest reverence,
[Fr. John Bosco]
He also sent a copy of his latest petition to Cardinal Nina with a
covering letter:
Your Eminence:
San Benigno Canavese, September 3, 1882
I hasten to send you a copy of my new request, no longer ad instar but
"speciatim" for those privileges which are most indispensable. I fear that
even these few will run into problems. Archbishop Masotti seems to be very
well disposed.
The enclosed documents will bring you up to date, if needed, with what has
been done. I am now attending a retreat of our priests at San Benigno.
All of us offer humble prayers for Your Eminence and ask for your blessing.
In deepest gratitude,
Your most obedient servant,
Fr. John Bosco
Having overlooked one document, he wrote again the next day:
Your Eminence:
San Benigno Canavese, September 4, 1882
Probably due to my poor eyesight, I either forgot one document or sent you
the wrong one when I wrote to you yesterday requesting some privileges for
our Congregation. I enclose that document; you may need it.
Please forgive this added nuisance. I remain in deepest reverence,
Your most obedient servant,
Fr. John Bosco
Don Bosco sent his formal, documented petition to the Pope and
enclosed a brief, humble appeal in Latin, making sure that he alluded,
but not as explicitly as above, to his request through official channels
for the privileges ad instar, as though wishing to remind him of the
kind words he had addressed to him on his last visit to Rome.
But the Sacred Congregation's reply even to this limited appeal was

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
to table the request for privileges to a future date. Don Bosco came to
know through a reliable source that Cardinal Ferrieri had told the Pope
that, rather than grant the Salesians privileges, he meant to conduct an
apostolic visitation of all their houses. To this threat the Pope replied,
"What? I absolutely will never allow such a thing!" 18
Father Dalmazzo was given a taste of Cardinal Ferrieri 's harsh stand
in an audience he was granted at the end of November. Giving no hint
that he knew the outcome of Don Bosco's latest appeal, he asked the
cardinal for his views on the matter. The latter curtly replied that he
knew nothing about it. Father Dalmazzo insisted that Archbishop Ma-
sotti must have certainly presented it to him. His Eminence replied, "I
took no action on it. When the archbishop gets here, you can ask him."
For a moment neither spoke, while the cardinal fiercely glared at Father
Dalmazzo. Unimpressed, the latter went on, "Don Bosco, my revered
superior, unable to be honored by an audience with you, would like
very much to know if you have any observations to make concerning
our Congregation because he would gladly take to heart your remarks
and advice." A piercing stare was the only answer. Then as Father
Dalmazzo moved to leave, the cardinal exclaimed ironically: "Don
Bosco has been quite cavalier about this matter!" With that he accom-
panied Father Dalmazzo to the door, loudly flinging this final remark as
he left, "Don Bosco has no religious spirit. " 19 A short time later,
Archbishop Masotti was quite right to caution Father Dalmazzo that the
road was strewn with thorns and that it would be wise to move slowly,
for, left alone, the matter would in time resolve itself. 20
Hardly a month later, the Holy See gave Don Bosco a token of
confidence, and he used that opportunity to reiterate his anxiety for the
privileges. Bishop Berengo of Mantua, distressed that he could not
meet the pressing spiritual needs of his flock, was prepared to make
any sacrifice to obtain a few priests for the most needy areas of his
diocese. He therefore had appealed to the Holy Father for a band of
religious of different congregations. The Pope, averse to this kind of
remedy, decided that such a band should be made up exclusively of
Salesians and had Monsignor [Gabriel] Boccali write to Don Bosco.
18Letter from Father Dalmazzo to Don Bosco, October 25, 1882. [Author]
19Letter from Father Dalmazzo to Don Bosco, October 30, 1882. [Author]
20Letter from Father Dalmazzo to Don Bosco, undated but written a short time after the one
cited above. [Author]

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The monsignor did so, extolling the Salesian Society in lofty terms and
clarifying the Pope's mind thus,21 "The Holy Father, relying on your
docile compliance even to his wishes, is certain that you will promptly
take pains to assent to his request, which is, I might say, more than a
mere desire." In reality it was not a work related in any way to the aim
of the Congregation, but it was a very ticklish situation. After confer-
ring with his chapter, Don Bosco replied to Monsignor Boccali as
follows:
Very Reverend Monsignor:
Turin, December 12, 1882
With great deference I received your kind letter expressing His Holiness'
wishes that a few Salesians be sent to minister to the faithful in the diocese of
Mantua. I promptly called a chapter meeting to ascertain if suitable personnel
could be available in any of our houses for this important assignment. We are
all very anxious indeed to comply with the Holy Father's request, but unfortu-
nately we are experiencing difficulties of shortage of personnel in our various
houses. In fact, this year we have already had to delay sending more mission-
aries to [South] America to help out at the centers already opened and to
assume responsibility for new houses which are ready to be inaugurated, but
for which we have no personnel.
Despite this, however, I immediately contacted the bishop of Mantua, as
you suggested, and together we shall study how we can do at least something
to meet the revered wishes of the Holy Father.
I must admit that more Salesians could be available if this Congregation of
ours were not in an abnormal situation, as I will separately and trustingly
explain to you, our well-deserving Salesian cooperator. 22 You might mention
this to the Holy Father if you should think it wise to do so.
Let me commend this poor Congregation of ours to Your Reverence. I thank
you and ask you to thank the Holy Father in my name for his graciousness in
giving us this token of esteem and benevolence. In deepest gratitude, I am
Your most devoted servant,
Fr. John Bosco
21Letter of November 29, 1882. [Author]
22The abnormal situation was caused by the denial of privileges. On January 31, 1883, Father
Dalmazzo wrote to Don Bosco: "Cardinal Nina asks if you sent a written reply to the Pope about
the house in Mantua. If not, he urges you to do so quickly and, in a humble way, make the
concession of privileges a condition. He says that on this point you have to proceed even with
importunity." [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
Using sound arguments, Father Durando convinced the bishop of
Mantua to wait until more favorable circumstances would permit the
Salesians to meet his wishes.
We have come to the close of this chapter. For the time being, further
talk of either a total or a partial concession of privileges was impossi-
ble. As for the future, the secretary of the Sacred Congregation advised
Don Bosco to let matters ride and the cardinal secretary of state as-
serted that it was only a matter of time because the Pope was well
disposed toward it. The Holy Father himself told Father Dalmazzo:
"You have enemies, and you must move slowly and cautiously, because
here in Rome even shadows are seen as realities. "23
We close by stating that time itself-dealing honorably and much
more quickly than we could ever have imagined-would eventually
resolve the matter.
23Letter from Father Dalmazzo to Don Bosco, Rome, December 18, 1882. [Author]

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CHAPTER 15
1881: Events and Letters
«iE now leave Don Bosco to his journeys, weighty business
affairs, and strenuous trials to tum our attention to humbler considera-
tions, to his personal relations and his private correspondence-all of
which may have no outstanding historical worth but still are valuable
because they give us insight into him. We begin this chapter with a
view strikingly unrelated to the rest.
1. EXPANSION OF EXISTING SALESIAN HOUSES
Growth was the measure of the vitality characterizing Don Bosco's
works. The ever increasing demands upon his hospices and boarding
schools made the original buildings inadequate and in need of expan-
sion; this in tum gratified his cooperators who could see at first hand
the material results of their charity. We single out but a few of the more
noteworthy developments: in 1881 St. Leo's Oratory in Marseille was
expanded to more than twice its size; St. Pierre's Hospice in Nice was
appreciably lengthened and a pretty church erected; a hospice was
added to the festive oratory in Lucca; work on the church at Vallecrosia
being at a standstill, two new buildings went up, one to house boys and
men teachers, the other for girls and women teachers. At La Spezia the
parish church was completed and the school facilities expanded. The
same was done for the boarding schools at Este, Cremona and
Randazzo.
This flurry of expansion also touched the Valdocco Oratory, whose
grounds and buildings Don Bosco enlarged in 1881. For nineteen thou-
sand lire he purchased land suitable for planting and building so that
the existing vegetable garden stretched beyond what is now Via
Sassari. However, since the city had earmarked the area for a municipal
market it would not grant a building permit; in 1932 the land was
365

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
expropriated by public domain. Instead, Don Bosco's purchase of the
land and the annexed Nelva residence1 made it possible to erect on the
west side of the Church of Mary, Help of Christians a new building
matching the one housing the doorkeeper's lodge and there to locate a
new school of printing with classrooms and shops. 2 On November 22,
1881 the cornerstone was solemnly laid; the scroll that at Don Bosco's
directive was encased in it honoring the building's donor and express-
ing the Salesians' joy is a clear indication of the importance he gave to
this new construction. 3
Its design matched the exterior of the Church of Mary, Help of
Christians. Vacating the premises of the old printshop allowed for more
space for the increasing urgent needs of other workshops. Above all,
the new printshop and its equipment would enhance its capabilities to
meet adequately Don Bosco's goals. To publicize far and wide the
Oratory's burgeoning activity in publishing and his intent to modernize
it to meet the needs of the times, he issued in 1881 an updated ninety-
six page catalogue listing all books printed at the Oratory. He sent forty
thousand copies of this catalogue all over Italy.4 Don Bosco indeed
firmly grasped even then the power of advertising in the promotion and
spread of good literature.
2. THE FIRST COOPERATORS' CONFERENCE AT CASALE
The esteem in which the people of Casale and its environs held Don
Bosco was deeply rooted. The first boarding school he opened at Mi-
rabello in 1863 immediately became well known for its excellence, a
reputation which was further enhanced on the school's transfer to
Borgo San Martino in 1870. Then came the schools at Penango and the
sisters' convent of the Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians at Lu. All
these foundations made Don Bosco's name a household word through-
out the district. Besides, his fame and love were being spread ever
'See Vol. XN, p. 407. [Editor]
2See R Giraudi, L'Oratorio di Don Bosco, Plate IX, D and A. [Author]
3The inscription read: "Amid the rejoicing of the Salesians at the laying of the cornerstone of
the new printshop on November 22, 1881, Chevalier John Frisetti placed this epigraph." [Author]
4L'Osservatore Romano of June 15, 1933, in an article by Father Joseph De Luca which
centered on the Oratory's publication Italian Classics for the Young5 [now out of print], while
pointing out its shortcomings, praised "Don Bosco's literary initiative which proved such a help
in most distressing times" and stated: "Certainly an account of this enterprise would make a
notable chapter in the history of nineteenth century Italian Catholicism." [Author]
5See Vol. IX, pp. 51, 195ff. [Editor]

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more year by year by the numerous diocesan priests who had experi-
enced his fatherly direction at the Oratory. The many vocations which
flourished for both the Salesians and the Daughters of Mary, Help of
Christians in that diocese as well as the generous donations sent to
Turin for several missionary expeditions bore witness to the overall
attachment the people of the area nurtured for the Salesian Society.
Fresh proof of this fondness was given at the very first conference of
Salesian cooperators held in Casale on November 17, 1881. The coop-
erators themselves went to their ordinary, Bishop [Peter] Ferre, who not
only gave his consent but also personally informed Don Bosco of it by
letter and then instructed the town's parish priests to announce the
conference in their churches. When word got around to the outlying
areas, so many people flocked to Casale that on that day the Church of
St. Philip, spacious though it was, could scarcely hold the crowd which
jammed it to hear Don Bosco.
Adhering to his favorite theme, he first portrayed the activities of the
Salesians from the Oratory's earliest beginnings to the recent founda-
tion in Faenza and the forthcoming missionary expedition to Brazil,
brightening his presentation by calling their attention to the wondrous,
always timely interventions of Divine Providence through the Salesian
cooperators. He then dwelt on almsgiving as a religious duty and a real
social need. 6
The bishop, who presided, spoke next, pointing out God's hand in
Don Bosco's work and urging the cooperation of both clergy and
faithful. He singled out the distinctive merits of Don Bosco and his
Salesians in three areas: educating the young, evangelizing the hea-
then, and building the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Rome.
How warm an affection Bishop Ferre always nurtured for Don
Bosco! He held him in fondest regard even though the two did not see
eye to eye in regard to the bishop's cherished idea-Rosminian philos-
ophy. 7 The ten volumes he wrote on "Universals" bear out his undying
loyal love for Rosminian teachings. He would spend entire nights
reading or writing about his favorite philosopher, and whenever he
encountered anyone with some smattering of learning, he would within
moments of their conversation go directly to the heart of the Rosminian
6Tbe December issue of the Bollettino Salesiano gave a lengthy account of this meeting.
[Author]
1See Vol. :xm, pp. 7f. [Editor]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
question. Neither Don Bosco nor his Salesians were inclined to agree
with him, and he knew it, but this did not dampen their cordial rela-
tions, as the following edifying anecdote will amply show.
The day before the conference Bishop Ferre went to Borgo San
Martino to celebrate the school's patronal feast, and while preparing
for lunch, he got into a dispute with Father [Joseph] Bertello, his
outspoken, undaunted antagonist in Rosminian philosophy. Father Ber-
tello clinched his argument by saying, "Your Excellency, should the
impossible happen and should I become a bishop, I would demand that
my seminarians follow the study guides issued by Rome."
"Rome!" exclaimed the bishop. "What is Rome? A lofty rock jut-
ting out into the sea, atop of which stands the Pope, in an unruffled
calm, while below him the billows toss and break against each other.
It's the Jesuits who wage a war to death against Rosmini and his
followers. " He then so warmed to his topic that the guests began to fret
at the long delay, until Father Bertello finally broke in to say, "Please,
Your Excellency, Rosmini is no reason for delaying our lunch any
longer."
The next day they renewed their argument at the bishop's residence,
where Don Bosco, Father Bonetti, Father Bertello and other members
of the clergy were his luncheon guests. From beginning to end of the
meal there was never a moment of quiet between the two opponents at
the table. Finally, the bishop remarked that Leo XIII, since becoming
Pope, had never required anyone to renounce Rosmini's principles and
therefore no one was bound to follow the Holy Father's personal opin-
ions. "As for philosophy," he stated, "the present Pope inclines one
way, but his successor may incline another, and so, to avoid having to
change philosophical systems with every Pope, let each follow what he
judges best. As for me I side with Rosmini."
Don Bosco was meanwhile quietly listening to the argument, while
the bishop, thoroughly immersed in polemic, had lost sight of his
fellow guests at table. Finally, trying to end the argument on a pleasant
note, all the more so since the bishop asked him what he thought of his
latest remark, Don Bosco stated very calmly, "As a religious superior I
would like to leave my confreres a legacy they can follow as a guide-
line, regardless of the circumstances they may find themselves in. I
notice that when it comes to philosophy or theology some philosophers
and theologians hold a theory which they judge best while others claim
that the very opposite is better. Both theories have learned supporters,

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but one of them has also the affirmation of the Pope. As a prudent
superior what am I to say to my religious? What path should I counsel
them to take? Without hesitation I say: My sons, follow the theory
favored by the Pope even as a private philosopher, theologian, and
scholar. In addition to showing my respect for the Pope, I also feel I
would be on safer ground; I would either not err or I would err with
honor."
Bishop Ferre made no rebuttal but merely muttered, "I thought Don
Bosco would side with me on this." Still, as we have said, he presided
at that evening's conference and later spoke eloquently of the Salesian
Congregation, praising Don Bosco to the skies. Indeed, Father Bertello
remarked that he had never heard such lavish praise. From that day on,
as several have attested, he never again discussed Rosmini when in the
company of the Salesians. One day, after giving some suitable exhorta-
tions to newly ordained priests, he conversed privately with some of
the bystanders, defending Rosminian theories. All were agreeing with
him, but two remained silent. On noticing this, he asked, "What do
you have to say about this? Why are you silent?" When he learned that
they were Salesians, he replied, "I understand," and cut short his
argument, without however showing them any unfriendliness.
3. MoRE FRENCH PILGRIMS
In 1881 a French pilgrimage stopped at the Oratory on its return
home from Rome after attending the December 8 canonization cere-
monies of three Italians: John Baptist de'Rossi, Lawrence of Brindisi,
Clare of Montefalco, and Benedict Joseph Labre, their fellow coun-
tryman. Father [Francis] Picard and Father Hippolytus, who headed the
pilgrimage, made it a point to stop [again]8 in Turin to visit the Church
of Mary, Help of Christians, the Oratory and Don Bosco.
They were expected at five in the afternoon of December 15, but,
having arrived in Turin that morning, they began to show up at the
Oratory in the very early hours of the afternoon. Hoping to speak
personally with Don Bosco, most of them had secretly split up into
small groups and reached the Oratory from various parts of the city, so
that soon the courtyard was jammed with people. Leaving the dining
room, Don Bosco paused to chat with the first group, but, once he saw
ssee Vol. XIII, pp. lOlf; Vol. XIV, pp. 92, 386ff. [Editor]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
how their number kept increasing, he suggested that they break into
smaller groups and, escorting the largest group himself, he called
others to show the people through the Oratory. His group kept bom-
barding him with questions about the beginnings and vicissitudes of his
work. It was impossible to answer everyone, and so he promised to
address them all together in the church.
After Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, Don Bosco stood on a
platform and, flanked by Father Hippolytus and other distinguished
pilgrims (Father Picard had gone elsewhere), warmly addressed his
visitors in French on the nature of the Salesian apostolate and about the
Salesian cooperators, inviting them all to become members. 9 His au-
dience listened with rapt attention and then eagerly pressed about him,
vying with one another to be enrolled as cooperators.
Father Hippolytus publicly thanked Don Bosco for his hearty wel-
come, and, alluding to the roses of virtue bloooming in the Oratory
garden, continued, "Your gracious, cordial welcome almost makes us
unaware that we are more like thorns in the midst of all these roses,
having imposed upon you in such great numbers. Still, we take comfort
in the thought that saints are different from worldly people. Often
indeed do they enjoy what the world abhors. Though we are a bother,
Don Bosco rejoices to see us here where he can show us how to help
our needy young people. He loves the homeless wherever they may be;
that's why we have Salesian houses in France. Please God we may have
more! It is our fond hope that these homes be multiplied, that we may
have at least one in each province and city, including Paris." Finally he
asked Don Bosco to bless the pilgrims. Afterward they exited into the
courtyard where the Oratory brass band gave them a send-off.
Since they were not to leave until the following afternoon, the priests
returned to celebrate Mass with very many pilgrims, men and women,
who wished to receive Holy Communion. The pilgrimage leader and
more notable pilgrims then breakfasted with Don Bosco that day, and
later he was literally besieged more than the evening before. Eager for
a souvenir of Don Bosco, some brought religious articles for him to
bless; others presented books or holy pictures for him to autograph.
Some switched their pens for those he used in signing to keep them in
fond remembrance.
9"fhe February 1882 issue of the Bulletin Salesien published his entire speech. [Author]

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4. AN INVITATION
The patrician families of Turin always welcomed Don Bosco as their
dinner guest, even though he could no longer accept their invitations as
frequently as in the past. His table talk, edifying and pleasant, cheered
many a distressed heart and at times was a blessing for the children. 10
Rarely did his hosts allow him to leave empty-handed but repaid his
spiritual efforts with donations for his boys and and works.
Count Caesar Trabucco of Castagnetto11 wished to hold a New Year's
dinner for Don Bosco and some close friends, but, realizing how tight
a schedule he kept, left the choice of date to him. The count, who died
in 1888, the same year as Don Bosco, had played an active role up to
1870 in the political events of the Italian Risorgimento both before and
after his career in the senate. On December 2 of that year, the count, a
staunch Catholic, spoke up in the senate in Florence12 opposing the
result of the referendum held in the Roman provinces, and on January
21 of the following year he voted against the Guarantee Law. 13 Then, as
did many other members of Piedmont's nobility, he withdrew from
politics to devote his full time to charity and Catholic action. Although
Don Bosco persistently refused to break off relations with the govern-
ment which had set itself up in Rome, he did not for that reason lose
the respect and trust of persons of that persuasion, so evident was his
noble firmness in giving to Caesar only what was Caesar's and to God
what was God's. He graciously responded to the count's gentlemanly
invitation, as follows:
Dear Count,
Turin, January 4, 1881
You have kindly asked me to pick a day to celebrate with you. I thank you
for your courteous invitation.
I would choose the 13th of this month because Thursday is not named after
10Don Bosco used to visit the De Maistre family at Borgo Comalese rather frequently. Count
Eugene would happily exclaim on seeing him appear: "Oh, blessed nuisance!" The count was one
of the Turin noblemen who in the first days of the Oratory had helped Don Bosco with the
catechism classes. [Author]
11See Vol. XIII, pp. 295ff. [Editor]
12At this time, Florence was the capital. [Editor]
13A law of the Italian state which guaranteed the Pope's personal immunity, political indepen-
dence and other prerogatives after the seizure of Rome. [Editor]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
the fickle moon or warlike Mars or thieving Mercury, but after Jupiter who, as
head of the gods, most likely must have had some uprightness.
God bless you and your family. Pray for me. in Jesus Christ,
Your humble servant,
Fr. John Bosco
The count went along with the date and asked Father [James] Mar-
gotti, 14 whom he had also invited, to arrange the details. What follows
is another instance of Don Bosco's ability to win the good will of all.
Father Margotti, a former member of the Sardinia parliament and a top-
flight journalist, was hailed as the standard-bearer of the Italian Catho-
lics reputed to be unyielding. A sworn foe of liberals and sectarians, he
made sure that every issue of his journal, Unita Cattolica, battled
them. His stance could not have been more opposed to Don Bosco's.
Yet both men were sincere friends. True, in later years the journal
maintained a certain reserve about Don Bosco, but that was a measure
of prudence-possibly suggested by Don Bosco himself-not to
arouse the ire of the archdiocesan chancery which was so hostile to
him. Their personal relationship was never strained. To obviate future
misunderstanding, we quote from a letter written by that brilliant po-
lemicist on that occasion to the gentle man of God. Signing himself
"your most devoted friend and servant," Father Margotti wrote on
January 8 [1881], "Since I cannot call on you personally, I put my plan
in writing. His Excellency, the Count of Castagnetto,15 is beside him-
self with joy in his desire to host a dinner for you. To be sure, it will be
a diplomatic16 dinner as far as the family, kitchen staff and guests are
concerned. You are expected to be accompanied by a companion of
your own choice. The count arranged to send his coach for you, but I
offered to bring both you and your companion. This is my suggestion:
the little theater of the Valsalice College is to be inaugurated on Thurs-
day, the 13th. Go to the inauguration as you promised the boys. I will
go too, and we can leave for dinner at five-thirty immediately after the
14Founder, editor and publisher of Unita Cattolica, a Catholic newspaper. [Editor]
15The count could claim the title of Excellency because of the high offices he had held at court
under King Charles Albert. [Author]
16Certainly a way of saying it would be a very special dinner, but truthfully there were also
some diplomats among the guests, such as the count of Donato [a small town in Piedmont], and
the Italian ambassador to the shah of Persia [now Iran]. The count's family possesses the original
of the above cited letter. [Author]

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performance. Take Father Francesia with you; he and the count know
each other. After dinner, a coach will drive you back to the Oratory. If
this arrangement suits you, just send me two words: 'Seen, Approved.'
If not, make your own plans and let me know what you'd like me to do;
whatever it is, I approve beforehand, for it is my greatest boast to be,
with the warmest affection and reverence, etc." Perhaps the count's
extraordinary delight was due to his conviction that Don Bosco's pres-
ence would forestall or meet situations which might arise that would be
embarrassing to the host's principles.
5. FATHER GuANELLA
Father [Louis] Guanella, 17 who had left the Salesian Congregation to
return to his home diocese some three years before, was zealously
carrying out the works of charity to which he felt the Lord was calling
him. 18 But not everyone in Como saw eye to eye with him; in fact, so
forceful and tenacious were his opponents that his undertakings were in
danger of collapsing. When finally it got so .bad that he was losing
heart, his mind turned to Don Bosco, and the thought of again leaving
home and returning for good to the Salesians came back to him. So
strongly did he feel about this that he wrote to Don Bosco about the
middle of September asking to be readmitted to the Congregation. Don
Bosco, then on retreat with his superior chapter at Alassio, informed
them of his request and asked for their opinion. Father Guanella had
held a very lofty place in their esteem, and his departure had not been
in the least tainted. No one objected. Father Cagliero, charged with
admitting candidates into the Congregation, replied in Don Bosco's
name, laying down two conditions: Father Guanella was to definitely
break all business ties to Como, and he was to return to the Oratory
prepared for any assignment. From the letter's wording it is clear that
Don Bosco was still thinking of sending him to the Dominican Re-
public. But by now Father Guanella was so tightly bound to his diocese
that severing the ties would only create weighty problems.
17Father Louis Guanella (1842-1915) left the Salesian Congregation in 1878 to found two
congregations of his own: the Daughters of St. Mary of Providence and the Servants of Charity.
His cause of beatification was introduced in 1939 and he was beatified on October 25, 1964.
[Editor]
1ssee Vol. XIII, pp. 628-631. [Editor]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
6. CHEVALIER [CHARLES] FAVA
All of Don Bosco 's published letters to the Fava family of Turin bear
witness to their generosity19 toward him. The correspondence we have
dates from 1873, when the chevalier was a former secretary of the
municipality. In the summer of 1881, while recuperating just above
Biella in the Andomo Valley, he received a cordial, humorous letter
from Don Bosco:
My dear Chevalier Fava:
Turin, July 4, 1881
I am glad that you and your family managed to set up house in Andomo
before we were hit by this intense heat wave which has truly tested our mettle.
From here on we can expect a daily routine of perspiring from noonday to
noonday in a permanent bath. However, no one has as yet been known to have
been boiled.
I am sorry to learn that your health is not yet up to par. I hope that rest, fresh
air and care, as well as our daily prayers, will succeed in time to restore you to
us in perfect health.
You say that you are not desirous to die; neither do I wish to see you leave us
so soon. We still have lots of charitable undertakings to take care of; they
cannot be left undone, and so we must live on. You have already accepted my
invitation to my golden jubilee Mass to be celebrated on Thnity Sunday in
1891. Would you want to miss an appointment you have personally made?
Furthermore I have a matter on hand which I would like to entrust to your
wife, and both you and Maria Pia may be of help to her, and so we must
repeat: we have to go on living!
Don Bosco is being humorous, you say. 'Ilue, I am, because writing to you
gives me a break from the five hundred letters cluttering my desk which I am
about to start answering.
God bless you and your whole family, my dear Chevalier. May He gener-
ously grant all of you health and holiness.
Please pray for me too.
Gratefully and respectfully yours in Jesus Christ,
Fr. John Bosco
This was Don Bosco's last letter to the chevalier, who passed into
eternity at the beginning of 1882. His obituary in the May issue of the
t9See Vol. XI, p. 8; Vol. XIII, p. 647; Vol. XIV, pp. 304 and 450. [Editor]

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Bollettino Salesiano stated that he had come to the aid of the Oratory in
its most trying times and that only God could properly reward him.
This referred to the help he gave Don Bosco while employed by the
municipality. His widow continued to help the Oratory to the day of her
death, which occurred in 1911.
7. MRs. [BERNARDINE] MAGLIANO
Mrs. Bernardine Magliano-Sollier, a wealthy Turinese widow, was
very generous with her aid to Don Bosco, to Father Michael Rua and to
Father [Joseph] Pavia for the Valdocco festive oratory. Don Bosco,
aware of her sensitivity, lent her a kindly ear, sometimes at great
length, and kept up a long correspondence with her. He wrote several
letters to her in 1881, the first of them a reply addressed to Susa shortly
before the feast of St. Aloysius, in which he humorously invites her to
host the festivities.
My dear Mrs. Magliano:
Turin, June 18, 1881
Thank you for your kind letter. I will answer your queries one by one.
I shall be in Turin on July 6 and 7. It is always an honor to have you call on
me.
I am glad you found those papers, because they could have caused some
trouble had they fallen into other hands.
The Bolletino Salesiano was late in coming out this month because the
editor had been ill. It is now off the press and you will receive your copy in a
day or two.
Your rosary is here waiting for you, but if you delay your visit much longer,
someone else may come and snatch it. Hence, it will be hard for me to forgive
you if you do not come to host the feast of St. Aloysius as prioress. 20 The
celebration is set for June 26. For your own comfort in traveling, why not
come and spend the day here with us and bring your sister and niece along? To
honor St. Aloysius we will serve dinner to all who will be present-to be sure
a very simple meal such as I know you like. All the prayers, all the boys'
Communions and poor Don Bosco's own Mass will be offered that day for
your intentions.
Besides, I have already published your name as prioress this year. Must I
20Qriginally the prior was a duly elected officer of the St. Aloysius Sodality. (See Vol. ill, p.
459.) Later on, this title came to be bestowed on any benefactor who agreed to be honorary
chairperson of a certain celebration. The prior or prioress responded by treating the boys. [Editor]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
now retract my word? Will St. Aloysius like that? Think it over, and then say
no, if you can.
God bless you, dear Bernardina! May He keep you in good health and
always in His holy grace! Please pray for me, as I will pray for you every
morning. Gratefully in Jesus Christ,
Your humble servant,
Fr. John Bosco
On July 5 he sent her a little box of candy, most certainly given to
him on his name day, with an accompanying note: "To Mrs. Bernar-
dine Magliano, our good mamma in Jesus Christ, from Father John
Bosco as a little token of his respect and gratitude." Toward the end of
the same month he invited her to make a spiritual retreat at Nizza
Monferrato. On the flyer which he mailed that year to several devout
women and school teachers to notify them of the retreat he wrote:
"Perhaps you would like to make this retreat. I will be there and take
part. We shall see how brave you are." In those very days she was
scheduled to go on her vacation to Busca not far from Cuneo, but she
first wished to see Don Bosco. In writing to him, she probably said that
she did not want to cause him any bother by calling on him, but Don
Bosco put her at ease with this reply.
Dear Mrs. Magliano:
Turin, July 27, 1881
I will be at home all day today and tomorrow. I'd like to see you again
before you go to your villa at Busca. If you cannot come, I will expect you on
August 2 or 5 in Nizza. I always have time for you. Is that all right?
Your letters are always a true spiritual delight. God bless you! May Mary,
Help of Christians guard you as Her own! Amen.
Your humble servant,
Fr. John Bosco
She did not attend the retreat, and so he sent her his best wishes for
her name day on August 20. As he was then conducting a retreat for the
novices at San Benigno, he added to his good wishes the assurance of
their abundant prayers.

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Dear Mrs. Magliano:
San Benigno, August 19, 1881
I would personally like to congratulate you tomorrow for your name day,
but I cannot since I am giving a retreat here.
Tomorrow I will celebrate Holy Mass for your intentions and the retreatants
will receive Holy Communion and offer their prayers for you. This will be our
thanks to you.
May St. Bernard grant you the precious gift of sweetness and piety, and
may the Blessed Virgin, Help of Christians keep you in good health and lead
you on the path of holiness! Amen.
Pray for me. In Jesus Christ,
Your humble servant,
Fr. lohn Bosco
On the last day of the retreat21 a young seminarian, Charles Dallera,
who had been sponsored at the Oratory by Mrs. Magliano and was now
about to become a Salesian-he was later ordained a priest in South
America-wrote her a note of thanks from San Benigno. Don Bosco
enclosed a note of his own:
Dear friend:
San Benigno, August 24, 1881
While young Charles Dallera fulfills a debt of gratitude to you, I take this
opportunity to send you my humble respects. Our spiritual retreat, attended by
a hundred and sixty young men aspiring to join the Salesian Society, ended
today. May God tum them all into good priests!
Please pray for me. As ever,
Your humble servant,
Fr. John Bosco
21The retreat, from the evening of August 17 to the morning of August 25, was preached by
Father Michael Rua and Father [Joseph] Lazzero. One hundred and sixty-three, mostly junior
seminarians, made the retreat. Don Bosco arrived at noon on August 18. On Sunday August 21,
the feast day of St. Joachim, he sent the following cable to the Holy Father: "Salesians gathered
on spiritual retreat and their pupils rejoice on your name day." On June 30, at Don Bosco's
proposal, the superior chapter decided to hold all the retreats of that year at San Benigno rather
than at Lanzo. The clerics took their vacation at the boarding school of Borgo San Martino.
[Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
His last letter to her is dated in October. She was still at her country
villa in Busca. Don Bosco appealed to her for help to purchase the
cloth needed to make cassocks for his new clerics and also for his
needy priests as winter drew nigh.
Dear Mrs. Magliano:
Turin, October 24, 1881
Thank you for your kindness in asking about me. I will answer you person-
ally. Physically I am doing well enough; as to my soul, God knows. However,
there's a but. . . . I have too many projects on hand and no money to finance
them! Besides the missions and the construction now in progress, I must also
provide clothing for some three hundred priests and clerics. If you, my gener-
ous benefactress, could feel in your heart to come to my aid in this, think how
wonderful an intercessory prayer it would be for all your beloved dead and for
all the holy souls in purgatory!
I know you will do what you can. All I need do is to thank you and pray that
God will grant you a hundredfold in this life and an everlasting reward
hereafter.
I hope you will soon be back in town. May Mary, Help of Christians make
your vacation come to a pleasant end and grant you a happy return home to our
midst. Please pray for me. Always in the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary,
Most gratefully yours,
Fr. John Bosco
8. FATHER ALBERA IN MARSEILLE
At the beginning of the school year 1881-82 Father [Paul] Albera had
been transferred to Marseille as provincial for the houses of France; he
was succeeded as director of the house at Sampierdarena by Father
[Dominic] Belmonte.22 A few days after Father Albera's departure Don
Bosco wrote to Father Bologna:
My dear Father Bologna:
[Turin, October 28, 1881]
I am sorry I could not give Father Albera a letter for the bishop of Marseille.
Please let me know how the sisters, the hospice, the parish priest and the new
staff are getting on.
22see Appendix 1. [Editor]

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I have written to Madame Jacques and will write to Madame Prat-Noilly
today. God bless us all! Tell Father Albera to write me a nice long letter.
Your most affectionate friend,
Fr. John Bosco
Father Albera, who was to become Don Bosco's second successor,
was held in high regard at Sampierdarena not only by the clergy who
cherished his counsel, but also by the chancery and the archbishop.
The vicar general, on wishing him farewell, embraced him warmly and
tearfully exclaimed, "I am losing a friend!"
Don Bosco had been preparing the way for this transfer for a ful]
year. He was aware that, among other things, he would have to face the
opposition of a noble Genoese lady, Fanny Ghiglini, who nurtured a
motherly concern for Father Albera. Don Bosco began writing to her as
if to ask her confidentially how she felt about his plan. Then he alerted
Father Albera to put his affairs in order so that, should the superiors
decide to send him to Marseille, he might leave Sampierdarena without
delay.
This forewarning was as shocking to him as it was unexpected. Still
somewhat unsure of himself at that time, he fancied running into a host
of problems on changing country and language. But Don Bosco was
confident he would obey. On her part, Mrs. Ghiglini sent him a long
list of reasons why Father Albera's leaving was out of the question. Yet,
on second thought, a few days later, she reconsidered and wrote to Don
Bosco that her observations were not meant in any way to contravene
God's will. True, she cared very much for Father Albera, for he was a
well-deserving person, but her attachment was primarily to the Sale-
sian Congregation; therefore Don Bosco was to follow his own
judgment.
Father Albera handed over his administration to his successor in
October. Then, thinking that he had as yet received no explicit order to
leave and fancying that he might still be spared so painful an obe-
dience, he went to Turin to see Don Bosco. "What's this?" Don Bosco
immediately asked on seeing him. "Why aren't you in Marseille? Go at
once!" He said no more.
Father Albera immediately returned to Sampierdarena and spent one
day with Father Belmonte at Mrs. Ghiglini's villa located in the hills
back of St. Vincent's Hospice. Advised of their coming, the lady had
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
ators. When Father Albera stood up to leave, a flood of tears broke
loose, he too weeping like a child as he strode down the hill with his
confrere. The next day he was in France. There was no lack of criticism
over Don Bosco's move, but Mrs. Ghiglini kept repeating that no
individual should have priority over the Congregation. Don Bosco may
have been alluding to these noble sentiments of hers when days later he
sent her this note introducing a new cooperator: "Don Bosco warmly
thanks you and calls heaven's blessings upon you, as he presents Mrs.
Angela Picardo, a worthy Salesian cooperator." It was well known that
once he had taken a decision of this kind, he never backed down for
purely human considerations.
9. A COOPERATOR'S DIPLOMA FOR A JEW
A gracious exchange of courtesies took place in November. Un-
knowingly Father [Peter] Pozzan had mailed a Salesian cooperator's
diploma to a certain Mr. Augustus Calabia, a Jew, who hastened to
write to Don Bosco: "I thank you for the trust you have shown in
admitting me to the Salesian cooperators. I will keep both the regula-
tions and the diploma. However, I must tell you that I belong to the
Jewish faith-and that says everything. With profound regards, etc."
Don Bosco just as quickly replied:
Dear Sir:
Turin, December 4, 1881
Indeed it is news when a Catholic priest asks a Jew to enroll into a charita-
ble organization of his. Yet the Lord's love knows no limits and takes in all
with no regard to age, social standing and creed.
We have always had and still care for many Jewish lads among the eighty
thousand boys in our schools. You tell me that you yourself belong to the
Mosaic faith. Well, we Catholics religiously follow the teachings of Moses
and of the books handed down to us by that great prophet. Our only difference
lies in the interpretation of those writings. Moreover, Mr. Lattes, a most
zealous Salesian cooperator in Nice, is also Jewish. In any case, I shall
continue to send you our Bollettino Salesiano in which I am sure you will find
nothing offensive to your faith; if you ever want to discontinue the magazine,
you have only to say so.
God bless you and keep you in good health.
Respectfully yours,
Fr. John Bosco

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10. NEW THREATS IN FRANCE
Toward the end of 1881 religious congregations in France were
threatened by new, vexing legislation, to which Don Bosco alludes in a
letter for Father [Joseph] Ronchail. 23 Undated, it must have been writ-
ten at about the same time. 24 To keep harassing the few remaining
religious congregations, the radical Gambetta cabinet levied on them a
new three percent property tax. However, the cabinet was not in office
long enough to enforce the law, and the succeeding government toned
down its harsh interpretation, restricting the tax solely to actual in-
come. Thus Don Bosco's financial status remained unaffected; every
year his books kept showing a substantial loss, and at the proper time
he issued a financial report showing no profit. 25 [Here is Don Bosco's
letter.]
[No date]
Dearest Father Ronchail:
1. As soon as I received your letter telling me of the illness of Mlle.
Girard's sister, I immediately requested that special prayers be said for her in
the Church of Mary, Help of Christians each morning and evening, and we
shall heartily continue them. But will her recovery be for God's greater glory?
Will it benefit the sick woman's soul? I hope so. Meanwhile have your com-
munity pray also, and, God's great Mother willing, we shall witness a miracle.
Otherwise may Our Heavenly Father's will be done!
2. The paper work for Mr. Piron's case is just about over; one sticky point
remains. His Excellency, [Caesar] Correnti, secretary general of the Order of
St. Maurice, has requested a listing of the charitable donations which Mr.
Piron has already made or is expected to make. Give it some thought, and if
you are close enough to him to mention it, do so; if not, I will send him a
confidential note of my own.
Concerning the cleric Reymond keep this in mind: if he was dismissed from
23See Appendix 1. [Editor]
24The postscript leads us to assume that [Charles] D'Espiney's Dom Bosco (1881) had recently
been published. His allusion to sending more personnel (three Salesians) would date this letter
sometime in the late fall when transfers were usual (school began after November 1, the feast of
All Saints), neither prior to, nor later than, 1881. Father Dellavalle's name comes up for the first
time in the 1881 Salesian directory as a confrere of the house in Nice. His reference to the tax
levied on religious institutes dates this letter at or about the beginning of the [Leon] Gambetta
cabinet, which came to power in France on November 15, 1881. [Author]
25Financial report, Marseille, March 9 and 23, 1882. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
the seminary because of immorality, he is not to be admitted to any of our
houses; if the case is otherwise, get back to me.
3. Dellavalle and Serra should have arrived by now. If you need more, we
shall send them, and I will also come myself. 26
4. We simply have no report to make in reference to the new taxes being
levied on religious congregations because, having no ready cash, we cannot
submit any budget. If they absolutely insist on having a copy of our rules, give
them the Latin edition.
5. As we formerly raised fervent prayers for the engineer Levrot when he
was sick, so now we do the same for his wife. We began to pray as soon as we
heard of her illness. Let us hope that God has granted our petitions by now and
restored her to health.
6. As for the honorary decoration we discussed, I did suggest it to the
Pope when I was in Rome (last April), and he gladly consented; the pertinent
papers were submitted to the cardinal secretary of state for his validation.
Since then I've heard nothing of the matter. However, I do know that, as is
customary, the Holy Father has asked for a recommendation from the bishop
of Nice. We shall see.
7. I have written to this cardinal three times.
8. The men's and ladies' committees of our hospice are really a blessing.
Please assure them of my daily prayers. The Holy Father sends them all a
special blessing and a plenary indulgence each time they meet.
9. Please give my humble regards and respectful assurance of prayers to
all our benefactors, to Madame Visconti, Baroness Heraud, Madame
Daprotis, Madame Guigou, Canon Giovan and Monsignor Tibeau.
10. God bless us all! Pray for me. Always in Jesus Christ,
Yours affectionately,
Fr. John Bosco
P.S. Get in touch with Father Bologna and have copies of D'Espiney's book
sent to some of our benefactors: the parish priest of St. Joseph's, Father
Mendre, Madame Prat, Madame Jacques, Monsieur Rostand, Bergasse, and
the bishop. Send copies also to the cardinal of Lyon, to Monsignor [Louis]
Guiol, rector of the Catholic University and to Monsignor Colle in Toulon.
Check with Father Bologna so they don't receive duplicate copies. Please
make sure you keep my name out of this. In its own right D'Espiney's little
volume is a masterly work, and if it were not about me, I'd recommend it to
everyone. 27 I wish I knew how to thank its learned author.
26A humorous hint of his own forthcoming visit. [Author]
27Father Berto took the trouble to jot on a copy of this letter: "All this solely to get larger
donations and funds to promote God's glory and the welfare of souls." [Author]

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11. HOUSEKEEPING AND POVERTY
The rise in the cost of living caused by the former year's poor harvest
raised the anxieties of those who had to provide for the Oratory's
needs. In normal times feeding all those mouths posed quite a prob-
lem, so we can imagine what it meant in lean times. Don Bosco asked
the Oratory prefect, Father [Joseph] Leveratto, and the economer gen-
eral, Father [Anthony] Sala, together to seek a solution to this vexing
situation. He then wrote a memo to Father Leveratto which offered his
own prudent suggestions for certain timely cuts in particular areas; he
proposed that all renew the spirit of their vow of poverty.
My dear Leveratto:
Turin, December 22, 1881
The financial straits we are now in and the cost rise in food and drink
suggest we make some reasonable cuts in our expenses, always safeguarding
one's health. This is why I asked you and Father Sala to look into the problem.
For the present, start implementing the following policies set by our general
chapter.
1. Stop waste of food, bread and wine in the kitchen. Put leftovers to good
use. The rich do this; all the more must we who profess the vow of poverty.
2. Keep snacks and special treats down to a minimum, especially wine;
enforce the rule of not entering another's room. When a policy is made it must
equally apply to all.
3. On festive occasions, an extra course may be served, as we have already
decided, but no hors d'oeuvres or post-prandials except fruit and perhaps
cheese in due season, and then only one or the other.
4. Vintage wine may be served only on the feast day of St. Francis de Sales,
but never undiluted.
5. Be moderate in inviting guests to our table; abide by the old rules.
Talk these things over with Father Lazzero and have due concern for the
sick. Never forget that we have taken a vow of poverty and must live like the
poor.
Temperance and work are the two most steadfast guardians of virtue.
God bless us all! May He keep us in His holy grace! In Jesus Christ,
Yours affectionately,
Fr. John Bosco
12. THE FIVE DAMASCENES IN NICE
As long as a novitiate could not be set up in France, the French
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
Father Barberis directed this community with a spirit genuinely like
Don Bosco's, so that a joyous piety and praiseworthy dedication to
duty prevailed; however, as for material comforts, the novices had to
learn to do without: no heating in the building notwithstanding the
frigid winter; poorly prepared meals; tin bowls; cups instead of glasses;
drab furniture; shared personal linen. We can readily understand the
French boys' discomfort. The older, more mature novices valued their
good fortune to live near Don Bosco and drew very close to Father
Barberis, whose untiring fatherliness made up for all their discomfort,
but the younger ones, put off by these inconveniences, rarely
persevered.
Among the new French novices of 1881 were the five young men of
Damascus whom we mentioned in the previous volume. 28 The directo-
ries of 1880 and 1881 list them as aspirants at Nice. Within a few
months, for whatever reason, they showed signs of discontent shortly
before their donning of the clerical habit. One of them, Anthony
Homsi by name, wrote to Don Bosco confiding his feelings and proba-
bly those of his companions; in return he received a loving letter
carefully worded in French.
My dear Homsi:
Turin, October 22, 1881
I appreciate your letter because you opened your heart to me, and now I am
in a position to give you some sound advice. I will reply to each of your
points.
When God called you very particularly to join us, He certainly had a motive
worthy of Himself. He did it for the good of your soul, by freeing you from
this world's perils. Your physical health has been well cared for, you have
received an education, you have kept your heart for Him. Through all this time
I have met all the expenses of your schooling, and in the future you will want
for nothing. On the other hand, should you return to the world, many a
conflict awaits you and you may well be the loser. Then what will become of
your soul? Of paradise? You risk losing both.
Hence I feel you will do better to heed St. Paul's advice: "He who is safe
should not endanger himself. " 29 "Let every man remain in the calling to
which he was called." [1 Cor. 7, 20] However, if you wish to return home and
28See Vol. XIV, p. 284. [Editor]
29 He is probably alluding to: "Let anyone who thinks he is standing upright watch out lest he
fall!" (1 Cor. 10, 12). [Author]

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continue your schooling you should do so before the date set for the reception
of the clerical habit, because I cannot give the cassock to one who is not under
my responsibility.
Therefore, considering the expense of the trip, the moral and physical
dangers, as well as the fact that you are now in a place where you lack nothing
for body or soul, with your eternal salvation morally assured, and considering
too that Don Bosco is your friend and at all costs seeks naught but your
happiness in this world and in the next, my advice to you is: Become a
Salesian. Thus you will certainly do God's holy will on earth, and at the end of
your life the Blessed Virgin, Help of Christians will lead you to your abundant
reward in heaven. Amen.
God bless you and your companions. Pray for me. Ever in Jesus Christ,
Your friend,
Fr. John Bosco
Don Bosco sent this exhortation in a letter to Father Barberis:
"Please give the enclosed to Homsi; I hope it may touch the others
too." But it did not change their minds. They probably had already
made arrangements with their patriarch, who, as we have seen, had
tactfully recalled them to France.30 Perhaps Father Barberis was not
sorry to see them go; at least it appears that way from Don Bosco's
witty remark to him: "Be good, and don't get uptight when things
don't go your way."
13. DoN Bosco's THANKFULNESS
Everyone who helped Don Bosco in his mission of charity was
certain of his gratitude in word and deed. A certain widow, Mrs.
Catherine Ghione, offered him four fifty-lire government bonds plus
three hundred lire every now and then under the following conditions:
1. free board and tuition for three secondary school students in the
boarding school of Bargo San Martino; 2. laundry and pocket money
for one, but no clothing, sheets and blankets; 3. the reserved right to
choose another beneficiary to fill out the term should any of the boys
leave the school. True, an initial tuition fee of a hundred lire and a
monthly payment of about twenty-five lire per boy were a generous
donation for the boys, but it brought no financial boon to Don Bosco.
Still, he wrote to the lady as follows:
'30See Vol. XIV, p. 284. [Editor]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
Dear Madain:
Turin, October 27, 1881
Your pastor, Canon Sisto, has sent me your offering, and I rejoice with you
because it was certainly God who inspired you and will light your path to
eternal happiness. May He keep you in these generous sentiments, for they
will certainly be your comfort in life and your strength at the moment of death.
Please accept this rosary blessed by the Holy Father as a token of my
thanks.
God bless you and keep you in His holy grace. Please pray for me. In Jesus
Christ,
Yours devotedly,
Fr. John Bosco
His warm sense of gratitude is also attested by the following thank.-
you note for sixty lire:
Dear Father Oreste Pariani:
Turin, November 26, 1881
I imagine you have already received a diploma [of Salesian cooperator] for
yourself and one for your aunt. My earnest prayers are for both of you. I thank
you for your offering of sixty lire, for we are really in financial straits. May
God ainply reward you! It would be a pleasure to welcome you to Turin!
God bless us and keep us in His holy grace.
Yours affectionately in Jesus Christ,
Fr. John Bosco
As the Christmas holidays were rapidly drawing near he summed up
his cordial gratitude to his benefactors in Nice in a letter to Father
[Joseph] Ronchail, director, whom he asked to be his spokesman and
fittingly to extend his greetings to each individual.
My dear Father Ronchail:
Turin, December 22, 1881
Despite the frequent trains running to Nice, the personnel31 we have sent
you is in no hurry to get there. However I believe Father Dellavalle and Father
Serra have already assumed their duties.
Please tell Mlle. Guigou that I have asked for daily prayers to be said for the
31The Salesians who leisurely were making their way to Nice. [Author]

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successful closing of her sale. Please pay her my respects. Best wishes to
Madame D'Aprotis for the holidays and health and holiness to her heart's
desire. To our good Mama and to her maid, her guardian angel, best wishes
for perfect health and a long life.
A blessed Christmas and happy New Year with improved health is my daily
prayer for Baroness Heraud.
Is Monsieur de Monremy in Nice?
Please tell engineer Levrot and his family: "You shall receive many times as
much and inherit everlasting life." [Cf. Mt. 19, 29]
Tell our dear friend, the notary Saietto, that I am grateful for the kindness
he has shown and continues to show us. I shall remember him before God and
men. 32
God willing, I am scheduled to leave Turin on January 10. My route has
stopovers in Chambery, Lyons, Valence, Aix, Marseille, Aubagne, Toulon,
Hyeres, Frejus, Cannes, Grasse, and Nice. I hope to be with you at the end of
February.
I have just received a letter in French from Father [Alexander] Porani. Tell
him that I congratulate him on the improvement he has made in both handwrit-
ing and French. Best regards.
God grant you, our confreres and pupils, the sisters, and all our benefactors
blessings of good health and perseverance in virtue. Pray for me. Always in
Jesus Christ,
Your most affectionate friend,
Fr. John Bosco
P.S. Do not forget Madame Girard, her sister and Monsignor Girard. I have
written to Madame de Saint-Michel at Lyons about my stopover there. So far I
have not heard from her.
Another letter, of which we have an incomplete copy, also over-
flowed with gratitude. It was addressed to Philomena De Maistre, the
youngest daughter of the famous author [Francis Xavier De Maistre]
and wife of Count Medolago Albani, whose first wife had been her
sister Benedetta. On her husband's death and after her son Stanislaus
(the future Catholic economist) finished his studies, Philomena joined
the Daughters of the Sacred Heart and died in Rome in 1924. To the
very end of her days, she cherished a profound veneration for Don
Bosco, of whom she always spoke with deep feeling. What follows is
the incomplete copy of the above-mentioned letter.
32He must certainly have been thinking of some decoration for him. [Author]

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I hastened to thank you and I gave detailed answers to the questions you
kindly asked, but now I am utterly dismayed to learn that the letter never
reached you.
I apologize. Please forgive me. It was not my fault. I hope I'll be luckier
this time.
Just this minute I received the thousand francs you sent me for the Sacred
Heart Church in Rome. I will faithfully remember your intentions; I'll say the
Mass in honor of Mary as you requested, and I shall pray and have others pray
for all the pious intentions you listed. Please know that for several years now I
have made a special memento at my daily Mass for you and your family and
shall continue to do so until you have all received the reward due to you in
heaven for all you did for us.
At any rate, prayer meets all our needs, and that prayer we shall offer for
you day by day, especially on the coming feast day of Mary.
God bless you, Philomena! May He grant you health and holiness in plenty.
Please pray for me.
Yours respectfully,
Fr. John Bosco
P.S. If you receive this letter, please acknowledge it with your call.
14. HEARTFELT CONDOLENCES
He wrote tender words of Christian comfort to console the lawyer,
Guy Donati, of Florence, on the death of his wife. This Salesian
cooperator was the father of Sister Celestine Donati, foundress of the
Poor Daughters of St. Joseph Calasanctius and of the hospices for the
daughters of convicts; she died in the odor of sanctity on March 18,
1925.
My dear friend in Jesus Christ:33
Turin, June 20, 1881
Our eighty thousand boys have joined us in praying for you and still do. For
a while it seemed that God would grant our pleas for the recovery of your wife
Constance, but He willed otherwise. Rather, He willed that her blessed soul
should receive the reward of the sufferings she endured during her lifetime.
Our prayers did their share in obtaining a holy death for her and cutting short
33The Poor Daughters of St. Joseph Calasanctius in Florence (Via Faenza No. 54) own the
original letter. [Author]

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her time in purgatory. At this moment I feel confident in saying that she has
already entered the eternal glory of heaven and is now a powerful intercessor
for her family and you, her worthy husband. Meanwhile we shall continue
praying for your lamented wife and for her survivors, that we may all imitate
her virtuous life and one day join her in praising and blessing God for all ages.
I appreciate the grief your entire family has been plunged into. But in
countless ways you can do many things very pleasing to your beloved de-
ceased. You can offer God for the repose of her soul your grief for her loss;
throughout your lives you can pray for her. We can comfort one another with
the thought that we shall see her again, perhaps soon, in a happier life than
that she lived on earth.
God bless you, my ever dear friend. May He keep you and your family in
good health. Please pray for me too. Always in Our Lord Jesus Christ,
Yours affectionately,
Fr. John Bosco
In another letter he proffers words of Christian comfort to a father
mourning the death of his son. This gentleman, Maximilian Flik, was
on vacation in Rivoli; other details we glean from the letter.
Dear Sir:
San Benigno Canavese, September 4, 1881
When you graced us for several hours with your company, we felt a flicker
of hope for your son's recovery.
God willed otherwise-may He be blessed in all things! Your son gave
promise for a happy future. He was a flower on an earthly paradise chosen by
God to be transplanted into the heavenly garden, for which he was ready.
I have prayed for him; now I will not fail to pray for you, your wife and your
whole family. May God bless you and keep you in good health and in His holy
grace.
Thank you for your donation to the Oratory. I look forward to being of some
service to you.
Hoping to meet you in Turin, I remain in Jesus Christ,
Your friend,
Fr. John Bosco
15. GRACIOUSNESS AND ENCOURAGEMENT
He wrote a lovely letter to Baron Robert Ricci des Ferres, brother of
Charles and son of Felician Ricci. The mother mentioned in this letter

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had been a Pralormo, a noble family which constantly helped Don
Bosco.
My dear Baron:
Turin, June 10, 1881
I would like to speak to Mamma about something I feel will give great glory
to God. Should she ever be in Turin or nearby, please let me know so that I
may pay her my respects and have a little talk with her.
God bless you, my ever dear Robert, your wife and all your family. Please
pray also for me. I remain always in great affection and esteem, in Jesus
Christ,
Your servant and friend,
Fr. John Bosco
When the time came to reopen the school at Este, closed down by
illness during 1880-1881, the school's director was very worried. Don
Bosco gave him new strength and reaffirmed his faith in God.
Dear Father Tamietti:
Alassio, September 25, 1881
Let us put our faith in God and move ahead! Open your school; say the
Lord's Prayer each morning and evening to the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and
Mary. Do your best to keep your pupils from becoming overheated, and make
sure they are snugly covered when going from hot to cold in the morning and
evening hours. Remember me to Mr. [Anthony] Venturini and Mr. [Benedict]
Pela; tell Mr. Pela that perhaps we shall soon meet again.
God bless you all. May He make you healthy and holy-or rather keep you
so!
I remember you every day in my holy Mass. In Jesus Christ,
Yours affectionately,
Fr. John Bosco
16. THE DEATH OF FATHER CHICCO
Father Stephen Chicco came to the Oratory at the age of twelve.
Despite chronic ill health which, thanks to Don Bosco's encourage-
ment, he endured with unflagging resignation and patience, he reached
the priesthood in 1871. He served as prefect at both Alassio and

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Magliano Sabino. Gifted with sound judgment and rare leadership
qualities, he zealously and fruitfully exercised his ministry of the con-
fessional. He was the first director of the Daughters of Mary, Help of
Christians in their new convent of Nizza Monferrato, leaving in 1879 to
open and then direct a new Salesian house at Cremona. He worked
hard and suffered much in that position. The renowned Bishop
[Jeremiah] Bonomelli held him in high regard and the faithful loved
him. His frail health worsened through the summer and autumn of
1881, when he took to his bed for the last time. Don Bosco sent Father
[Dominic] Belmonte to Cremona as he was finishing his directorship at
Borgo San Martino and was ready to assume charge of the school at
Sampierdarena. He went to Cremona as acting director to take care of
Father Chicco. From Nizza Monferrato Don Bosco sent him this fa-
therly letter at the beginning of August. 34
Dear Father Belmonte:
Nizza Monferrato, August 8, 1881
You are now in Cremona with our dear Father Chicco, whose illness has us
all worried. Blessed be the Lord in all things! We are praying for him in all our
houses; here at Our Lady of Grace, where he so zealously exercised his
priestly ministry, exceptionally fervent petitions rise to the Lord. May God
grant us whatever He deems good for His glory and our eternal salvation!
Meanwhile see that he needs nothing; assure him of my special blessing and
a remembrance at my morning and evening prayers. Were I not bogged down
by a thousand different matters, I would hasten to his bedside. I may be able
to do so at the beginning of next week.
God bless our ever dear and beloved Father Chicco, you and our growing
family at Cremona. May He keep you all in His holy grace! Pray for me, who
remain always in Our Lord Jesus Christ,
Yours affectionately,
Fr. John Bosco
He did get to see Father Chicco and comfort him in a last embrace.
That precious visit prepared him for the supreme sacrifice of his life,
and he died serenely during the night of September 16.
34 The original is preserved in the Biblioteca Nazionale in Florence (Box 329, N. 229).
[Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
17. To THE SALESIAN HousEs ON THE
FEAST OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION
Don Bosco sent a nosegay of ten practices to all the houses for the
novena and feast of the Immaculate Conception for each director to
choose and explain to the pupils at the "Good Night."
To my beloved children of the house of . . .
Nosegays for the Novena of the Immaculate Conception
In honor of Mary, my dearest Mother, with the aid of Her Son, Jesus, and
Her protection, I intend during this novena to:
/st Day Receive Holy Communion.
2nd Day Be fervent in my religious duties.
3rd Day Be fervent in my school duties, and obey.
4th Day Avoid idleness.
5th Day Avoid evil glances.
6th Day Avoid bad talk and those who indulge in it.
7th Day Avoid whatever offends the holy virtue of modesty.
8th Day Examine my conscience in regard to past confessions.
9th Day Prepare myself for a holy death.
Feast Day Consecrate myself to Mary and to repeat often: "Sacred
Heart of Mary, be my salvation."
Fr. John Bosco
18. GRAc1ousNEss TowARD His SPIRITUAL SoNs
When writing to Father Barberis about the novice from Damascus,
Don Bosco had also told him, "Please let Saluzzo know that he may
take up his duties any time he's ready unless you can spare Nicoletti
and prefer to give him to me as my receptionist." Nicoletti was a cleric
from Rimini.
Father Lawrence Saluzzo, first director of the Salesian house in
Milan and first provincial of Lombardy, did his secondary schooling at
the Oratory and then was sent to San Benigno [for his novitiate] where
he made his perpetual vows on October 3, 1881. The following morn-
ing, bringing Don Bosco his coffee in his room, he reiterated with filial
trust his thankfulness for having been admitted to religious vows. Don
Bosco listened graciously and replied, "You know, Lawrence, I'd like
to take you back with me to Turin to help out Father Berto. He has lost

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his aide, the cleric Aime, and I'd like you to take his place. But first
tell me if you'd prefer to stay here and complete your classic studies or
whether you'd like to come to Turin, finish your philosophy studies
there, and then go with several other clerics for your theology studies
in Rome." That year the second general chapter's ruling that all clerics
had to complete their college courses was being enforced. Saluzzo, a
very good student who was looking forward to resuming his classes,
promptly replied that he was at Don Bosco's beck and call. "Well, for
the time being keep this to yourself and don't worry. I shall speak with
Father Berto first and then drop a note to Father Barberis."
We have seen that note. Though Father Barberis had someone else in
mind, he never questioned Don Bosco's clear directive, and the cleric
Saluzzo went to Turin. The Oratory community was surprised to see
him return after just one year, but Don Bosco took him to the superiors'
dining room and introduced him: "Cleric Saluzzo has come to work
with Father Berto and me. He is to busy himself only in the tasks we
give him." Father Rua, Father Cagliero and all at table joyfully wel-
comed him.
At times Don Bosco used to entrust him, even as a student, with
messages to benefactors in Turin; on festive occasions he had him wait
upon the superiors and guests at table. Altogether, then, in different
capacities he spent fourteen years at Don Bosco's side, enjoying an
intimate closeness with him. Later, looking back upon those days of
yore, he wrote: "Both as cleric and priest, I was always helped and
blessed by him and was given tokens of special trust, as our dear Father
[Stephen] Trione can testify. I was an eyewitness of the favors and
miracles he performed; he was like a father to me, bearing with me and
comforting me, especially in those trying moments for youth, be they
clerics or priests. From my heart, not from vanity, do I pen these lines,
and do so solely to express my warmest gratitude and filial recognition
to Don Bosco who was more than a father and benefactor to me, and to
reaffirm my trust in him and his rules after fifty-two years of Salesian
religious life. "35
In 1881 there was another cleric at the Oratory who is alive and well
today [1933] and who also owes our dear father's memory a debt of
gratitude. Father [Thomas] Chiapello that year was studying for his
351,etter, Sondrio, May 31. 1933. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
examinations and had to concentrate on a subject he had no lilting for.
He went to Don Bosco and with the frankness customary at that time
told him how he felt, adding that he had precious little time to give to
that particular subject. Don Bosco gave him one of his disarming
glances, bade him sit down, and then replied, "We're friends, aren't
we? Well, this is what we shall do. Two or three evenings a week, at
this time, six o'clock, come and see me. If Father Berto should object,
tell him I have sent for you. Together you and I shall study mathemat-
ics, because I need to brush up on it too." Naturally Chiapello was
smart enough to decline this unexpected offer and not consume Don
Bosco's precious time. Today in reading these reminiscences we can
hardly restrain our tears. 36
36Rev. Thomas Chiapello, Salesian, II Beato Don Giovanni Bosco nella Visione e nelle
Previsioni di Quarant' anni fa [Blessed John Bosco, in the Vision and Foresight of Forty Years
Ago, p. 79, Federico and Ardia Publishers, Naples, 1929. [Author]

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CHAPTER 16
Two Months of1882
in Southern France
nELIGIOUS orders in France fared better after the upheaval
of 1880; they were free of further harassment until mid-October of the
following year, when the fierce anti-clerical [Leon] Gambetta formed a
cabinet of his own henchmen, all intent on fully enforcing the laws
enacted by the radicals against the Church. Consequently new anx-
ieties surfaced at St. Leo's Oratory in Marseille. At their October 28
meeting, Father Guiol urged the troubled committee ladies to trust in
Divine Providence as did Don Bosco, imitating as best they could that
utter self-abandonment to God's care which sprang from his holiness.
"We need neither fear nor falter if we follow Don Bosco and work with
him," he told them.
Don Bosco also personally encouraged them in a letter written in
December, asking for their prayers and Holy Communions and assur-
ing them that, though the horizon loomed threateningly, their devotion
to the Blessed Sacrament and to Mary, Help of Christians would avert
the storm. "Last year we were all full of fears," Father Guiol con-
tinued, "but Don Bosco reassured us. The call he issues us to faith and
prayer may well be one of those inspirations granted by God to His
saints to ward off impending perils by their counsel and prayers. Let us
heed such priceless advice and redouble our fervor to merit that God
make this storm fade away. "
Don Bosco's New Year greetings to Father Guiol and the committee
made them feel that their prayers were already beginning to produce
results. True, no one knew for sure, but the sky was beginning to clear.
In passing on these greetings to the ladies, Father Guiol insisted that
they keep praying until calm was fully restored.
Their hopes were not totally dashed. The hostile cabinet held out
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
barely seventy-two days, from November 15, 1881 to January 26, 1882,
and then gave way to slightly less radical forces.
As we have seen, the ladies' committee worked zealously to help St.
Leo's Oratory in the true spirit of Don Bosco. Father Guiol, who knew
him well, gave them insights into his personality and leadership. "Don
Bosco's work," he asserted, "rests fully on his trust in Divine Provi-
dence. In allying ourselves with such a vast endeavor, we must follow
our venerated founder's example, be imbued with his spirit, and have
the unshaken conviction that nothing can take the place of Providence's
watchful care elicited by our total self-entrustment. Even supreme gen-
erosity on our part is of no avail in our task if we work in any way
contrary to this single guiding principle: to trust totally in God, relying
on Him for everything rather than having recourse to means and mea-
sures which may alienate us from God's solicitous intervention."
Given such an excellent spirit, we can easily understand the commit-
tee's joy on learning on January 27 that Don Bosco would be in Mar-
seille that very day. 1
Don Bosco, who had been in France since January 16, was not
following his usual travel pattern. He was accompanied by a Salesian
cleric, Camillus De Barruel, formerly a lawyer, to whom we are
thankful for the precious account of the first phase of this journey. 2 Ten
days before setting out Don Bosco had written to the director of the
house in Nice:
My dear Father Ronchail:
January 5, 18823
I received a letter from our good Mamma which surprised me no end.
Certainly many a university graduate could never have penned such an excel-
lent letter.
Please give her my enclosed reply and my regards. I am due to leave for
Lyons on January 16 and shall probably be in Nice by the end of February.
Circumstances unrelated to you or other confreres suggest that we continue
printing the Bulletin Salesien here in Turin for the time being. We can discuss
this when I see you in mid-February. To say that [Salesian] cooperators are
'Minutes of committee meeting, October 17 and December 2, 1881 and January 6 and 27,
1882. [Author]
2'fhis was published in the March and April issues of the Bulletin Salesien. [Author]
3Date given in Father Ceria's Epistolario di San Giovanni Bosco, Vol. IV, p. 112, Letter 2262.
[Editor]

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sending their offerings here is only an excuse for not giving anything. At any
rate, I shall find some way to reimburse you.
May God grant every good to you, the confreres and the boys.
Your loving friend in Jesus Christ,
Fr. John Bosco
P.S. Is the Baron of Monremy in Nice? We have lost a friend in the death of
Monsignor.
He also notified Father Albera of his visit. At the beginning of the
school year, further to strengthen the Salesian apostolate in France, he
had detached the four houses of France from the Ligurian province, to
which they had temporarily belonged, and made them the nucleus of a
new province, entrusted to Father Albera, who took up residence in
Marseille in late October. Father Guiol, who had first met him at
Sampierdarena, announced his arrival to the ladies' committee, intro-
ducing him as "a priest justly esteemed for his accomplishments and
talents," whose "very presence kindled the fondest hopes for the future
of St. Leo's Oratory. " 4 Meanwhile Don Bosco wrote to him:
My dear Father Albera:
Turin, January 7, 1882
I have received two telegrams from Marseille: one from T. Flandin, the
other from M. Ferand, both asking for blessings and prayers for persons
seriously ill. Please assure them that we have been praying for them and will
continue to remember them every day at the altar of Mary, Help of Christians.
They are our benefactors, as Father Bologna knows.
Also tell Father Bologna we will personally discuss the Piron offer, hope-
fully to our mutual satisfaction.
I hope to celebrate the feast of St. Francis [de Sales] with you, trusting that
our patron will break the horns of an entire horde of demons which give us no
rest. Pray and ask others to pray. I truly need prayers.
God bless us all.
Yours affectionately in Jesus Christ,
Fr. John Bosco
4Minutes of October 7 and 28, 1881. His arrival was noted in the minutes of October 28: "After
the customary prayer, Father Guiol announced that Father Albera had arrived a few days before at
St. Leo's Oratory." [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
On the eve of his departure, recalling that he had forgotten to ac-
knowledge the greetings sent him by Father [Herminius] Borio's pupils
at Lanzo, he sent him a brief note which certainly endeared him to both
teacher and pupils.
My dear Father Borio:
Turin, January 15, 1882
Though I have no time to write or even drop in at Lanzo, as your students
and I would both like, I cannot set out for France tomorrow without thanking
your dear boys and mine for their affectionate Christmas and New Year's
greetings. On my return, my very first visit will be to Lanzo, and then we will
talk. Meanwhile pray for me, and also have the boys pray and offer their Holy
Communions for my intentions while I am away.
My dear Father Borio, God bless you, your efforts and your pupils! Pray
particularly for me.
Always yours affectionately in Christ,
Fr. John Bosco
P. S. Regards to Father Director.5
His first stop was at Lyons, where he was enthusiastically greeted by
Monsignor Louis Guiol, Father Guiol's brother and rector of the local
Catholic university, who had been in Rome in December. So anxious
had he been to play host to Don Bosco that he was ready even to
anticipate his return. To forestall that, Don Bosco had advised Father
Guiol as follows:
My dear Father,
Turin, January 6, 1882
I will take but a moment of your time. I fear that your brother, Monsignor
Louis, is rushing his departure from Rome all because I wrote to tell him that I
would be leaving for Lyons on [January] 10. I don't have his address with me,
and so I am asking you briefly to let him know that I cannot leave Turin before
the 16th, and that, in any case, I do not wish him to push up his plans because
ofme.
5The minutes of the Superior Chapter's meeting presided over by Don Bosco on June 5, 1884
pay Father Borio's work at Lanzo this generous praise: "Father Rua noted from personal experi-
ence that the overall success in the secondary school senior year always depends on the teacher.
Since Father Borio began to teach rhetoric at Lanzo, the Congregation has always had novices
who graduated from that boarding school." [Author]

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We keep praying for your health, and I fully trust that you are already
feeling better.
Please pray for me too, for just now I have some thorny matters to deal
with. May everything redound to God's greater glory. Love me in Jesus
Christ.
Always your loving friend,
Fr. John Bosco
No sooner did Monsignor Guiol get home than he immediately sent
his expected guest a note requesting that he cable the time of his arrival
at Lyons. He was thus the first to welcome Don Bosco at the railroad
station. Although his reputation preceded him, Don Bosco could not
have asked for a more helpful guide in that important city which he was
visiting for the first time. His daily routine in Lyons, as on all his
journeys, was to solicit donations, visit the sick, and receive people in
private audience. On this particular trip we have accounts of only three
conferences which he held.
The third largest of France's cities and foremost in the world for its
generous charity, Lyons must have been for this great apostle of charity
the highlight of his trip. Most of all he was drawn there because it
housed the headquarters of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith,
which had originated there. Several times he had applied for a subsidy
to help his missionaries, but to no avail, for each time his Argentinian
missions did not meet the Society's guidelines. Now that evangeliza-
tion in its strict sense was well underway, he personally made a presen-
tation of the mission's accomplishments and its plans for the future at a
regular meeting of the board of directors, who gladly received him in
full session with the utmost courtesy. Indeed, the board chairman, in
welcoming him on his colleagues' behalf, said that his presence would
draw God's blessings on their work.
_
Don Bosco thanked him, and recalled the many gracious replies he
had received from him. Then he pleaded the cause of his Patagonian
mission, recounting its beginnings, detailing the missionaries' initial
efforts and accomplishments, and sketching plans for the future. He
made a special point of explaining the new plan they were now follow-
ing to render their mission work more effective than it had been till
then. Rather than venture rashly into perilous savage territory, he said,
the Salesians were first settling in established communities on the
borders of the Indian lands. They were setting up churches and schools

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
and, by gentleness and little trinkets, were contriving to win the hearts
of the Indian children. Little by little, through the children, the mis-
sionaries were making friends with the adults, until they felt they could
peacefully venture into Indian lands. They set out by way of the sea
toward Carmen de Patag6nes, but thirteen days later were driven back
to Buenos Aires by a furious storm. "It seems that Divine Providence
intervened to block the missionaries' path," Don Bosco remarked,
"because the wilderness tribes were not yet acquainted with their
'kindness.'" He then mentioned a recent, more successful venture,
remarking that, even as he spoke, his missionaries were traversing the
Patagonian pampas, catechizing and baptizing. Plans were underway to
set up three apostolic vicariates in those remote regions of South
America.
Don Bosco then introduced a related problem. On the one hand the
[Sacred] Roman Congregations kept saying, "If you want apostolic
vicariates, increase the number of your missionaries," and on the other
hand the Society for the Propagation of the Faith was telling him, "If
you want a subsidy from us, your missionaries must belong not to a
diocese but to an apostolic vicariate." How was he to resolve this
dilemma? How could he train missionaries without funds, and where
were the funds to come from if the Society for the Propagation of the
Faith refused material and moral support? Then, presenting geographic
data, he described the vastness of the Buenos Aires diocese to convince
his listeners that the Society for the Propagation of the Faith could
rightly consider the entire territory beyond the Rio Colorado as mission
lands.
Afterward, the Society's president asked him to provide specific data
on the actual state of the mission, because the Society's rules did not
permit subsidies to European missionary training centers as Don Bosco
had requested. The Society, however, could grant traveling expenses
for missionaries going directly to their stations. But in any case, no
decision could be taken until more precise information was available.
A board member asked Don Bosco how, single-handed, he had so
quickly raised funds to meet the flood of the crushing expenses he had
to encounter. "Divine Providence!" he replied, raising eyes and hands
upward. He then recounted an incident which had occurred just days
before in Turin.
The general contractor of the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in
Rome had traveled [to Turin] to collect fifteen thousand lire, which

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were to be ready for him without fail by five that afternoon. At four-
thirty the coffers were still empty. What could Don Bosco do? As on
many another occasion, he sent some of his boys to pray before the
Blessed Sacrament. The results? An out-of-town priest arrived at the
Oratory asking to see Don Bosco. Taken to him, he told him that by
gradually cutting down on his expenses he had saved eight thousand
lire, intending to leave them to Don Bosco on his death; a friend of his,
deciding to do the same, had saved seven thousand lire. When they told
each other of their plans, they agreed it would be better to give Don
Bosco the money immediately rather than let it sit idly by. "This
morning I called on my friend," the visitor continued, "meaning to
take his seven thousand lire, add them to my eight thousand and bring
the entire sum to you at the end of the week. Whatever happened I
don't know, but on getting home to put my friend's money into my
safe, I became confused. Picking up my money, I absentmindedly set
out for the railway station. When I got there I asked myself, What have
I done? I'm not due in Turin today, but next Saturday! Well, let it be, I
thought, and shrugged my shoulders; better sooner than later. So here
are fifteen thousand lire." Without a word, Don Bosco motioned for
him to wait a moment and sent for the building contractor. On entering,
the latter immediately demanded the money. Don Bosco replied, "As
you see, I don't have fifteen thousand lire, but this good priest has
brought the money, and he himself will give it to you." He then turned
to his visitor and asked him to tell the contractor what he had just told
Don Bosco. All three could hardly restrain their tears.
The board members were visibly moved too. Before leaving, Don
Bosco informed them that he had just received a legacy of three thousand
lire to be forwarded to the Society for the Propagation of the Faith and
asked if he could use the money for his own missions. An immediate
answer was not possible, but ten days later in a reverent and affectionate
letter, the Society's president gave him the requested permission. Don
Bosco then had a full report about the Patagonian mission sent to the
Society. Rather than being relegated to its archives, it was published in
the July 24 issue of its weekly Les Missions Catholiques. The editor
included a picture and write-up of Don Bosco.6
Lyons, like other French cities, was also the seat of another mission-
6The Missioni Cattoliche, a Milanese publication, gave the Italian version in its issue of
November 3 [1882], also including Don Bosco's picture. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
ary organization called Apostolic Work, formed by zealous women
who supplied poor missions with donations in kind. Don Bosco, one of
their beneficiaries, held a conference with them, since they too were
eager to meet and hear him. Expecting to find but a dozen or so
listeners, he was surprised to face an impressive assembly. He was
greeted by the chairlady with "Blessed be he who comes in the Lord's
name!" After describing the foundation's aims, size and problems, the
chairlady asked Don Bosco to pray that she and her co-workers be
granted that secret ingredient of Salesian success-boundless trust in
Divine Providence and total child-like reliance on Our Lady, always the
Help of Christians. She closed with a realistic description of Don
Bosco's needs and urged the ladies to be generous. Thanking them for
their great-hearted kindness to him, Don Bosco recalled that, besides
other things, they had already donated two portable chapels, telling
them how they were being put to good use in Patagonia. He com-
mended their praiseworthy goal of cooperating with the missionaries
who heralded the blessings of redemption far and wide. He told them
about the difficulties facing the Salesian missionaries in Patagonia and
narrated some incidents of the missionaries' latest treks. Asking the
chairlady for the names of the women present, he promised to forward
them to the missionaries so that they could bestow them on those they
would baptize. He also invited them all to become Salesian cooper-
ators, explaining the movement's origin, scope, and growth. In closing
he promised that he would soon tell the Holy Father about them; then,
saying that he was personally authorized to give them the papal bless-
ing and plenary indulgence under the usual conditions [of confession
and Communion], he blessed them. The meeting ended with an ex-
change of thanks and best wishes.
During his stay in Lyons he was asked to address a special meeting
of directors and executives of the city's various Catholic associations.
Over eighty persons came to hear him at the personal invitation of the
organizing committee. His topic was Salesian educational works, es-
pecially hospices for poor and abandoned youth, stressing their re-
ligious and social benefits and highlighting their achievements. He did
not leave out Patagonia. A listener asked whether these good results
remained with the youngsters once they left the hospice. "Generally
speaking," replied Don Bosco, "the good seeds sown by our educa-
tional method during the boys' early years produce lasting fruits after

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they have left school. Many," he continued, "have pursued honorable
civil and military careers and are living good Christian lives." The
meeting ended with the hope that the charity of Lyons' citizens would
enable the Salesians to open a school in a working-class quarter of the
city, perhaps in La Croix-Rousse or La Guillotiere or in both places.
During his four-day stay in Lyons many sick people asked for him
and he went to see them. His approach was always the same: he led the
patients to accept God's will, suggested that they pray for healing if it
be for God's greater glory, and recited the Hail Mary or Hail, Holy
Queen with all present. He also made it clear that these prayers were to
be continued for a determined time. He promised that his boys would
pray for them, and finally he gave them the blessing of Mary, Help of
Christians. A witness' account in the Bulletin Salesien reads: "No one
can adequately describe the gentleness and awesome majesty of the
scene, the emotion of all present, their heartfelt fervor, their reverent
demeanor. "
He made several visits and received many more. The article con-
tinues: "Unaware of their self-concern, people forget that this poor
priest is in his sixties and is not terribly strong. He would succumb
under their relentless painful burden were it not for the sustaining grace
of God and the intervention of those who shield him somewhat from
the importunities of visitors who would give him no time even to take a
little food. He himself never complains, but always keeps his serenity,
unwilling to have anyone sent away." He never asked for a single cent,
yet he was showered with offerings usually accompanied by notes
spelling out the particular needs of donors seeking his prayers. The
worst time was when he left the altar after celebrating Mass. It was
quite an achievement to get him out of the sacristy! A host of men and
women, all eagerly asking for his blessing or a medal or even just a
glance, pressed him on every side and blocked his passage. He once
exclaimed, on seeing such trust, "How mighty is the power of faith! A
poor priest, a foreigner in France, a stranger to his besiegers, is over-
whelmed by signs of unlimited confidence!"
On Saturday evening, January 21, he arrived at Valence, about half-
way between Lyons and Marseille on the left bank of the Rhone River.
A dedicated cooperator, Amalie Lacombe, had eagerly requested the
pleasure of welcoming him to her home, so eagerly indeed that as soon
as she learned of his approaching journey, she had written to Turin and

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
asked for that privilege. In a thank you note [Turin, December 13,
1881F Don Bosco told her that he would be staying at the home of his
traveling companion, a native of Valence. He took the occasion to add:
"I eagerly look forward to seeing and thanking the cathedral rector,
Father A. Didelot. Please give him my compliments and assure him
that I will do all he feels is needed for God's glory and the good of
souls. However, I will first call on the bishop, to whom I ask you to
present my respectful regards."
He also spent four days in Valence. After Sunday Vespers he spoke
of Salesian work, not in a private hall as in Lyons but in the cathedral,
addressing a congregation "which," our correspondent says, "listened
to him in a reverent hush, with loving rapt attention." Save for a
passing reference to the missions toward the close of his talk, he
focused entirely on the regenerating power of Christian education as
given in Salesian schools to abandoned youth. His appeal to charity
moved their hearts and loosened their purse strings.
The city ran a youth center for young workers, whose staff staged a
play for him, all proceeds going to the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in
Rome. Flanked by an honor escort of prominent citizens, Don Bosco
attended the performance. Before the play, at the parish priest's press-
ing invitation, he briefly and very aptly gave a timely talk. Between
acts of the performance, the pastor persuaded him to tell the audience
the humorous story of how two priests had once tried unsuccessfully to
commit him to a lunatic asylum8 and how he had turned the tables on
them. 9
Passing through Tain and Toumon, where he stopped to preach and
take up a collection, he went from Valence to Marseille, arriving there
the evening of January 27. We have but a sketchy idea of what hap-
pened in Marseille on that occasion. Our first item is dated February 3,
when he was invited by the parish priest and the ladies' committee to
their regular meeting in the rectory. They waited and waited, but there
was no trace of him. The meeting's minutes state: "Blocked by a
frenzied crowd reaching out for his blessing, Don Bosco was late in
arriving, momentarily causing us to fear we might have to forego the
7Epistolario di San Giovanni Bosco, Vol. IV, p. 417, Letter 2662. [Editor]
8See Vol. II, pp. 322ff. [Editor]
9Erroneous information has spread regarding the identity of these two priests. They were
Father Vincent Ponzati, parish priest of St. Augustine's, and Canon Louis Nasi. [Author]

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Two Months of 1882 in Southern France
405
pleasure of his presence. Mrs. Berthou and Mrs. Jacques decided to
look for him. They returned with the news that he was on his way but
was being held back by a crowd that was overflowing the corridors and
stairways of St. Leo's Oratory, all seeking his prayers and blessings, so
that it became difficult to pull the revered holy man away."
By God's grace, he finally did arrive. "I thank your committee for its
zeal and charity," he told them. "I would like to thank each of you
singly, but I wish you to know that I always remember you in my
prayers and ask God's blessings on all of you collectively and special
graces for you individually. It is truly marvelous that you meet more
often than once a year to render glory to God by works of charity. I
urge you all to be one in heart and soul in loving and serving God and
promoting His glory through deeds of charity. And so I recommend
that you renounce your own will. Should one favor a course of action
not agreeable to the others, let her give it up and put it aside so as to
maintain the bond of peace. Let us lovingly work for God's glory with
unshaken faith and firmness in defense of Catholic principles. For your
comfort I will say that St. Leo's Oratory shelters many lads aspiring to
the priesthood; some are priests now and two have even gone to our
South American missions. All to God's glory! Blessed be God!" He
made his point with a gesture of genuine, deep humility.
Then he changed topic. On the eve of All Saints Day the Daughters
of Mary, Help of Christians had taken up residence just a stone's throw
from the Salesian house. He commented upon this closeness, saying,
"We must be aware that the Salesian apostolate has several very dis-
tinct branches, and I wish to bring this to your attention. Here in
Marseille we have a hospice and a community of sisters. They are two
works which must be kept clearly distinct because of the unseemliness
that might arise if there were too frequent contacts. The layout of our
house in Turin allowed us to resolve this situation. I am happy to tell
you that soon we shall do the same here in Marseille, providing equal
facilities."
The ladies' committee also took care of the boys' laundry. The
women who could spare the time gave one day a week to work with the
sisters. Alluding to one of the above "facilities," a linen room, Don
Bosco described the one at Valdocco. "In the sisters' convent in Turin
just adjacent to the Salesian residence," he said, "there is a room
where two or three sisters and some ladies package linen in need of
repair and send it out to kind people who do the mending. The linen is

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
checked not so much to mend the unmendable but to cut away and save
good pieces of cloth, for example, to make one whole shirt from four
torn ones. "
Then resuming his previous theme, he went on: "St. Leo's Oratory
is not only an orphanage but also a residence of religious, priests and
clerics, and this calls for a certain prudent reserve. Alas-he continued
with deep emotion-if our Salesian houses were not to be what they
must be, I'd rather have them cease to exist. Divine Providence will
certainly help us do away with the temporary arrangements we were
forced into. With about thirty-five thousand francs we could turn the
sisters' temporary lodgings into a permanent, suitable residence. We
already have a site for their convent." Here Father Guiol interrupted to
say that reasonable, realistic plans had already been drawn up. The
committee's secretary reports: "Don Bosco's words give us hope that
funds will soon be on the way, thanks, of course, to his prayers and
holiness. "
Don Bosco went on: "Yes indeed, Divine Providence's care is truly
wondrous! At the beginning of last year we had not a penny for the
Sacred Heart Church in Rome, yet this year alone we disbursed three
hundred and fifty thousand lire, thanks to offerings given for graces
received; thus, work which conceivably could take ten years was com-
pleted in only one. It astonishes me. The stories read like fables; yet
they are true and easily verifiable. This is the hand of Divine Provi-
dence. Blessed be God, for the glory is all His!"
The meeting ended with the committee expressing its deep apprecia-
tion for the saintly, revered founder's words. Their spokesman, Father
Guiol, asked for his blessing, which they reverently received.
Within a few days the hopes kindled by Don Bosco that the house
would soon be adapted to accord with Salesian lifestyle and to provide
more comfortable quarters for the sisters became a reality. With a very
brief interval two neighboring homes were successively purchased for
occupancy by the Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians on the feast of
St. Michael. The purchase was legally handled by the Beaujour Soci-
ety, which likewise reimbursed Don Bosco for the building he had
erected on their site while apparently renting the land. To protect itself
from the charge of making an underhanded contribution which might
invalidate their action, the Society made the reimbursement in shares
rather than in cash. Generous goodwill offerings made it possible to
meet the first payment for the purchase of the property. On February

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1wo Months of 1882 in Southern France
407
17, in his report to the committee, Father Guiol singled out the inter-
vention of Providence in Don Bosco's Marseille project and attributed
it to his prayers. To make his point he told them some interesting
details of a cure recently obtained through the holy founder's interces-
sion and blessing. "We all know what happened," he continued, "and
the person so glad to be healed has expressed her thanks with a dona-
tion of five thousand francs. Not all favors received have been this
spectacular, but Don Bosco's reputation for holiness, the people's trust
in his influence over the heart of God, and their wish to draw God's
blessings by works of charity bring him the funds he needs to carry out
his works. " In fact [Father Joseph Bologna], the director of St. Leo's,
who was present, stated that he was ready at that time to pay twenty
thousand of the seventy-eight thousand francs owed to the contractor.
In response Father Guiol astutely remarked, "Don Bosco has cut back
on household expenses, but he seems never averse to keep hold of a
few debts so as to contract others. His aim is, while forcing the hand of
Providence, to keep the committee on its toes to recruit more
benefactors. "
The spectacular cure mentioned by Father Guiol is further detailed
for us by an account of Father Bologna, who witnessed it. A wealthy
young spinster, bedridden for three years, on receiving Don Bosco's
blessing, immediately stood up and then walked with him to the door.
All present were dumbfounded and then burst into tears. The maids
stood in shock, while the young lady herself kept shouting, "The
Virgin Mary has healed me! The Virgin Mary has healed me!" Don
Bosco could hardly calm the mother down. Everyone, himself in-
cluded, was in tears.
Of "graces not this striking," Father Bologna has recorded three. A
youth who had a serious eye problem received his blessing and two
days later was perfectly cured. A woman who had come to ask for
prayers for her invalid sister, who had to be carried from bed to arm-
chair, found her on her return home in perfect health. On Sunday,
February 19, Don Bosco went to see a woman suffering from advanced
pleurisy, on whom doctors had given up. He prayed for her, asked her
to recite certain prayers until the feast of St. Joseph, and assured her
that she would get well. Three days later she was on her way to full
recovery. Another healing that did not make the news is narrated by
D'Espiney in later editions of his booklet Dom Bosco. A woman, in
tears because of the ugly treatment she was receiving from her children

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
and her in-laws, came to see Don Bosco. "Pray to Mary, Help of
Christians," Don Bosco advised, "and receive Holy Communion at
my Mass tomorrow morning. I shall offer it for you." She did so.
Imagine her astonishment on returning home to find all her children
gathered in the drawing room, ready to apologize for their disgraceful
behavior and to give her their solemn promise to mend their ways.
Tearful embraces sealed their good resolve. 10
While in Marseille he also made some predictions. Brother Louis
Nasi was his personal barber. One morning, as he finished shaving Don
Bosco and was taking leave by kissing his hand, Don Bosco held the
brother's hand and said to him, "You would like a tip, wouldn't you?
Well, the Lord will give you a much more generous one. Meanwhile
keep hel{>ing Father Bologna as best you can. You will follow him to
various houses in France which he will direct, but he will not end his
days in France, but in Turin. When you hear of his death, get ready, for
you will shortly follow him." Father Bologna died at the Oratory quite
suddenly on January 4, 1907, and Brother Nasi followed him on De-
cember 711 of that same year.
No less a glow did Don Bosco's priestliness cast about him. On one
occasion some of Marseille's finest social elite were clustered about
him in a magnificent drawing room as he chatted freely with one
person and then another, always having something spiritual to say.
Marquis de Villeneuve Trans, who kept an eye on him, whispered to
Father Albera, "Don Bosco is always preaching."
Much can be said of the extraordinary delicacy with which he han-
dled a situation with the Olive family, prominent Salesian cooperators.
One day, Mrs. Olive, yielding to a spontaneous impulse of generosity,
slipped a very valuable ring from her finger and handed it to Don
Bosco. Realizing that it would be inappropriate to accept it, he imme-
diately turned the offer down very gently with the remark, "Madam,
this is a family heirloom, and you must hold on to it." The lady
insisted, and so Don Bosco rejoined, "Very well, if you give it to me,
10D'Espiney's two-volume biography assigns another event-the healing of Mademoiselle
Flandrin-to 1882 (Vol. II, page 530). However, he had already reported it in 1881 in the first
edition of his book as having occurred that year. Then too, the circumstances of Don Bosco's
departure from Marseille in 1882 do not accord with what actually happened. See pp. 41f of this
volume. [Author]
11According to the Necrologio Salesiano, Direzione Generale Opere Don Bosco, Torino, 1951,
Brother Nasi died at Saint Genys, France, on September 25, 1907. [Editor]

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Two Months of 1882 in Southern France
409
am I free to do with it as I wish? It is the only way I will accept your
gift." At her nod of approval, Don Bosco took the ring in his two
fingers and said, "I accept your gift most willingly, and now that the
ring is mine, I make a gift of it to you." Moved by such thought-
fulness, she could not refuse. Today that ring is jealously preserved as a
precious memento of Don Bosco by the family. Father Bologna was
right when he wrote, 12 "Don Bosco's stay in Marseille is truly a won-
der. People regard him as a saint. . . . They line the corridors by the
hundreds all day long. I have no idea how long Don Bosco can hold up
under such pressure." As the money flowed in, so too did admiration
for the Salesians grow.
St. Leo's Oratory celebrated the feast of St. Francis de Sales on
February 15; it was marked by a Salesian cooperators' meeting, under
the patronage of the bishop.
Long before it began there was not a single place unoccupied in the
chapel. After expressing his gratitude to his benefactors, Don Bosco
reviewed the overall growth of the Salesian Congregation since 1881
with a simplicity known only to saints. 13 In Rome, Florence, La Spezia
and Ventimiglia thriving festive oratories formed a veritable bulwark
against the Protestants. "Our unfortunate, estranged brothers," Don
Bosco said, "have an abundance of funds at their disposal, but our
power is that of prayer. Though I urge our cooperators to be generous in
almsgiving, I particularly request you to raise fervent prayers to
heaven, for if money begets power, prayer obtains everything and
triumphs over all." The bishop, making the twofold theme of money
and prayer his own, went on to expand it.
On February 19 Don Bosco spoke in St. Joseph's Church; however,
we have no particulars of that occasion. Neither the director nor his
confreres gave any thought to writing letters during those days, for, in
the fonner's words, "Our dear Don Bosco gave us all plenty of work to
do." Now, then, let us take up the account of Don Bosco's trip through
the southwest of France.
First he went to Toulouse, at that time some twelve hours by train
from Marseille. Cardinal Desprez, the archbishop, desired Don Bosco
to have his Salesians direct the local orphanage which was about to
121..etter to his brother Louis, a Salesian coadjutor at the Oratory, Marseille, February 23,
1882. [Author]
13£cho de Notre Dame de la Garde, February 26, 1882. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
close for lack of funds and personnel. Its co-founder and director,
Father Julien, had suggested the idea to the cardinal after reading the
monograph sent him by his friend, Father Mendre. 14 Upon hearing that
Don Bosco was in Marseille, the cardinal wrote him a letter and then
sent Father Julien to invite him personally to Toulouse. Father Julien's
unpublished diary15 thus describes their first meeting. "Don Bosco
received me most graciously at St. Leo's Oratory on the evening of
Tuesday, January 31. I briefly told him why I had come, gave him an
overview of our background, and made bold to invite him to visit our
orphanage-an invitation I was astonished to see immediately ac-
cepted. This good priest enjoyed visiting our home and asked if he
could take up a collection for his church and hospice in Rome. So there
was urgent work for me to do, with not a moment to spare, because he
could stay but two days in Toulouse. I returned home by the eleven
o'clock train. With the cardinal's consent, I publicized Don Bosco's
visit to Toulouse in an article which appeared on February 5 in the
Semaine Catholique. " 16
The article told of Don Bosco's twofold purpose in visiting the city,
announcing also that he would preach in the cathedral. "The faithful
are not being invited to attend a scholarly lecture," it asserted, "be-
cause Don Bosco, an Italian, does not speak our language fluently.
However, if eloquence flows from the heart and if good and holy causes
beget eloquence, then Don Bosco's address will surely be most elo-
quent. Everyone will overlook any slip of language he may make as
well as any ltalianisms."
The article also appeared in L'Echo de la Province and Les
Nouvelles, two local but weighty conservative dailies. The news gener-
ated a reverent expectancy at all levels.
Don Bosco arrived at midnight on February 4 and lodged at the
orphanage of the Grande-Allee. At dawn a crowd of people flocked to
the chapel to attend his Mass; then a stream of visitors called on him
with no respite until, freeing himself with difficulty, he left to pay his
respects to the cardinal. The two met that evening after Vespers.
14See Vol. XN, pp. 71f. [Editor]
15This is a quotation from Canon Clement Tournier, the dean of Saint-Sernin, Le Bienheureux
a Dom Bosco Toulouse, Berthoumier, Toulouse, 1929, p. 37. [Author]
16This issue was dated as of Sunday, February 5, though it was on the newsstands earlier in the
week. [Author]

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Two Months of 1882 in Southern France
411
Monsignor Lamothe-Tenet, rector of the Catholic University of
Toulouse, was due to preach at the same hour in another church of the
city. Though it looked like a letdown, it turned out to be a singular
coincidence which offered an opportunity of comparing, rather then
contrasting, the learned, polished, noble eloquence of the prelate, a
spokesman for the French Academy, with the plain, halting speech of a
foreigner which was utterly devoid of rhetorical power. Yet expectancy
of what he would say created an aura of eventful excitement. The vast
nave of St. Stephen's Cathedral was jammed with people who hung on
the speaker's every word. The effect was apparent in the collection, for
so generous were the donations that he gratefully agreed to celebrate
Mass at the orphanage the next day for his benefactors, adding that he
would hold an afternoon conference for the Salesian cooperators and
all who were interested in them.
At the cathedral he had spoken of the origins and growth of the
Salesian work avec une simplicite charmante [with charming sim-
plicity], 17 stressing especially the trade schools; at the orphanage he
spoke of cooperating with the Salesians. The cardinal graciously at-
tended both meetings. Our account would be incomplete if we omitted
a particular incident. Toulouse is still [1934] the home of I'Academie
des Jeux-Floraux [Floral Games Academy], the oldest of its kind in
Europe. Its permanent secretary, Count Ferdinand De Resseguier, after
listening to Don Bosco's talk with Count Du Bourg, 18 characterized the
speaker as a humble man with little command of French syntax and
grammar, but later remarked to his friend: 19 "We must admit that the
supernatural flows forth from him and that the supernatural movement
of grace makes sport of all our means of persuasion."
On Monday February 6, Don Bosco was tendered a dinner by a
select group of people in one of the city's hotels. 20 Count Du Bourg,
who had often met him at the home of the De Maistre family, recalled
17Semaine Catholique, February 12. In 1890 the Capuchin Father Anton Marie, apostle of
Toulouse, made the following comparison between Don Bosco's and Father Rua's manner of
speaking and dealing with people: "Oh, I heard Father Rua preach; he talks with the same sublime
simplicity.. I have seen him in private gatherings; he talks with the same attractive ease. I was
sitting beside him during the family festivities in Nice, staged in his honor by the Catholic
Workers' Club, and I saw and I heard Don Bosco." (Bulletin Salesien, February, 1890) [Author]
18We shall again refer to Du Bourg, who is still living (June 1933), in Volume XVI in
connection with Count de Chambord, to whose circle he belonged. [Author]
a 19Clement Tournier, Le Bienheureux Dom Bosco Toulouse, p. 57. [Author]
20Hotel Marsac, St. Stephen's Cathedral Plaza. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
to Canon Toumier21 that Don Bosco sat calmly at his place with a
gentle smile, as though dining with the De Maistre family in Turin or at
Borgo Comalese. He also kindly patted and blessed the children and,
characteristically of his spirit of mortification, fed more on divine love
than on food.
Two priests living today [1934] remember Don Bosco's stay at the or-
phanage. Along with another classmate, who later died as a priest, they
were there studying Latin to enter the seminary. They served his Mass.
One evening he gave the "Good Night" to the boarders, rousing them to
a fervent devotion to Our Lady. So strong was his impression on them
that all memorized the Hail, Holy Queen and kept saying it nightly be-
fore retiring. He stressed the need for each either to study or to learn a
trade; then, comically putting the index finger of both hands to the sides
of his forehead, he said, Un enfant paresseux sera toujours . .. un "asi-
nus." ["A lazy lad will forever be a donkey."] After his departure, Father
Julien pointed out to the three seminarians that, despite the endless
crowds milling around him, Don Bosco always retained his personal
dignity and unshakable calm, ever aware of God's presence.
He was to leave Monday evening, but was finally persuaded to stay
on and celebrate Mass the following morning in the Basilica of St.
Satuminus, a church housing the finest collection of relics in the entire
world. He offered Mass in the chapel of St. Thomas Aquinas, which
enshrines the head of the saint;22 he was then escorted by the archpriest
and by other clergy through the apse and down into the crypt where he
most reverently23 venerated many sacred relics. Observing a relic of St.
Jude, he remarked, "My favorite patron!" No wonder, since Jude is the
patron saint of the impossible, whom Turin honors by a public novena
a 21Le Bienheureux Dom Bosco Toulouse, p. 59. [Author]
22Canon Toumier in the above cited booklet, page 67, lists several reasons why Don Bosco
took delight in praying to St. Thomas, the angel of the schools; he then makes an interesting
digression: "A more personal reason likely contributed to Don Bosco's decision to delay his
departure. Pope Pius XI states in his decree of Don Bosco's beatification that the Blessed had been
opposed by those very persons from whom he had every right to expect aid and support. The
learned, zealous archbishop of Turin, who believed it was his bounden duty to block the undertak-
ings of the founder of the Valdocco Oratory, sought solutions for modem problems less in the
works of St. Thomas than in certain suspect theories ofRosmini's philosophy. Oh, would that the
quiet influence of the angelic doctor, by correcting deviant ideologies and restoring a serene,
unclouded vision and self-restraint to a biased soul, had put a stop to that drawn-out conflict
which fared ill for the spreading of good-a conflict which rendered Don Bosco the bleeding,
silent victim for ten long years. " [Author]
23Semaine Catholique, February 12, 1882. [Author]

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Two Months of 1882 in Southern France
413
in the latter part of October. As Don Bosco knelt in prayer before the
relics of Thomas Aquinas' spine and head, a nun who had fixed her
gaze on him knelt by him and requested his prayers for a blind woman.
He blessed her and promised his prayers. "This scene, in its very
simplicity," records Semaine Catholique, "demonstrates the lofty es-
teem in which Don Bosco's holiness is held."
Hemmed in to the very last by all sorts of people, Don Bosco
remarked to the bystanders on boarding his train: "I fondly hope that
the citizens of Toulouse will donate to the Church of the Sacred Heart
of Jesus in Rome a column engraved with Pope Pius IX's praise of their
city as Tolosa fide/is [Toulouse the Faithful]." Although donations
were then being solicited for a pillar in the newly planned Montmartre
Basilica,24 Semaine Catholique did not hesitate to sponsor another
subscription for the church in Rome, commenting, "Rome and Paris
are symbols respectively of the Church and of France, our two fa-
therlands, our two mothers [...]. In both cities Jesus is stricken to the
heart; in them we therefore bring the witness of our fervent faith, our
atonement and our love to the Sacred Heart. " Responding to a French
religious who, tallying the millions being swallowed up in fulfillment
of a national vow,25 warned Don Bosco that his fund-raising campaign
for the church in Rome would meet with little success in France, Don
Bosco replied, "How little you know your own country! France has
wealth enough to meet every need, and she gives unstintingly, un-
tiringly. Actions speak louder than words! Despite all her troubled and
trying times, she remains for those who really know her, and Don
Bosco is one, the ever generous France!"
The facts bore him out. The journal's subscription netted 3,557
francs, somewhat more than the actual cost of the column which was to
memorialize for all time Toulouse's generosity. 26
As for having a Salesian presence in Toulouse, Don Bosco affirmed
24The cornerstone had been laid on June 16, 1875 by Cardinal Joseph Hippolytus Guibert who
said the first Mass in the crypt on April 21, 1881. Cardinal Richard de la Vergne blessed the
church on June 5, 1891 and on October 17, 1899 blessed the cross surmounting the main dome.
(Source: The Catholic Encyclopedia, New York, Appleton Co., 1911, Volume XI: 488d). [Editor]
25During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71 an appeal was made for the erection in Paris of a
shrine to the Sacred Heart of Jesus to obtain the salvation of France. On July 23, 1873 the National
Assembly passed a law declaring the construction of the shrine a matter of public utility. Source:
The Catholic Encyclopedia, New York, Appleton Co., 1911, Vol. XI: 488d. [Editor]
26Canon Tournier's monograph has an appendix listing the names of donors. The cardinal is
featured in it for the sum of twenty-five francs. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
his good will but made no secret that he had ever so much to do before
he could fulfill his friends' hopes. He needed adequate premises, and it
was imperative that workshops be set up in the orphanage itself in order
to keep the boys from having to go out to work. His observations were
given serious attention, so much so that some work was immediately
begun. The Salesians were asked to come in October, but that was too
soon. Besides the former staff had already resigned to seek better
paying jobs elsewhere, and so the school could not continue. The result
was that in 1883 a religious community was called in. However, there
was another situation which more intensely grieved Don Bosco. One of
the orphanage's annual reports strongly27 intimates that its administra-
tion was not to be entrusted to the Salesians, who were simply to help
operate it. This offered no grounds for negotiations. 28 Don Bosco, who
had somehow gotten wind of it, was in no hurry to reach an agreement
but bided his time; hence he must have heaved a sigh of relief on
learning the final solution. Our files carry further correspondence be-
tween him and Father Julien and others in Toulouse, but we find no
reference to past events.
None of this however cooled the warm feelings of Toulouse toward
Don Bosco. Thanks to Father Julien's zeal, a fine group of Salesian
cooperators arose, with him as its first director. The association still
flourishes today [1934]. In December 1929 a relic of the newly beatified
Don Bosco was welcomed at Toulouse with an enthusiastic celebration
by both clergy and laity which the world itself has never seen dupli-
cated on similar occasions. Quite rightly was this hailed as Don
Bosco's triumphant return to that historic, glorious city. 29
Both at Saint-Cyr and La Navarre the Salesians and the Daughters of
Mary, Help of Christians eagerly awaited the arrival of their beloved
father. He started out to satisfy their desire immediately after his con-
a 27Le Bienheureux Dom Bosco Toulouse, pp. 81f. [Author]
28'fhe issue did not pass unobserved or without comment. Mrs. Leocadia Orloff, writing from
San Remo to Don Bosco on May 12, 1883, remarked: "They were very wrong not to agree in
Toulouse; the house of Father Julien should have been turned over to you. Building a new
institution, I think, would be a very difficult task given the large number of charitable homes in
town." [Author]
29Jn recalling this episode in a speech (Les Ubaldini de Toscane, Dante et Toulouse, Toulouse,
Andrau and Laporte, 1933, p. 48), Canon Tournier writes that at the time "the relic of the gentle
Blessed Don Bosco, welcomed with triumphal honors, gave forth the fragrance of a peace-filled
sanctity." [Author]

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Two Months of 1882 in Southern France
415
ference [to the Salesian cooperators] in St. Joseph's Church [in Mar-
seille]; however, he first made a few stopovers in the Toulon diocese.
When it was time to leave Marseille, he entered his carriage in the
school playground which was filled with people kneeling for his bless-
ing. Gazing about him with deep emotion, Don Bosco was overheard
by Father Albera to sigh, "How great is a priest!" In all these acts of
reverence he saw only signs of veneration for the priestly state. In fact
for the next few days many persons, unable to accept that he had really
left, kept insisting that he was hiding in the house. 30
Don Bosco left Marseille on February 20. It is unlikely that he made
any stops until he reached La Ciotat, an industrial seacoast town on the
Marseille-Toulon route. He arrived at half-past one. A huge crowd
awaited him in the village church, where he preached and then took up
a collection. Next he went to the nearby parish of Saint-Cyr, where a
surprising thing took place. Having been invited to dinner by the parish
priest, he was talking with several clergy guests when a young priest
entered the room. Though Don Bosco had never seen or met him
before, he went over to him, cordially grasped his hand, and with warm
insistence urged him to be resigned to God's will. The young priest did
not know what to say and first thought he would give some noncommit-
tal response, but then he openly expressed his surprise at these words
because he had no reason to be resigned, since all was going well with
him. "Yet that is how it is," Don Bosco replied. "I am glad to know
you are happy, but the test can always come sooner than you think."
The young priest took his place at the table at a little distance from Don
Bosco, who repeatedly made playful reference to their former conver-
sation. Unsure of how he was to understand his words, seriously or in
jest, the young priest finally became worried. This was the day after
Quinquagesima Sunday. On Ash Wednesday as he was dining with his
mother, she took a few sips of soup, then clasped her hands, bowed her
head and died. Then he understood. Years later, in 1887, recounting
this incident to Father Albera, he spoke most highly of this holy servant
of God.
Though the agricultural school of St. Isidore was not far from Saint-
Cyr, Don Bosco, who was delayed longer than he had expected by the
30Minutes, February 24, 1882. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
conference and other reasons, had to forego his visit because he did not
want to miss his appointment with the Colle family in Toulon. He
arrived there on the evening of the 21st, and preached the next morning
to a crowded cathedral. He spoke on the same topic and, as elsewhere,
his congregation gave him its undivided attention. That afternoon, the
women cooperators, all eager to help especially St. Isidore Hospice,
met with him in the sacristy. At his suggestion they each promised a
monthly contribution which would enable the impoverished hospice to
meet at least its most pressing needs. He also asked the women to
broaden their circle of donors by recruiting their families and
acquaintances.
He said he would also gladly meet with the men cooperators, only
there was no time. However, he was keen to make one very important
point. "It is imperative," he told the ladies, "that you thoroughly grasp
the aims of the Association of Salesian Cooperators. Its purpose is not
only to support our works, but also for its members to do all they
possibly can to join forces for the salvation of their fellow Christians,
especially the young. Let them strive to promote children's catechism
classes and volunteer to help their parish priests with them. Let them
prepare children for First Holy Communion and provide them with
proper clothing. Let them spread wholesome literature and forcefully
oppose all irreligious, immoral publications. All these things are part
of the Salesian cooperators' commitment." These recommendations
must have certainly cheered the hearts of those parish priests who had
so generously supported his work not only by opening their churches to
him and publicizing his conferences in advance, but also by attending
and speaking at the conferences and by being the first to personally
contribute to the collection.
We will not reiterate all we have already said about the endless,
tiresome audiences which he also held in Toulon, but we cannot forget
a prodigious event and a prediction, both of them supported by written
testimony. The thirteen-year-old son of the Ponteves family in Toulon
had been afflicted with frequent fainting spells over the past eighteen
months. They gravely upset him, disrupted his schooling and retarded
his physical and spiritual development. His mother brought him to Don
Bosco, who blessed the boy and told him, "Cheer up, son! You will be
cured before the feast of St. John the Baptist." Trusting his words as
she would God's own, the mother stopped his prescribed medication.

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From that day on the fainting spells ceased, and the boy regained his
strength with not the slightest trace of his ~ave ailment. 31
The prediction was told us by a nun of the Sagesse still living in
September 1932 in the congregation's motherhouse at Saint-Laurent sur
Sevres. 32 Very simply this elderly sister maintained that she could still
very clearly recall ce petit bonhomme noir et maigre comme un clou
[this little man, dark and thin as a rail]. She first saw him at the
Toulon's Navy Hospital, which was served by some fifty nuns of the
same congregation. Don Bosco called upon them and asked [the supe-
rior] to send two sisters for a time to Gien to open immediately an
orphanage which they would later pass on to the Daughters of Mary,
Help of Christians. The orphanage was short-lived because of lack of
funds and no hope of relief. On entering the hospital Don Bosco
greeted each sister in his Italian accent, "Bonjour, ma soeur, comment
~a va? [Good day, my sister, how are you?"] An elderly nun, the oldest
actually, went up to him and replied to his greeting, "<;a ne va
pas. ... le suis sourde. . . . Vous devriez me guerir." ["Not
well. . . . I am deaf. . . . You must cure me."] Don Bosco replied:
"Ma soeur, dans huit jours vous entendrez chanter les anges du Para-
dis." ["Dear sister, within eight days you will hear the angels singing in
paradise."] The good sister could not hear him, but the others did. The
next day she was stricken with pneumonia, which exactly eight days
later sent her to heaven to hear the angelic choirs.
From Saint-Cyr he went on to Hyeres, where he stayed over Satur-
day and Sunday, spending most of his time in visiting the sick and
listening to the crowds who flocked to him. On Sunday he preached at
the solemn high Mass in the ancient St. Louis Basilica, where the
saintly king [Louis IX] had prayed on his return from the Seventh
Crusade [1248-1254] to recover the Holy Land from the Moslems. Don
Bosco deeply touched his listeners when, perhaps alluding to some
publication or other, he objected to the claim that he possessed the
charism of miracles. "Don Bosco," he stated, "would be the lowest of
men were he to arrogate such power to himself. Certainly, extraordi-
nary favors have been granted, but by the Blessed Virgin Mary for the
benefit of our works. She obtained these graces from Her Divine Son
31Letter from Father J. Rostand to Father Ronchail, Antibes, December 16, 1882. [Author]
32Letter from Father Pastol to Father Auffray, Liege, September 4, 1932. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
for those who reach out to orphans so dear to Him. Our houses are
supported solely by public charity; they would have no chance of
survival unless extraordinary favors stirred people to give and to show
their gratitude by the donations they send us. Hence, God never denies
us miraculous help in our need and comes to our aid with outstanding
favors."
After giving some information on the Patagonian missions and list-
ing the benefits of almsgiving, he stepped down from the pulpit and
personally took up a collection for the Salesian work of La Navarre.
That evening the Lenten preacher asked that a second collection be
taken up for the same purpose. After Monday's Mass, Don Bosco
asked for a third collection for the Sacred Heart Church and Hospice in
Rome. Their donation, he stressed, had a threefold feature: it was at
one and the same time an act of faith and of love for the Sacred Heart of
Jesus and for the Church, mother of all churches; secondly, it was an
act of charity for poor youngsters of all nationalities; finally, it was an
act of piety and filial, loving reverence for the glorious Pius IX, to
whom the new church and hospice would stand as a worthy monument.
On February 27 Don Bosco went on to La Navarre, where he was
met by Father Albera, who had come to offer whatever assistance he
could in his endless concerns. On March 2 he wrote to Father Rua:
"Don Bosco cannot hold up much longer. He is so lionized and over-
whelmed by crowds that I can't even get near him to consult with him
on some urgent matters or call his attention to important corre-
spondence. Despite all she has gone through, France is truly mirac-
ulous in its almsgiving." Gravely concerned for Don Bosco's health,
Father Albera then asked Father Rua if it were not time to make him
give up his fatiguing efforts.
We have already recounted how on his last year's visit to La
Navarre33 Don Bosco had left instructions for a much larger building to
be constructed to accommodate three hundred boys. Father [Peter]
Perrot, the director, lost no time; by December 16 the cornerstone was
in place, ready to be blessed by Don Bosco on his arrival. The cere-
mony took place on March 1. In his above quoted letter Father Albera
wrote, "Yesterday La Navarre's new building's cornerstone was ce-
mented in place. Don Bosco 's name drew such a crowd to the cere-
33See p. 46. [Editor]

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mony that one would have thought this was Marseille or Toulon, not an
insignificant place called La Navarre. Day after day we see the Lord
coming to his special aid."
The traditional dedication scroll was encased in a sealed glass vial,
and placed within the cornerstone; it bore the signatures of several
eminent people, who deemed it a singular honor to add their names to
Don Bosco's.
The pressing business of the day did not make him overlook or
neglect other more distant concerns. We note his solicitude in two
letters he mailed from La Navarre. The first was a reply to Father Rua
concerning an answer to Archbishop Gastaldi's offer of a wrought-iron
fence for St. John the Evangelist Church. 34 Briefly, after reviewing the
situation, he made a decision, and put an end to the matter. He listed
his travel route for Father Rua, hinting at the hardships this relentless
unceasing fund-raising was costing him.
La Navarre, March 2, 1882
My dear Father Rua:
I think we can send an answer to the archbishop, but first get in touch with
Count Mella to learn if the gate is in keeping with his plans or whether it has to
be disassembled to make it fit properly. The added cost might well make us
sorry we ever accepted it. So decline it nicely for any one of the above
reasons.
Saturday I leave for Cuers, Monday for Brignoles, then on to Frejus,
Grasse, Cannes and Nice. Today I have a conference at our parish in
Sauvebonne.
I am exhausted; yet we have to pay our debts. I have sent Father Dalmazzo
five thousand lire and hope to send you something too.
God bless us all. Continue praying for me.
Yours affectionately in Jesus Christ,
Fr. John Bosco
In his second letter he gives instructions for the conference to be
soon held in Genoa and tells the new director what he hopes to find on
his arrival.
'34See pp. 311f. [Editor]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
My dear Father Belmonte:
La Navarre, March 3, 1882
Read over the enclosed letter, seal and deliver it to the archbishop, and then
work out future details with him. If he asks what was done in the past, tell him
that we absorbed the deficit which Don Bosco tried to pay off. This year,
however, other commitments make that impossible. Be careful to get his
consent and then talk the problem over with the parish priest of his choice. See
him morning or evening, when [Lenten] sermons are not in progress.
Send me your reply at Nice as soon as possible and I will take care of the
rest. God bless you and all our dear family at Sampierdarena! Tell all that I
especially ask them to have their house in good order when I visit Sampier-
darena at the end of the month-the confreres observing their rules and doing
their work, the students relentlessly fighting the devil, the artisans giving good
example. God bless us all and keep us in His holy grace.
Yours affectionately in Jesus Christ,
Fr. John Bosco
P. S. Regards to Madame Ghiglini. Tell her that I do not forget to pray for
her in my daily Mass and hope to find her in excellent health.
We have no information about every stop listed by Don Bosco in his
letter to Father Rua. At Sauvebonne those who flocked from the neigh-
boring countryside to attend the meeting noted a change in Don Bosco
from the previous year-his French had improved. He became the talk
of the town by an original toast he proposed. One of the prominent
farmers gave him a dinner attended by his neighbors. Cordiality and
good humor prevailed at table. After several toasts, Don Bosco also
arose and asked to speak. Haltingly he told them that his message was
somewhat out of place. All protested and urged him to go on. "Well,
you will forgive me," he went on, "if, after a few drinks, I may stray a
little from the beaten path. Let me tell you what went through my mind
as I saw around me the leading homesteaders of this valley. I thought
that Sauvebonne should have a special role in building La Navarre
Orphanage, whose cornerstone we blessed yesterday. It should be your
prerogative to crown this edifice. I feel you would take great pride in
putting a roof over the heads of our orphans. So my proposal is that you
finance the roof of the new building. What do you say?"
"We accept!" was the unanimous reply.
"In that case," Don Bosco replied, lifting his glass, "I drink to the
roof of La Navarre Orphanage and to its generous donors!"

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On the evening of March 4 he was greeted by a joyful crowd at
Cuers. He had planned to stay there only twenty-four hours, but such
was the flow of his visitors that he could not leave until the morning of
the 6th. From Cuers he went to Brignoles, where he received a similar
welcome. In both towns he held an evening meeting to help Salesian
work and after Mass the following morning recommended the Sacred
Heart Church [in Rome] to their charity. In February 1891 a lady of
Brignoles35 wrote to Father Michael Rua concerning his visit: "We
stood very close to him. He was calm and tranquil despite the vast
crowd waiting to speak with him. He blessed my entire family and
played lovingly with my sons, teasing them to find the medals he had
hidden in his hand. When I said that I wished I could do something for
his work, he answered, 'My little birds are hungry, and it takes a lot to
feed them!' I promised I would do my share, and since then I have
made underclothing and sent it to La Navarre. From time to time I
collect funds for my parish priest to send to La Navarre or to Saint-Cyr.
My only regret is that I am not richer to donate more."
This same lady tells us that Don Bosco was then barely known at
Brignoles, his visit having been poorly publicized. Yet she was sur-
prised to see the church jammed with people when Don Bosco as-
cended the pulpit to speak about his work. Such a crowd may well have
never before been seen in that church. The collection that day
amounted to twelve hundred francs, whereas the usual annual church
collections barely brought in more than sixty to a hundred and twenty
francs. The next morning after Mass Don Bosco spoke about the
Sacred Heart Church in Rome, and the collection was close to four
hundred francs, even though the second collection had not been an-
nounced and the church was far from full. This the good lady called
"prodigious."
At five o'clock on the evening of March 7 Don Bosco arrived in
Frejus, and from there went to Nice, arriving at midday of the 8th. St.
Pierre's Hospice was still enjoying a reputation for excellence in the
entire city. Mr. Beaulieu gave a report at the general assembly of the
Society of St. Vincent de Paul, meeting in the bishop's residence.
While telling the bishop and some seventy members about the institu-
tions benefiting financially from the Society over the past year, he
35Madame Lambot-Miraval to Father Rua, Brignoles, February 22, 1891. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
digressed to say, "No sooner do I say 'hospice' than my thoughts
immediately run to Don Bosco's hospice. It is not up to me to speak of
it here, but I cannot forego the pleasure of hailing it if only in passing.
St. Pierre's Hospice keeps making even more impressive strides. A
saint's work brooks no obstacles, and you will mark its growth despite
the hindrances that block it. " 36 Two days after this magnificent ovation,
Don Bosco made a triumphal entry into the hospice. It is a pity that our
archives have nothing telling us about his stay there.
One incident, however, has come to us from the diocesan process for
Don Bosco's beatification,37 attested to by Father Julius Barberis, who
stated that he knew the witness quite well and had heard the entire
account from him. A youth unknown to Don Bosco approached him in
the playground. Don Bosco looked at him, put his index finger up to
the boy's forehead and very softly said, "There is something inside
here which I don't like. Come later and see me in my room." The boy
went to see Don Bosco, who disclosed all his innermost thoughts. So
shaken was the young man that he radically changed his way of life and
became a Salesian and later a craftsmaster in one of the Salesian
houses in France.
The travel plans Don Bosco sent to Father Rua included Grasse and
Cannes. We have no information concerning Grasse; of Cannes we
have the report of an incident which most probably belongs to this
year. 38 After Don Bosco's conference, an English woman in her twen-
ties went up to him and said: "I hear that you perform many miraculous
cures. My father, a physician, sent me to the best known doctors of
England and Paris, but their treatments have done me no good." Don
Bosco replied that he personally did not heal anyone, having scant
knowledge of medicine, and that it was Our Lady, Help of Christians,
the Mother of Jesus Christ, who granted such favors and miracles.
The young woman then insisted that she too would love to obtain
such a favor through Mary, Help of Christians, but that she feared her
36Report on the Activities of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in Nice, St. Pierre's Hospice,
1882, p. 18. In 1883, on the golden jubilee of the Society's foundation in Nice, an historic
publication detailing Don Bosco's relations with the Society appeared entitled Notices historiques
des Conferences et d'Oeuvres de Saint-Vincent de Paul a Nice depuis lafondation en 1844 jusqu'
a 1883 annee des noces d' or de la Societe. [Author]
31Summarium, n. 17, De donis supernaturalibus, etc. [Author]
38The incident was reported orally by Father Charles Moro to Father John Baptist Lemoyne
who put it down in writing. [Author]

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prayers would go unheeded because she was a Protestant. Would he
kindly pray for her instead? Don Bosco cheered her by saying: "Protes-
tant or not, put your faith and firm hope in the Mother of God. It is for
this reason that I give out medals of Her. Here is one for you. Pray to
Mary, Help of Christians for nine days and you will be cured."
Just days later her father called on Don Bosco in Nice to thank him
and say that his daughter had been completely healed and that he was
ready to pay any sum he chose to name. Don Bosco replied that he
sought nothing for himself; it was the Blessed Virgin Mary, he said,
who had cured his daughter. If he wanted to make an offering for the
poor lads in his homes supported by goodwill donations, he would
gladly and graciously accept it-not for himself, he repeated, but for
the needy destitute lads. The gentleman gave him five thousand gold
francs.
Another miraculous recovery which occurred shortly before was that
of a daughter of Marchioness Gaudemarie of Lyons. The girl, ill for a
number of years, had been transported half dead from Lyons to Cannes
in the hope that the mild climate would ease her pains during the winter
months, but she soon worsened so badly that by March her family
feared her imminent death. In her peril she asked for Don Bosco's
blessing, and with it he gave her a medal of Mary, Help of Christians.
No sooner did she take it than she immediately began to improve, and
on the feast of Mary, Help of Christians she felt so well that she
personally went to Turin to thank Our Lady at Her church. 39
However, the following incident is the one which stirred the most
excitement. After dinner with a host family, Don Bosco went to visit
the Sacred Heart Orphanage [in Cannes]. As soon as he entered, he
met a woman weeping uncontrollably. For three days she had been
tormented by a toothache. Don Bosco gave her a blessing and a medal
of Mary, Help of Christians. Then, his visit concluded, he went to
speak to the Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians. On arriving he
found the courtyard jammed with carriages and countless servants in
livery. On entering the convent, he was greeted by a most extraordinary
sight. People rushed toward him, threw themselves upon their knees
and begged for his blessing. There were the crippled, the blind, deaf
mutes, paralytics, victims of tuberculosis and of every sort of disease,
39Bollettino Salesiano, June 1882. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
who alternately wept, laughed, and shouted while Don Bosco gave
them his blessing. Why did such a motley crowd gather in the sisters'
convent? As soon as Sister Superior managed to get near Father
Ronchail, she told him, "Miss Rohland is inside and wishes to speak to
Don Bosco." The mystery began to unfold, but we must first go back a
few steps.
Four days earlier Don Bosco had visited the Bel Air Tourist Home,
owned by Protestants and run for a Protestant clientele, to call on a
Miss Rohland, a twenty-two year old Polish girl who with her brother
and a lady companion were the only Catholics in the place. Miss
Rohland had been afflicted with a back problem for well over two
years, unable to move, let alone walk; she had to be carried from
armchair to bed, from bed to armchair. When asked to bless her, Don
Bosco agreed and suggested that she say certain prayers until a certain
day, probably until the feast day of St. Peter. On leaving he told her,
"You will recover in proportion to your faith."
"I have a very firm faith!" she replied.
"If you have faith, you will recover," Don Bosco repeated.
Curious to know what a Catholic priest would be doing in a Protes-
tant tourist home, the guests soon found out about him, had a good
laugh at the blessing and hope of recovery, and ridiculed Catholic
superstition. These were not low class people; one of them was a
preacher.
This happened on Thursday, March 17. The next Saturday, very
early in the morning, Miss Rohland's attendant nurse heard footsteps in
the young lady's room, and, fearing that a thief might have broken in,
peeked into the room. She saw the sick girl walking about, cautiously
leaning on a cane. Overwhelmed, the nurse screamed wildly. The
preacher was the first to rush to the room, fearing that the girl had
suffered a mishap, but when he saw her walking by herself he stood
rooted to the spot. Moments later all the guests gathered in her room,
overwhelmed by astonishment, while the young lady joyously kept
telling everyone, "I am cured."
At that moment Don Bosco was celebrating Mass for the Daughters
of Mary, Help of Christians. The young lady asked her brother to fetch
him but not tell him what had happened. Word got back to her that Don
Bosco was about to leave for Nice but would return to speak to the
same sisters on Monday, March 21, at three o'clock. That afternoon, at

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half-past two, the young lady went to the convent walking effortlessly
while all watched her. Her acquaintances could not believe their eyes
when they saw her crossing the square, but news of the miracle and of
Don Bosco's return to the convent had spread throughout the city, and
that explained the presence of so many people, well and ill, at the
sisters' convent.
On receiving the above mentioned message, Don Bosco went to
meet the young lady, who walked up to him, but, setting his eyes on
her, he seemed perturbed and asked, "Why are you here?"
"I came to thank you for my cure and listen to you speak."
"No, no! Go back home! You may not be entirely healed yet and
suffer a serious relapse. It was unwise for you to come."
"But I am perfectly cured, I tell you!"
"Are you not afraid to tempt God?"
"No, not at all! As for that, both of us have already tempted Him a
good deal!"
After sermon and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, Don Bosco
had but three quarters of an hour before departing for Nice. He was so
pressed by the crowd that Father Ronchail had to use all his ingenuity
and strength to clear a path for him through the crowd. Don Bosco
seemed quite beside himself. Many men who wished to give him more
alms pushed their way through to him as best they could and thrust
bank notes into his hands. Father Ronchail had to collect the money
lest it be trampled or lost.
As the crowd thinned and he stood by the door, the woman who had
been afflicted by a toothache came up to him, joyously and loudly
proclaiming that the pain had immediately left her after Don Bosco's
blessing. Word spread throughout the house and once more enthusiasm
ran high, and again Don Bosco was hemmed in. Father Ronchail had to
strive with all his might to wrest him from the clutches of so many
people thronging about him. All the while, seemingly bewildered and
struggling for breath, Don Bosco kept repeating softly: "Blessed be
God in all things!"
By God's grace they got to the railway station, where Father
Ronchail had just enough time to push Don Bosco inside a railway
coach before the train began to move. For a while Don Bosco was still
dazed; then, slowly coming to himself, he inquired, "What hap-
pened?" Father Ronchail briefly reminded him of the two cures, and

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
Don Bosco bowed his head, his eyes welling with tears, and kept
repeating: "Blessed be God in all things!"40
They finally arrived at Nice. During the process [of Don Bosco's
beatification] Father Rua testified that two months after Miss Rohland's
cure, he saw her in Turin on a pilgrimage on the feast of Mary, Help of
Christians just as she had promised Don Bosco.
Father Bologna, whose testimony comes up but once in the docu-
ments of this period, makes another appearance in this very interesting
letter written to him by Don Bosco on his name day:
Nice, March 19, 1892
Feast of St. Joseph
Dearest Father Bologna:
These are the first words I am able to write to you over the past two months.
I received and answered Madame Prat's letter. She reaffirms her promise to
donate fifteen thousand francs at Easter and twenty thousand in September,
and you can rely on her. Pay frequent visits to Miss Du Gaz, but do not ask for
a donation; just mention that little by little you are paying off your debts.
I regret that we were unable to talk about your community or the Congregation.
Here are a few notes which I would like you to pass on to Father Albera:
1. When the provincial stays in any of our houses, he has the director's
authority even when the latter is present. The vice-director41 takes the direc-
tor's place, as at Alassio42 and carries out all the latter's duties, but always in
agreement with the provincial.
2. The provincial is especially responsible for the moral, religious, intellec-
tual, scholastic and physical well-being of the Salesian confreres. He must
therefore give spiritual talks, receive the confreres' monthly spiritual self-
appraisals, hear their confessions and so on.
3. The care of the Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians is also the
provincial's concern.
40Qur archives have a later account of this incident by Father Ronchail. However, his memory
failed him. He assigned this episode to 1881, while it certainly took place in 1882. There is a brief
mention of it in La Gazzette du Midi of March 27-28, 1882 in a news item from Cannes dated
March 25; furthermore, the June issue of the Bollettino Salesiano in 1882 speaks of the young
lady's visit to Turin for the feast of Mary, Help of Christians, remarking that she had been cured
during the previous month of March. The Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians religiously
cherish an amice used by Don Bosco when he celebrated Mass in their chapel. [Author]
41This was the director's title in the provincial house. Source: Epistolario di San Giovanni
Bosco, Vol. IV, pp. 121f, Letter 2277, footnote 2. [Editor]
42The provincial house of the Ligurian province. See Vol. XIV, p. 25. [Editor]

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4. This structure will enable the director of the house to attend to the
complex management of St. Leo's Oratory.
5. The basic rule in everything is that the director should often confer
patiently and amiably with the provincial on all matters.
I have no time to write to Father Albera, so pass this information on to him.
Once you have both carefully read over these things, send me in writing the
observations you consider pertinent and necessary for the smooth running of
this house, which is to be a model for all other Salesian houses.
Call on Madame Brouchier, tell her that I remember her at my daily Mass
and that she must also pray much for me.
God bless you, my ever dear Father Bologna. God bless you, Father Albera,
all the confreres, Borghi and all the pupils.
Yours affectionately in Jesus Christ,
Fr. John Bosco43
While in Nice, he did not forget to send his usual good wishes to
Mrs. Matilda Sigismondi in Rome.
Dear Mrs. Sigismondi,44
Nice, March 1882
Happy name day. This must be a short note, but I remember you very often.
God grant you good health and keep you always in His holy grace! I hope to
pay my respects personally, my worthy friend, to you and my beloved Alex-
ander and your honorable family at Torre de' Specchi by the beginning of
April. God bless you all.
Yours affectionately in Jesus Christ,
Fr. John Bosco
His time to leave France drawing near, he was planning to go directly
to Rome, and so he wrote a fatherly letter to Father Berto asking him to
go from the Oratory to take over from his French secretary.
43Before leaving Marseille he had jotted down these items for Father Bologna:
Windows and dumbwaiter between kitchen and dining room.
Coffee and milk for breakfast.
Bread only for the midaftemoon snack.
Regular chapter meetings.
Students are not to attend outside theology courses.
44Her name day, feast of St. Matilda, was observed on March 14. [Editor]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
My dear Father Berto:
Nice, March 19, 1882
God willing, I shall set out for Italy toward the end of this week, and
therefore I need you, my Italian secretary. I don't know your state of health
because I haven't heard from you, but I do wish you to do this for me,
provided your chest is not giving you trouble and you have no other ailment. I
have no time to write more. Answer me at Nice.
My regards to my two friends Franchino and Father Ottonello.45
God bless you, my ever beloved Father Berto! May He grant you good
health so you can help me work for His greater glory.
Pray for me!
Always your affectionately in Jesus Christ,
Fr. John Bosco
Don Bosco did not list Menton in his itinerary, but we know that he
stopped one day there after leaving Nice. He was hosted by Saint-
Genest, a well-known French journalist, in his Villa lmberti. As we
stated before, Don Bosco used to visit the more popular spots along the
Cote d'Azur because they were the winter resorts of the wealthy, both
French and others, from whom he was able to draw substantial funds.
We think he most likely came to know Saint-Genest through Count
[Joseph] Du Bourg, whom he had met at Toulouse; both gentlemen had
close ties to the De Maistre family. In 1883 Saint-Genest visited the
Oratory hoping to see Don Bosco, who was then in Paris. From Turin
the journalist sent a long article to Le Figaro,46 of which we quote one
passage, quite apropos of this chapter. The journalist thus recorded his
first meeting with Don Bosco: "When I first hosted Don Bosco I was
not lucky enough to know the caliber of the man I was honored to
meet, but the people certainly knew him, for, as soon as he arrived at
Villa lmberti, they were massing at the gate to ask for his blessing. I
must admit that at first I was not impressed by the holy man's ap-
pearance and demeanor. But Don Bosco is not one to impress you right
away. In a group of conversationalists he is the last to come forward.
His struggling French causes him to be easily overshadowed. Then bit
by bit, certain words uttered in an undertone flash from him. They
45See p. 456. [Editor]
46The Paris newspaper published it in its issue of May 18, 1883 under the title "Dom Bosco."
[Author]

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Two Months of 1882 in Southern France
429
become more dazzling. Soon all there focus on him. Then those who
gaze upon his countenance see him as a man created by God for a
mission [...]. One is struck by the finesse of his smile, his knowing
eye, his aura of exquisite kindness, his indomitable will. "
The fact that Don Bosco was the object of such admiration from so
many outstanding members of the French nobility must have worried
some overzealous police officers who seem to have brought this to the
attention of the republican government, provoking measures against
him. Indeed a Paris correspondent of a Turin anti-clerical journal
cabled his paper:47 "Paris, April 24, 5 P.M. Government issued order to
police of Nimes, Toulouse and Marseille to keep surveillance over
Father John Bosco of Turin, who, pretending to collect funds in France
for a monument to Pius IX, has met with the leaders of the reactionary
party for political reasons. " This surveillance was ordered too late for
anything to be done, because investigating the charges and tracking his
movements took too much time. It was like chasing a hare with a
coach. But so unconcerned about French surveillance was Don Bosco
that in 1883, on returning to France, he resumed his conferences under
the very eyes of the suspicious authorities, in broad daylight, under the
Paris sun. 48
47La Gazzetta del Popolo, April 25, 1882. L'Unita Cattolica replied with a sharp retort on the
26th. The article was reprinted in the May issue of the Bollettino Salesiano. [Author]
48Tbis anecdote provided Professor Alexander Fabre, former Oratory pupil, with a theme for
his comic address, later printed, which he delivered at the annual meeting of former pupils. It is
entitled La Politica di Don Bosco [Don Bosco's Politics]. Crediting with mock seriousness the
charge that Don Bosco was a politician, a charge also launched against him by the Turin news-
papers, the author remarked at one point: ''And we? ... Thrice foolish were we who lived so
many years with this man of mystery, drinking in his kind words thousands of times without ever
unmasking his secret manipulation of the shady politics which trouble the great of this earth. How
pitiful were we whose eyes were closed to all this! How stupid we were for having believed and
for still believing that Don Bosco's only politics consisted in finding some way to keep the
Oratory's soup kettle well stocked, to attract hundreds of cooperators to help him in the worrisome
care of the Lord's very trying and vast apostolate and keep them always alert and self-giving. His
political goals were to imbue the hearts of thousands and thousands of pupils-who came, stayed,
and left his home of blessing and peace with a saving fear of evil-with an unselfish love of good,
a wholesome wisdom of life, a healthy freedom to be oneself. Thrice stupid indeed, I repeat, were
we for having no idea that all this show of goodness meant nothing more to Don Bosco than an
assured way of attaining his political goals!" [Author]

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CHAPTER 17
Don Bosco's Journey Through Liguria
and Back to Turin Through Romagna
FOR Don Bosco 1882 was a year of conferences with Sale-
sian cooperators and well-wishers. In France he had held many more
than the three conferences which we have recorded. Then, recrossing
the Alps, he returned to Italy, holding conferences in eight cities, never
wearying of reminding the faithful to give "what is over and above" in
alms. On returning eventually to Piedmont, he again "in season and
out of season" proclaimed the same theme. No other saint has devoted
so much time and energy to preaching publicly and privately the grave
duty of giving alms, and of giving alms not in the measure set by one's
own self-interests, but to the extent which one's means will allow. For
well over forty years this was a genuine ministry which he exercised in
countless ways, putting aside all human embarrassment. We must hon-
estly say that it was truly blessed by God, who, as it is only too
evident, intervened by miraculous signs to lend efficacy to his words.
So worn out was he on his return to Italy that he had to rest a day or
two at the home of Mrs. [Frances] Ghiglini. 1 There on March 30 he
met with Father Berto and Father Lazzero, who had arrived at Sampier-
darena the evening before. The latter had some office memos for him
from Father Rua; Father Bonetti had preceded them2 with some rather
sensitive business matters, since Don Bosco planned to go straight on
to Rome.
While in Genoa he finalized plans for a cooperators' conference, the
first ever held in the capital of Liguria. He alerted the cooperators with
a simple flyer dated March 29 from Sampierdarena. "Several times the
cooperators of Liguria," he wrote, "have heard or read of meetings
1See p. 379. [Editor]
2See Chapter 6. [Author]
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Don Rosco's Journey Through Liguria and Back to Turin
431
held in various places for Salesian cooperators. This year we are over-
joyed to invite you to such a special meeting on March 30 at St. Sirus'
Church in Genoa." The invitation was also extended, he noted, to
anyone interested in this charitable association, and the collection
would benefit St. Vincent's Hospice, then in financial straits.
That day Archbishop Salvatore Magnasco of Genoa cordially invited
him to lunch at his residence. He was accompanied by Father Bonetti,
who stayed by his side until late evening, jotting notes and rushing to
the presses of the Bollettino Salesiano a full account of the day's events
for the coming April issue.
The archbishop personally escorted Don Bosco to the cathedral in
his own carriage. The church was jammed. The conference had been
announced by Genoa's Catholic paper, Il Cittadino, and the Lenten
preachers also had spoken of it from their pulpits. As was his wont and
as he continued regularly to do, he followed a set program. The gist of
his talk was as follows. It is God's will that we all have concern for our
neighbor. Today those in saddest need of this care are poor and aban-
doned youngsters. We can help them with festive oratories, night
schools for young workers, free day schools, Sunday school classes,
charitable institutions and, above all, hospices. He then spoke of the
history and needs of St. Vincent's Hospice [in Sampierdarena], of
one's duty to give alms, and how much. Since this aspect made the
strongest impression we reproduce the precis of his talk which ap-
peared in the April Bollettino Salesiano.
The poor were created by God to gain heaven by resignation and patience,
the rich to be saved by charity and almsgiving. Some people believe that they
may keep for themselves all the wealth God has granted them and that they
may hoard it, invest it, or use it as they wish without sharing a fraction of it
with the needy. Others think they have done their duty when they give small
change or, rarely and reluctantly, perform a work of mercy. This is self-
deception. Jesus Christ commands us to give alms. Quod superest, date
eleemosynam [Give that which remains as alms]. What kind of alms? Give
what you do not honestly need for your own befitting sustenance.
Let no one claim that this is a mere counsel, not a commandment. Gospel in
hand, I reply that, yes, it is a counsel to give up everything to become
voluntarily poor, as do religious, but it is a command to give in alms what is
over and above: Quod superest, date eleemosynam. These words are not mine
but those of Jesus Christ, our judge, whose tribunal cannot be trivialized with
excuses and specious arguments.

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
That almsgiving is not merely a counsel but a command, as the Lord
demonstrates very particularly in the parable of Dives and Lazarus. There was
once a rich man, He tells us, who spent his money on lavish banquets and
luxurious garments; at the same time there was a beggar who kept pleading in
vain for something to still his hunger. After some time they both died. The
poor man was borne by angels to Abraham's bosom; the rich man died too, but
what happened to him? Let's hear it from the lips of Jesus Himself: the rich
man also died and was buried in hell. What was his sin? Was he perhaps a
blasphemer or a dishonest man? Might he have been unfair and a thief? All
that the Gospel tells us is that he basked in his riches and would share none of
it with poor Lazarus. "He used to clothe himself in purple and fine linen and
feasted every day in splendid fashion." What else do we need to make us
realize that God expects the rich to give alms and to show compassion for the
poor at any cost?
Perhaps some of you may say, "These are very weighty and frightening
words." I agree with you and regret I had to bring them up to you who
probably don't need to hear them. I would rather have said them to others, not
here present, who squander a fortune on buying and keeping teams of magnif-
icent coach horses when they could save that money without cutting back too
severely on the decorum proper to their station. I am thinking of certain ladies
and gentlemen who spend a fortune on dinners and suppers, wardrobes,
soirees, dances, entertainment and so on, whereas, were they to live a more
Christian life, they might ease so many miseries, dry so many tears, and save
so many souls. These are the people who need to have Jesus Christ's terrible
words dinned into their ears: "The rich man died and was buried in hell." But
I must remind you only of God's comforting promise to the compassionate
who use their goods in a Christian manner and sponsor and support charitable
causes. "Give and it shall be given to you," says the Lord. And what shall He
give you? A hundredfold in this life, and life everlasting in the next.
In closing he told them of the special papal blessing he would impart
to all present and of the Pope's wish that Catholics should bestir them-
selves to make sacrifices and support religious and charitable undertak-
ings; he reminded them too that some city and diocesan works of
charity were dying for lack of funds, to the utter grief of their arch-
bishop. Wealth, he explained, should be seen as a key to open the gates
of either heaven or hell. He urged his listeners to use their riches well
so that at the moment of death their wealth might vouch for them and
win them a welcome into an everlasting dwelling.
The collection was taken up by members of the Gioventu Cattolica
[Catholic Youth Movement]. Don Bosco had hardly stepped off the

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433
pulpit when he was hemmed in by people who jostled their way to kiss
his hand or have a word with him, while others fell to their knees and
begged a blessing. Back in the sacristy he spent two hours with people
who rushed to see and speak with him. Before leaving, the archbishop
went to congratulate him and express his best wishes. The collection
brought in more than a thousand lire, and in addition he was personally
given more than two thousand.
Keeping his promise, he celebrated community Mass for his bene-
factors at Sampierdarena on the morning of the 31st. A crowd flocked
to attend and receive Communion. Later he was mobbed in the sacristy
until midday, and after lunch he continued receiving people until night-
fall. We single out two of his visitors.
The first was a canon of Genoa, who, feeling that Don Bosco's
teaching on almsgiving was too severe and that an open discussion
would be to their mutual benefit, called on him. The meeting dragged
on endlessly as lines of people in the hallway, tired of waiting, began to
grumble and appealed to Father Belmonte, .the director. At intervals,
sticking his head into Don Bosco 's room as a hint that others were
waiting to get in, he could see the canon sitting, head bowed, seem-
ingly overwhelmed by Don Bosco's reasoning. Finally he came out, so
confused that he lost his sense of direction and mistook both the door
and the stairway. Most courteously Father Belmonte walked up to him
and gently escorted him all the way to the exit. On taking leave, the
canon gave him a generous donation.
The second visitor was a good Capuchin friar for whom this matter
of almsgiving had serious repercussions. Don Bosco knew that he was
confessor to a very wealthy elderly Genoese nobleman who had no
heirs. "Why doesn't this gentleman give alms in proportion to his
means?" Don Bosco asked.
"He does. He gives twenty thousand lire a year to help the poor,"
the priest answered.
"Is that all? If he meant to obey Christ's command to give alms
according to his riches, he would have to give more than one hundred
thousand lire. What does he plan to do with his money?"
"I realize that, but I can't convince him to give more."
"Still he must recognize his duty and carry it out."
"I don't know how to change his mind. What would you do in my
place?"
"I would tell him that I don't intend to go to hell because of him, and

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
that if he wants to, he can go by himself. Then I'd tell him he has to
give alms in proportion to his wealth, or otherwise I'd no longer be
responsible for his soul. "
"I'll tell him that," the friar answered.
He was true to his word. Having known the nobleman for over
twenty years, he did not feel in the least embarrassed to discuss the
matter with him, but the old man lent him a deaf ear and, taking
offense at his Gospel frankness, dismissed him as his confessor.
Another episode occurring that fall makes Don Bosco's thought all
the clearer. A certain Mr. Borgo, a contractor and very close friend of
Don Bosco, was a regular contributor to St. Vincent Hospice; in fact,
he had loaned sums of money interest-free, had drawn up building
plans without charge, and for two years had supervised construction
work without payment. He preserved at home all the jewelry and
expensive clothing which had belonged to his wife, deceased now
some twenty years. He happened to mention this when chatting with
Don Bosco, remarking also that he was more than usually anxious to
have prayers said for the repose of his wife's soul.
"Well, then," Don Bosco remarked, "what are you doing with all
those things in your home? They are of no use there when we have such
a crying need to help the poor."
"What should I do with them?"
"Donate them to the hospice. That is the best prayer for your wife's
soul."
Mr. Borgo walked away, disturbed and deeply moved. He was reluc-
tant to make such a sacrifice. He walked about, lost in thought, and
then returned home, but he could not forget Don Bosco's words. In-
deed, for very many good cooperators one word from Don Bosco was
God's word! In situations like the above or whenever they sought his
advice or discussed their future or past with him, he would concentrate
for a moment and then concisely express his opinion in words which
had the tone of a divine oracle. Some days passed, and Mr. Borgo,
learning that Don Bosco was again at Sampierdarena after a short visit
to the Salesian house at La Spezia, brought all his wife's jewelry and
clothes to St. Vincent's Hospice. From their sale Father Belmonte
realized a total of five thousand lire. 3
3Don Bosco went to Liguria in the fall to preside at the annual spiritual retreat, as we learn
from two letters in the last chapter of this volume. This is the only episode we know about this
stay of his. [Author]

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435
On April 3 Don Bosco left Sampierdarena for Camogli where he was
holding another conference. His two close friends, Father Sebastian
Paladino and Chevalier Bozzo, had arranged with the vicar forane,
Father Candia, for Don Bosco to spend a day there with them before
going on to La Spezia. He could not refuse.
He was moved at the touching welcome. Camogli is a tiny hamlet
perched on a rocky ridge overlooking the sea. Some hundred young
boys were playing on the beach, but as soon as they saw him arrive at
the village square by the waterfront, they ceased their games and raced
to him, crowding about him, kissing his hand and chatting with him
with the utmost ease and trust as if with an old friend. Doubtless they
knew who this priest was. Still, it was a marvelous thing to see how
they followed him about and gazed up at him in rapture. Such a
welcome is all the more surprising because Ligurians do not so easily
warm up to people; even young children usually look upon strangers
with disinterest. Don Bosco enjoyed every moment of their youthful
enthusiasm.
That afternoon he visited the shrine of the Madonna del Boschetto
[Our Lady of the Copse], deferring the conference to late evening when
most people would be able to attend. However, all were so eager to see
and hear Don Bosco that they could not wait for the set time, and very
soon the beautiful church was crowded. The rosary was recited and the
Litany of Our Lady sung. Then, as Father Belmonte4 wrote, "Our
dearly beloved father spoke from the pulpit. He was noticeably moved
on seeing such a crowd breathlessly hanging on every word from his
lips. The children were particularly attentive, entranced as it were by
Don Bosco's words."
In substance he repeated the message he had given in Genoa, prefac-
ing his talk with words of praise for the vicar forane and his associates,
who took such pastoral care of the parish and of the Salesian cooper-
ators. He thanked them and urged them to continue their efforts. Then
he detailed the meaning of "cooperator," described the perils facing
youths, and told of what evil people were doing to lead them astray. He
went on to tell of the origins of the Oratory, stressing the need of
recreational centers, and from there he spoke of Salesian houses, their
number and their efforts to train young men for arts and trades, the
military service, higher education and the priesthood. All of this, he
4Letter to Father Bonetti, Camogli, April 4, 1882. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
reminded them, was a very expensive undertaking, and, thanking them
for their past generosity, he asked for their continued help. There too
he closed his talk by reminding them of the duty of almsgiving.
Thankful for the collection they gave him, he promised to offer Mass
the following morning for the local Salesian cooperators, and he said a
few words about the Sacred Heart Church in Rome. As on the previous
evening, the people flocked to his morning Mass. After relating the
history of the Sacred Heart Church, he went on to tell them of the need
to annex a hospice to accommodate five hundred boys in that neigh-
borhood, faced with the grave danger of losing their faith. He spoke of
his own personal knowledge of Protestant recreation centers frequented
by flocks of boys and girls whom he thought Protestants, but they were
Catholics, drawn there by handouts of food, clothing, and pocket
money. "If we stand idly by," he cautioned, "Rome, the world's Cath-
olic capital, will become a stronghold of Protestantism. It is imper-
ative, therefore, that concerned Catholics unite to build this church and
hospice for the benefit of underprivileged youngsters. "5 A good sized
collection was taken up.
"Here as elsewhere," Father Belmonte wrote, "people consider Don
Bosco a saint, flocking to see him and kiss his hand as he passes by."
Father Berto's diary contains this entry: "It was truly a triumph for the
faith! Wherever Don Bosco went, he drew crowds of men, women and
children from all walks of life, each longing to have a word with him
and receive his blessing." Father Lemoyne takes note of the testimony
of Father Luxardo, rector of the shrine of Our Lady of the Copse and
former Oratory pupil, who witnessed three healings obtained by Don
Bosco while visiting the sick. A consumptive woman and another lady
suffering from an incurable progressive nervous disorder were healed
through a novena to Our Lady prescribed by Don Bosco. The third
healing was of a certain Mrs. Bono, afflicted with paralysis of both
arms and and hands. Don Bosco asked her to make the Sign of the
Cross, but she protested that she could not. He repeated his request.
"But I can't," the sufferer replied. Don Bosco asked others to lift her
right hand to her forehead and shoulders, signing her with the cross.
They did so easily, and she immediately regained full use of both arms
for the rest of her life.
SAbove-quoted letter. [Author]

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437
Resuming his trip, Don Bosco went to La Spezia, where he gave two
talks in the new chapel jammed with people, one on the evening of
April 4, the other the following morning. On the 6th, Holy Thursday,
he heard confessions of the boys and staff, said Mass for them only,
and all received Communion. Leaving for Lucca after midday he met
the house's director, Father [John] Marenco, at Pisa.
How Lucca's Holy Cross Festive Oratory had grown! Just two years
before6 everyone was praying for a boarding school and workshops,
and now they had a home for over a hundred boarders, students and
artisans. But applications kept pouring in, and facilities had to be
enlarged. Such bright prospects prompted Don Bosco 's opening re-
marks in his conference to the Salesian cooperators on Holy Saturday,
in which he appealed for everybody's help for this and other Salesian
works. Coming to the nitty-gritty, he said:7
"Suppose you have an income of one thousand lire, and you can live
comfortably on eight hundred; the other two hundred come under the
category of 'Give alms.'
" 'But how about an unforeseen crisis,' you may ask, 'a bad crop, a
business failure?'
"Who can assure you that you will still be alive then? Besides, do
you think that God who assists you now will abandon you, particularly
if you have been generous for His sake? I say that one who does not
give of his surplus is stealing from God and, as St. Paul says, 'will not
possess the kingdom of God.'
"'But my home is a modest one,' you may say. 'I have to replace my
shabby and outdated furniture.'
"Well, let me take a look at it. I see some very elegant furnishings,
costly dinnerware, a usable rug. Couldn't you forego replacing these
articles? Instead of embellishing your floor and walls, put clothes on
the backs of so many needy boys who are also members of Christ's
body and God's very temple. I see also gold and silver jewelry, orna-
ments studded with diamonds.
"'But those are heirlooms,' you tell me.
"Are you waiting for a thief to walk off with them? You neither use
them nor need them. Then sell them, and give the money to the poor;
you will be giving it to Jesus Christ and will earn a heavenly crown.
6See Vol. XIV, pp. 376ff. [Editor]
1Bollettino Salesiano, May 1882. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
Thus you will neither impoverish yourselves nor deprive yourselves of
necessities. And what is in that strongbox?
"'Nothing,' you say.
"Really? Let's see.
"'Just a few thousand gold French coins I am holding on to in case
of grave illness,' you say. 'Besides, one of my neighbors is a nuisance,
and I'd like to buy up his land and improve the looks of my own
estate.'
"This, I tell you, is superfluous, and you are duty-bound to take that
money which is helping no one and use it as Jesus Christ has told us.
Do you still intend to keep it? Then listen: the devil will come and tum
that money into a key to open the gates of hell for you. To avert such a
misfortune, do as St. Lawrence did and help the poor. Sharing your
wealth with the needy is like giving it to the angels, who will make of it
a key to open heaven's gates to you at your death."
This excerpt, carried in the Bollettino Salesiano, upset a vicar forane
in Emilia,8 who very respectfully wrote his objections to Don Bosco.9
He felt that the specific cases he had presented did not seem to accord
with the prevalent doctrine of very trustworthy moral theologians,
including St. Alphonsus Liguori. "I fully appreciate," he wrote, "that
a sacred preacher who has so much at heart the salvation of souls and
the cause of the poor cannot speak with mathematical precision and
therefore has to employ rhetorical devices to bring home his message,
but even then I feel he must not deviate from the ambit of truth. This
holds all the more in this case when the preacher is unquestionably so
pious and eloquent that he can rely on countless other expedients better
able to produce the same results." He also expressed concern that ill-
intentioned people might dare misrepresent Don Bosco's words or that
inexperienced confessors might be misled by them. Hence his letter.
Don Bosco delayed to answer, but answer he did. His reply shows that
he had forgotten that the talk the priest objected to was the one he had
given in Lucca.
Dear Father:
Turin, June 30, 1882
I am sorry I did not answer the letter which you so kindly sent me concern-
ing my talk on almsgiving in Genoa. I was short of time, but now I believe that
8A region in northern Italy. [Editor]
9Father Raphael Veronesi, Montebudello near Pdzzano (Bologna), May 26, 1882. [Author]

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I must write not just a letter but an article or perhaps a series of articles for the
Bollettino Salesiano on this matter. Please be assured I shall not quote names.
Thank you especially for your kindness and charity. I will always be pleased
to have your opinion on our undertakings.
May heaven's generous blessings come upon you and your parishioners.
Remember me too in your prayers.
Yours affectionately in Jesus Christ,
Fr. John Bosco
The promised article-a very long one-appeared10 entitled "Reply
to a Kind Critic on the Obligation and Extent of Almsgiving." In
spirited language it brought together the general principles of almsgiv-
ing and the most commonly held opinions of scholars. The pen of
Father Bonetti, editor of the Bollettino Salesiano, is obvious, but the
editor's hand is definitely Don Bosco's. The vicar forane to whom it
was directed answered over a year later, 11 moved to reply, he said, by a
conversation he had had with "a diocesan priest, highly respected for
both piety and learning. " According to him the theories upheld in the
article tallied with those of communism. His criticism, focused on the
article's three main points and corroborated by authoritative moral
theologians, is far from negligible. But in the matter of almsgiving
Don Bosco was less concerned with theological arguments and more
with the Gospel's commands and threats issued to the rich. Two catego-
ries of wealthy people he considered inexcusable, and he focused on
them: truly good people who let their wealth lie idle in savings for no
good reason, and those not-so-good people who, although they did
token charity, freely squandered their money in pleasures and luxuries.
"I have lived among the poor and I have also seen how the rich live,"
he said in 1887.12 "In general I have noted that almsgiving does not
amount to much and that many wealthy persons hardly make rightful
use of their riches. No one has even the faintest idea of the strict
account the Lord will demand of the goods He gave them for the relief
of the poor. " Certainly he was aware that theologians would not deny
absolution to those who normally donate two percent of their income or
10Bollettino Salesiano, July 1882. [Author]
HLetter to Don Bosco, Montebudello, September 2, 1883. [Author]
12Rev. Giovanni Battista Francesia, L'elemosina ossia il Paradiso assicurato ai ricchi nella
persona. dei poveri [Alms or Pdradise Assured to the Rich Through the Poor], Torino, Tipografia
Salesiana, 1898, pp. 5-6. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
half of what is over and above what they need to maintain their station
in life. However, he also knew that to attach oneself at any time to
earthly possessions is of itself a grave evil cutting off many heavenly
favors which enable us to resist sin as well as the grace of repentance
and final perseverance. Hence that love of souls which drove him to
make heroic sacrifices in meeting the dire material and spiritual needs
of the young also filled him with that far from popular courage to warn
the rich to give and give generously, as St. Paul advised Timothy. 13
One of the several wealthy women who had grasped the significance
of Don Bosco's admonition was Mrs. Bernardine Magliano, 14 whom
we have already met. He wrote to her from Lucca:
Lucca, April 7, 1882
Dear Mrs. Magliano:
Though I have heard from you several times I have no idea of where you are
staying now or how you are doing. 15
We have always prayed for you, and I daily remember you in my Holy Mass
and ask that God may restore you to full health, return you to Turin to see your
[spiritual] sons at Valdocco, and join us in a gala celebration of Mary, Help of
Christians. How about it?
I am now at our house here in Lucca and leave tomorrow for Florence;
thence to Rome to request a special blessing for you from the Holy Father. My
address in Rome: Via Porta San Lorenzo, Sacred Heart Church, Rome.
131 Tim. 6, 18. Jacques Benigne Bossuet in his book Sur l' eminente dignite des Pauvres
[Concerning the Eminent Dignity of the Poor], Paris, 1659, states: "If the unjust prejudices of our
age prevent the rich from understanding the burdensomeness of riches, then, when they shall
arrive at that place where excessive wealth becomes an evil, when they shall stand at that tribunal
where they must render an account of not only how they used their talents but also of how they
buried them and they shall have to explain to that inexorable judge not only how much they spent,
but also how much they saved and hoarded, then, gentlemen, they will finally come to recognize
that riches are but a heavy burden, and they will deeply regret that they did not free themselves of
that load." Elsewhere, in Sur l'impenitence finale [Concerning Final Impenitence], Louvre,
March 5, 1662, he says: "Those whose eyes have been opened to understand the full value of the
Son of God's pronouncement, 'No man can serve two masters,' will readily grasp that, regardless
of what their hearts are attached to, permissible or not, if they are entirely attached, they no longer
belong to God. Therefore there can be a blameworthy attachment to things which in themselves
are blameless. If this be so, my fellow Christians-and who will doubt it seeing that Truth Itself
assures us of it?-then, you powerful and rich of the world, how your position frightens me!"
[Author]
14See pp. 375ff. [Editor]
1ssee p. 549. [Editor] [Author]

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God bless you, my dear Mrs. Magliano! May He keep you well and always
in His holy grace. Please pray for me.
Your humble servant in Jesus Christ,
Fr. John Bosco
At Pistoia, on his way to Florence, he was pleasantly surprised to
find its Salesian director, Father [Faustinus] Confort6la, 16 who was
expecting him with filial impatience. On reaching the City of Flowers,
they went directly to visit the Mamma of the Salesians, Countess
Uguccioni. As he did the year before, he celebrated Easter in Florence.
He arrived at the Salesian house between ten and eleven on Holy
Saturday evening. A feeling of warm happiness flooded his heart be-
cause he felt that at last he was standing on property of his own. "Here
we are on Salesian soil," he exclaimed on crossing the threshold. "We
are home. Blessed be the Lord!"
On Easter morning he heard confessions, celebrated Mass and ad-
ministered Communion to some thirty pupils, the very first group of
youngsters in the hospice. That evening he gave them a sermon and
imparted Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. Then the countess
arrived to take him in her coach on a courtesy visit to the archbishop.
The latter gladly offered to preside at the Salesian cooperators' meeting
the next evening.
As in the previous year, the meeting was held in the Church of St.
Florence which was under the care of the Oratorian Fathers. It was not
substantially different from any other conference, apart from the fol-
lowing summary view of the Salesian house in Florence presented by
Father Confort6la: 17
At Via Masaccio 8, outside Porta la Croce, the Salesians opened a festive
oratory and a hospice; at great sacrifice they remodeled the buildings and
purchased necessary furnishings. A good number of boys are now being cared
for in their bodily and spiritual needs. Many other homeless lads keep begging
to be admitted and rescued from very grave spiritual harm. But our house is
now full, and we have no room even for one more, and so regretfully I am
16See p. 277. [Editor]
171...etter from Father Confort6la to Father Bonetti, Florence, May 3, 1882, published in the
July issue of the Bollettino Salesiano. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
forced to tum away even the most desperate cases with the distresssful words:
"We have no room."
But that is not all. Besides the festive oratory and hospice, there is a crying
need for day schools in this remote comer of the city where the only schools
are Protestant. But, as for the hospice, so for the school, we need buildings,
and how can we take on such an expensive undertaking when we are still
saddled with a debt of twenty-four thousand lire just for the land? This
notwithstanding, I shall begin building. For the rest I entrust myself to God, to
the Immaculate Virgin, who has taken this house under Her special protection,
and to your charity, my good friends of Florence.
Indeed it is to your charity that I now look for funds to pay our debts, to
build a new chapel, to enlarge our present living quarters, and to meet the
expenses of the festive oratory and day school. If we are to draw youngsters,
we must provide games and equipment, books, and prizes. I look to you to
provide the necessities of life, and whatever is indispensable for a sound civic
and Christian education for the boys we now have and for those whom we
hope later to accept. In their poverty and abandonment they have no other
support than your kind hearts.
That you may meet our needs I earnestly ask you to make a monthly pledge,
be it only a few lire or just one lira or half a lira or a few cents-just so that no
one shirks from his personal share of aid.
A few volunteers, duly certified, will take your pledges and offerings and
pass them on to the Salesian festive oratory's director at the end of each
month. It is our hope that our work, thus funded by a steady subsidy and
supported by your charity, will make progress and meet all expectations.
The members of the Catholic Youth Movement again volunteered to
take up the collection, and then on the morning of April 12 they all
gathered at the railway station to see him off. To each he gave a large
medal of Mary, Help of Christians.
Father Berto's scanty diary is our only source of information from
Don Bosco's arrival in Rome to the day of his audience with the Holy
Father. We quote it in full:
Wednesday, April 12. We got to Rome at about 3:40 P.M. On leaving the
train we found Mr. Alexander Sigismondi awaiting us in the station; outside
stood Father Savio and some of the confreres and staff of the Sacred Heart
Church and Hospice. Our parish priest wasn't feeling too well. Marquis
Francis Patrizi and the construction superintendent came to see Don Bosco.
Thursday, April 13. Several people called on Don Bosco. In the evening,
visit to Marchioness Villarios who is seriously ill.

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Friday, April 14. Several French people called, as did Count Vespignani,
architectural engineer. In the evening, visit to Cardinal Alimonda.
Saturday, April 15. Countess Stara of Turin called on Don Bosco.
Sunday, April 16. Evening dinner guests of English gentlemen residing in
the parish.
Monday, April 17. All day at home. Evening visit to the cardinal secretary
of state and to Cardinal Nina, our cardinal protector. Monday evening
Chevalier Marchisio, former pupil, now a clerk at the General Post Office,
brought a registered letter for Don Bosco containing two French banknotes of
one thousand francs each. Attorney Leonori also dropped in at about 1:30 P.M.
Tuesday, April 18. Chevalier Marchisio called again this morning; Don
Bosco gave him a postal receipt for a registered letter. Chevalier Marchisio
brought it about noon. Don Bosco opened it and found that instead of four
thousand lire as noted on the outside and inside of the envelope, it contained
five thousand. A few minutes later Father Dalmazzo came in telling Don
Bosco that he needed immediately five thousand lire for an overdue bill. We
then understood why the envelope held five thousand lire rather than four. At
my astonishment at this happy error, Don Bosco remarked, "Do you see now
why there were five thousand lire instead of four, Father Berto? It was because
we needed that much right now for an urgent bill." Blessed be Divine Provi-
dence! That evening Don Bosco called on the sick mother of Mrs. Mary
Altini, Via Principe Umberto No. 46, 4th floor.
Wednesday, April 19. Dinner with the Sigismondis. Then visit to the
Mother Superior at Tor de' Specchi.
Thursday, April 20. Don Bosco celebrated Mass for the Sisters of the
Sacred Heart at Tonita dei Monti. Then he went to bless the son18 of Countess
Stanlein Belga (Trinita de' Monti No. 9, 2nd floor) who gave Don Bosco five
hundred francs. The next call was to a clerk of the Congregation for the
Propagation of the Faith, Father John Zonghi, to discuss the apostolic vicariate
to be erected in Patagonia for the Salesian mission.
Friday, April 21. Dinner at home. In the morning some American ladies
dropped in for coffee with Don Bosco; they promised to pay for a column and
pedestal of the Sacred Heart Church.19 In the evening Father [Jerome] Sac-
cheri, of San Remo, secretary of the Congregation of the Council, called;
Attorney Leonori also called, but Don Bosco was out.
Saturday, April 22. Don Bosco was a dinner guest of Father Captier and
Father Gueneau de Mussy (Quattro Fontane, 113); present also were the bishop
of Bayonne and Bishop [Gaspard] Mermillod. Then on to Monsignor
18A later addition to the diary stated: "who died last summer." [Author]
19Later addition: "A few days later they brought him five thousand francs." [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
[Gabriel] Boccali. Then to Monsignor Rota at St. Paul's rectory, who invited
us to dinner on Friday.
Sunday, April 23. Dinner with Cardinal [Cajetan] Alimonda, Via Ripetta,
102. Then on to Cardinal [Lucido] Alimonda, Via Cestari, 34. Left copy of
Don Bosco's "Statement,"20 and then went back home. 21
Monday, April 24. Dinner at home with guests: Alexander and Matilda
Sigismondi, Charles and Caroline Ciuti. Between 4 and 5, called on Mrs.
Magistrelli, Piazza San Nicola de' Cesarini.
Tuesday, April 25. We were invited to St. Paul's but could not go. Toward
10:30 Don Bosco went to the Vatican. Father Tamietti and I accompanied him.
The unexpected appearance of Father [John] Tamietti is explained in
a short letter of Don Bosco, who summoned him to Rome when he
realized he would not be able to stop off at Este on his way back to
Turin. 22
My dear Father Tamietti,
Rome, April 17, 1882
It's becoming increasingly unlikely that I can stop over at Este, so I'd be
very pleased if you could come to Rome.
'fry to put all the hearts of the confreres and pupils into a little sack and
make a present of them to me.
Tell Mr. Benedetto that I have prayed and will pray fervently for him and
that any time I have requested the Holy Father's blessing for him, the Pope
granted it.
God bless you and all our family at Este. Pray for me.
Always yours affectionately in Jesus Christ,
Fr. John Bosco
Three matters drew Don Bosco to Rome in 1882, the same three
which had brought him there the year before. They were: the Church of
20see pp. 174f. [Editor]
211n writing about this visit, Father Berto told Father Bonetti: "This evening we saw Cardinal
Parocchi who is more Salesian than we are. He is ready to help us in every way and is delighted
that as Prefect of the Congregation of Seminaries and Universities and a member of the Congrega-
tion of the Council he can help us by championing our cause." [Author]
22Don Bosco wrote another letter in French to Madame Guisard23 of Lyons, comforting her in
her distress and recommending the Sacred Heart Church to her. He wrote to her again in
November when her situation seemed to be improving. [Author]
23The correct spelling is Quisard, as pointed out in the Epistolario di San Giovanni Bosco,
Volume N, bottom of p. 435 after Letter 2691, but Don Bosco always spelled it "Guisard."
[Editor]

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the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the missions of South America, and various
matters pending before the Roman Congregations. The ample coverage
we have already given of the first and third concerns will convince the
reader of their gravity. 24 The earliest appointment for a papal audience
which Don Bosco could get was April 25, but this lengthy delay was
due to circumstances unrelated to himself. From all that Father Berto
and Father Lemoyne have told us, Pope Leo XIII was very gracious to
him, even asking, "Do you have enemies here in Rome?"
"To my knowledge there is only one person who openly avows his
hostility. "
"Who is that?"
"Cardinal Ferrieri."
"All right. How about in Turin?"
"Just one there too, the archbishop."
"How about Buroni and Professor Papa?" (They were well-known
Rosminians.)
"Both gentlemen are courteous, treat me nicely and, at least out-
wardly, seem to be well-disposed toward me."
"Any philosophical differences?"
"I never discuss those matters because they would immediately lead
to a disagreement. "
"Good," the Holy Father said with a smile. "Your archbishop has
written and told me he wishes to set everything right. Do you object to
that?"
"Not at all, Your Holiness. I only wish he would tell me why he
keeps opposing our Congregation. I am ready to make any sacrifice.
Up to now his charges against me have been vague and referring to
people who do not belong to our Congregation, throwing the blame
always upon the Salesians. Just once he wrote to me, saying he would
restore our friendly relations to what they were before these squabbles
if only I were to change my program of studies, that is, if in our schools
I would adopt the philosophy and theology textbooks he imposed on
his seminaries, namely Rosminianism. But this I'll never do."
"Very well," answered the Pope with a smile. "And now tell me,
what can I do for your Congregation, for the Salesians?"
"I would wish that Your Holiness would assume temporary lead-
24See especially Chapter 13 and Chapters 6, 7, 8, 11 and 14. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
ership of the Salesian Congregation and grant it the privileges enjoyed
by other congregations."
"Where does the problem lie?"
"Cardinal Ferrieri. "
"Then go in my name to see Archbishop [Innocent] Masotti, newly
appointed secretary of the Congregation of Bishops and Regulars, and
ask him to speak with me about it. He is an excellent churchman.
Likewise call on Archbishop [Dominic] Jacobini, secretary of Propa-
ganda, about setting up the apostolic vicariates in Patagonia."
After a slight reference to the Father Bonetti affair, the Pope asked,
"Are you staying in Rome much longer?"
"Nine or ten days."
The Holy Father seemed to be very knowledgeable about the Salesian
Congregation. The conversation then turned to the plan of having a
standard catechism for every diocese in the world. Don Bosco warmly
supported the project because of the difficulties he had run into in having
so many boys from different dioceses who had learned different cate-
chisms. He asked if he might express his views on this subject. "Your
Holiness," he said, "you have already done so much in this direction,
could you not order that this project be brought to completion?"
"It is a very delicate matter calling for lengthy and weighty study,"
the Pope answered.
"For that precise reason," Don Bosco replied, "the Pope's supreme
authority is needed to cancel all delays. Among all your other historic
briefs, you might issue one also in this matter. . . . We need this
because so many catechisms lack precision of wording and, the-
ologically speaking, even need correcting. For example the Lord's
Prayer says Dimitte nobis debita nostra sicut et nos dimittimus de-
bitoribus nostris. Some catechisms omit the et."
"Right."
"And for the Ninth Commandment of God we read in many cate-
chisms: 'You shall not covet your neighbor's wife!' For a woman this is
meaningless, and for children it is suggestive."
"How would you word it?"
"Just as I tell my boys to say it: 'You shall not covet somebody else's
person.' On this point the French and German catechisms are more
sensitive. They state: 'Do not desire the works of the flesh.' But I think
that my suggestion is more decorous. "
"You are right. What does your diocesan catechism say?"

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"'Your neighbor's wife.' I made a suggestion to the archbishop, but
he doesn't think it opportune to accept it."
"For the sake of unity, support your bishop in this."
"Of course."
"Do you have any other observations?"
"Many, depending on particular catechisms. I have sometimes come
across inaccuracies concerning the Second Person of the Most Holy
Trinity in reply to the question, 'Who is Jesus Christ?' But it would
take up much of our time if we were to go into these details. A uniform
catechism composed by papal authority is needed to eliminate every
inaccuracy. "
"Several committees are now at work on this, you know," the Pope
said. "Just a few days ago I was told that the task is moving along
nicely. The plan is this: first, to compile a theologically correct cate-
chism for use in seminaries; second, to compile a complete catechism
for adults; third, to condense this larger catechism into a smaller one
for children."
"That's a great deal of work and ultimately will produce only sum-
maries of theological treatises. "
"Certainly it is a lengthy undertaking. Worse still, it has been de-
layed by the death of two committee prelates. "
"I'm sorry to say, Holy Father, that with this method all those
engaged in this work will have time to die, and their successors too."
"What would you do?"
"Well, Your Holiness, I would think you might choose an inexpen-
sive catechism used in any diocese and give it to a cardinal or other
scholarly prelate. He could read it and properly revise it. Then you
could read it yourself or have someone check it out for you and even-
tually declare it the official text of every diocese."
The Pope listened kindly, nodding in approval, but wisely recog-
nized that there were obstacles to be overcome. Perhaps some such
work might be undertaken again when the Vatican Council will be
reconvened, all the more so after the publication of Cardinal Peter
Gasparri's catechism.
The audience lasted about three quarters of an hour, after which
Father Berto and Father Tamietti were asked to come in to greet the
Holy Father. Then on arriving home Don Bosco dictated to Father
Berto the following letter addressed to all his directors and
missionaries.

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
Beloved in the Lord:
Rome, April 25, 1882
Today, His Holiness, Pope Leo XIII, graciously received me in private
audience.
He wholeheartedly bestows his apostolic blessing upon all the confreres
and their pupils, upon our Salesian cooperators and benefactors. Please com-
municate this joyful news to all the friends of our work and to all who
volunteer their services to our holy Catholic Church.
May God keep us all in His holy grace! I ask you to remember me in your
community prayers.
Yours affectionately in Jesus Christ,
Fr. John Bosco25
The next most important event of Don Bosco's stay in Rome after the
papal audience was the Salesian cooperators' meeting held, as usual, at
Tor de' Specchi on the afternoon of April 27. That morning, after
celebrating Mass in the church of the Oblates of St. Frances of Rome,
he called on Monsignor [Gabriel] Boccali with an important letter. It
seems that a priest in Siena had informed Don Bosco that the owner of
a mine valued at sixty million lire, which was on his Perugia estate,
had, on his death, bequeathed one third of his holdings to the Pope, one
third to a man named Piccolomini, and one third to Don Bosco. That is
all we know of this bequest; it may have not been a serious proposal at
all.
Archbishop Julius Lenti of Sida, vice-regent27 of Rome, presided at
the meeting; present also was Cardinal [Cajetan] Alimonda. Don
Bosco opened the meeting with a message from Leo XIII. Two days
previously the Pope had asked: "When are you holding your
conference?"
"Next Thursday, Your Holiness," Don Bosco answered.
"Tell them to pray and to work."
After stressing the need of uniting work with prayer, Don Bosco
presented his customary report of the Salesian apostolate. When he
came to speak of Rome, he exclaimed, "This is a hard nut to crack!"
Then he described the impasse, or at least as much as he prudently
251n turn, the directors informed the more outstanding benefactors that the Pope had granted
them a special blessing.26 [Author]
26We omit a sample of such notification. [Editor]
27This is the title of a bishop who in Rome assists the cardinal vicar. [Author]

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could, asking, "What are we to do?" The answer had already been
given by the Pope: prayer and work. Both themes Don Bosco devel-
oped in the latter half of his talk.
Cardinal Alimonda did not intend to be a passive listener. He elo-
quently launched into his theme as follows: "Many who either do not
know the Salesian Congregation or have a misconception of it keep
asking, 'Is it a good work? Is it in accord with the Lord's Spirit?' And
they murmur ... as did Jesus' disciples." Then, recalling the Gospel
episode of the apostles' doubts and mutterings about His messiahship,
he quoted Jesus' answer appealing to His deeds, and he applied it to the
Salesian Congregation. He again called to mind the facts which Don
Bosco had just brought out in his talk and which closely paralleled
those of Our Holy Redeemer. The blind see. The secularization of the
schools had blinded the young to their own inward power of sight in
their soul and conscience, causing them to stumble into many pitfalls;
the Salesians, without underplaying school instruction, also. opened
their eyes to heavenly horizons. The crippled walk. By being deprived
of religious instruction children also had their moral standards de-
stroyed; in their houses and schools, the Salesians reinforced those
standards. The lepers are made clean. Immorality is the worst leprosy
of the young. How many are the schools of immorality! The Salesians
instilled purity into the hearts of the young. The deaf hear. The worst
deafness is to shut one's ears to God's word and to disregard the
Church's voice; by gathering the young with motherly concern in fes-
tive oratories and enabling them to hear the words of eternal life, the
Salesians have restored hearing to children. The dead rise. Sin is the
soul's death. The world no longer cares for religious practices and
sacraments; by accustoming the young to the sacraments, the Salesians
have started them off in the life of the Spirit and have breathed into
them the breath of new life. The Gospel is preached to the poor. Jesus
did not go knocking at the doors of palaces or at the homes of kings,
but he loved the poor and preached the Gospel to them; the Salesians
gathered poor boys together and were ministers of good wherever they
went, even to far-off Patagonia. After demonstrating the value of Sale-
sian work, the cardinal asked his hearers to be generous with their
offerings on behalf of the Church in the name of Catholic Rome. 28
28This is the precis of an article of May 2 in Unita Cattolica, signed A.M., Father Andrew
Maggia, a Salesian cooperator. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
From April 28 to May 9, Father Berto's notes are as scanty as his
previous ones;29 the only notation of any substance is dated May 5. 30
Father [Joseph] Daghero had brought with him to Rome from
Magliano seven boys, some from the seminary and some from the
hospice, to offer Don Bosco their respects and to invite him to visit his
two communities. Don Bosco decided to present the lads to the Pope,
and on the morning of May 5 he set out for the Vatican with Cardinal
[Louis] Bilio, their bishop, in the latter's coach. The cardinal was
immediately admitted to the Pope, whom he informed that Don Bosco
was waiting in the antechamber and wished to speak with him just for a
minute. However, the Pope was due to receive a pilgrimage in a few
moments. "I am sorry," he excused himself, "but I need some time to
prepare for an audience with an Irish pilgrimage." Then Cardinal Bilio
told the Pope of two thorns piercing Don Bosco to the heart. "Holy
Father," he said, "Don Bosco begs Your Holiness to grant him the
privileges [enjoyed by other religious congregations]. Two thorns
pierce his side; one is [Cardinal] Ferrieri, the other is the archbishop of
Turin. Don Bosco is a blessing for my seminary, and here in Rome he
is building the Sacred Heart Church. Console him, Holy Father!"
"Certainly, certainly," the Pope answered. "We shall console him
because I really care for Don Bosco."
That day, through Cardinal Bilio, Don Bosco came to meet Cardinal
[Miecislaus] Ledochowski, the newly elevated Cardinal Angelo Jac-
obini of Genzano,31 and Cardinal [John] Simeoni. After speaking to
the pilgrims, Pope Leo XIII left the Throne Room and found awaiting
him kneeling in line Don Bosco, Father Daghero, Father Berto, and the
29Surely Father Berto's diary is omitting many other things. For example, we know from other
sources that Don Bosco paid several other visits to the Congregation for the Propagation of the
Faith. [Author]
30Jt is a note for Father Lazzero, dated the previous day; the envelope is marked: "M.A. Rev.
Lazzero." M.A. stands for "Maria Ausiliatrice."
My friend,
Rome, May 4, 1882
Be a good soldier of Christ. The flame of charity burns bright in tribulation. Soon all
difficulties will be smoothed. Be manly if you want to be crowned victorious. Regards and
greetings to all. Pray for me.
Fr. John Bosco
31The other Jacobini named previously was Dominic Jacobini who became a cardinal later.
Cardinal Ludwig [Jacobini] had been elevated to the purple in 1879. [Author]

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seminarians and boys of Magliano. He walked down the line with
Cardinal Bilio, speaking to each one separately and patting the cheeks
of the younger boys. Finally, he blessed them and retired.
While in Rome Don Bosco became the means of the Lord's comfort
for the great servant of God, Mother Paula Frassinetti, foundress of the
Sisters of St. Dorothy. 32 She had known him for several years and
admiringly sought to imitate him as best she could in her personal daily
life. Leaming that she was ill, Don Bosco stopped in to see her. All the
sisters were thrilled by his visit, for they hoped that through his pres-
ence and blessing their Reverend Mother would be restored to health.
"I do not believe that Paula had any thought of recovering," Ca-
pecelatro wrote, "but she took heart in knowing that the Lord God was
comforting her in her advanced age through this great apostle of char-
ity." She was moved with holy joy at seeing him and recommended
herself to his prayers. His Christian love and kindliness and warm
friendliness for their mother cheered the sisters, though it did not fully
meet their expectations. They were hoping for a miracle, a divine favor,
or at least a prophetic utterance to assure them of her recovery. But,
standing at her bedside, he spoke only words of Christian comfort. As
soon as he left her side, the sisters besieged him with questions to
wrest from his lips a single word, a mere hint to ease their fears. But
with gentle kindness Don Bosco simply replied, "My daughters, your
mother's heavenly crown is ready." "His reply," writes Capecelatro,
"was understandably sad and joyful for the sisters. It was sad because it
held out no hope of a longer life for their foundress, but it was also
joyful because it spoke of the crown awaiting her in the kingdom of
heaven."
Don Bosco left Rome the evening of May 9 and went to Magliano,
where he stayed with the boys and Salesians until the morning of the
11th, when he left for Rimini by way of Foligno and Falconara.
Changing trains at Falconara, he entered a compartment occupied by
a Lieutenant Montanari of Ravenna and an Oratorian priest of Flor-
ence. The former was traveling from Ancona to Turin. The priest, who
had attended both of Don Bosco's conferences at Florence and Rome,
was returning from Loreto. He recognized Don Bosco immediately.
32Cardinal [Alphonse] Capecelatro, Vita delta Serva di Dio Paola Frassinetti [Life of the
Servant of God Paula Frassinetti, Desclee 1900, p. 496), erroneously ascribes this event to the
month of June. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
Both fellow travelers were delighted to share his company; the lieuten-
ant particularly enjoyed listening to him and kept repeating how
thrilled he was by this pleasant encounter. He could not accept the fact
that the Pope had not chosen a man like Don Bosco for the cardinalate,
nor could he understand why he would not be more effective in his
work as a cardinal than as a humble simple priest. As they parted, he
asked if he might be allowed to welcome him at the railway station
upon his arrival in Turin or to call on him at the Oratory.
It was an outstanding young priest of Rimini, Father Francis Cag-
noli, who had persuaded Don Bosco to include that city in his travel
plans.
For five years after his ordination Father Cagnoli was tutor to the
distinguished Massani family. In 1881 he applied to the Salesian noviti-
ate at San Benigno and was accepted. However, in October he fell ill of
a throat ailment which gradually degenerated into acute catarrhal bron-
chial pneumonia that brought him to the edge of the grave. The pro-
gressive stages of his illness seemed to have eroded all hopes of
recovery, and so Don Bosco was called to give him his blessing and
comfort him at the hour of death. Don Bosco instead placed his hand
on the priest's heart and told him, "This is no time for you to leave us.
You have so much more good to do, my dear Father Cagnoli! Get up
for a little while tomorrow, and later we shall send you to Rimini for
convalescence." He then gave him the blessing of Mary, Help of Chris-
tians. That was the eve of the feast of the Immaculate Conception.
From that moment on, the young priest's health improved rapidly with-
out benefit of doctors or medicines; a week later he felt strong enough
to set out for Rimini. His parents and relatives, knowing his condition
and advised of his arrival, decried the imprudence of making such a
trip, but Don Bosco told him, "Go without fear. Trust in Mary, Help of
Christians and be at ease because the trip will not fatigue you. " So
indeed it happened. Father Cagnoli traveled about five hundred kilo-
meters, taking what nourishment he could and enduring considerable
strain in the railroad station of Bologna, but on reaching home he felt
better than he had at his departure from Turin. Nor was this a momen-
tary burst of strength, because, as he affirmed, his health kept improv-
ing so much that from 1868 on he never felt better. 33 In 1887 he
33From his report from Rimini, March 1, 1882, published in Lemoyne's La Stella del Mattino,
p. 69. As propriety required, Don Bosco's part is wisely shrouded in silence, but we also have

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succeeded Father [Francis] Dalmazzo as parish priest of the Sacred
Heart Church in Rome.
This recent happening was well known in clerical circles in Rimini
and elsewhere, and it served to heighten the anticipation of Don
Bosco's coming. The clergy was the first to show its admiration of this
man of God. On his arrival, the seminary rector met him with the
bishop's coach. Bishop Francis Battaglini, who was hosting him at his
residence, descended the stairway to meet him. He showered Don
Bosco with kindly attention and gave him the bedroom in which Pius
IX had stayed during his famous tour of Romagna.
On Friday, May 12, he celebrated Mass in the Church of St. Claire at
the altar of Our Lady, Mother of Mercy, where- in 1850 on that very day,
in the presence of thousands, the Madonna's eyes were seen to move.
After Mass, he briefly exhorted his listeners to persevere in their devo-
tion to Mary, Mother of Mercy. His Mass was served by two newly
ordained priests, later parish priests, Father Berlini and Father Tendi,
who never forgot their fortunate experience.
As Don Bosco was speaking with people who wished to see him in
the sacristy, Bishop Battaglini arrived to take him to a meeting of
Rimini's noble ladies who dedicated themselves to good works, partic-
ularly aiding and visiting the sick. After a personal introduction by the
bishop, Don Bosco immediately suggested that they all enroll as Sale-
sian cooperators, a proposal they gladly accepted. He then urged them
also to reach out to boys and girls by helping the parish priests in the
teaching of catechism. Next he visited the seminary and gave his bless-
ing to about seventy seminarians, some quite young, with a few kindly
words. He dined with the bishop as guest of the Priests of the Most
Precious Blood34 [also known as the Buffalini Fathers] at St. Claire's.
After lunch he went to the hospital, once the residence of Frances of
Rimini, to bless a patient who had been bedridden over the past forty-
two years. He was taken to a window from which he could see the spot
where St. Anthony had wrought the miracle of the donkey kneeling in
the presence of the Blessed Sacrament and the beach where the famous
wonder-worker preached to the fish. Afterward Mr. Francis Massani
asked him to bless his wife who was ill. Don Bosco told her that she
other written reports of this incident, among them one by Sister Clelia Genghini, Father Cagnoli's
niece and secretary of the superior chapter of the Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians. [Author]
34Founded in 1815 in Italy by St. Gaspar del Bufalo (1786-1837). [Editor]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
would not be healed of her illness, but would still live a long life-a
prophecy which came true, for she died at the age of seventy-two.
He told a young priest, Father Joseph Casicci, who was there at the
time, that he would soon be appointed parish priest, and so indeed he
was. These visits over, Don Bosco returned to St. Claire's for Benedic-
tion of the Blessed Sacrament, and to receive in audience several pious
women, among them Marchioness Cima.
On his third day in Rimini Don Bosco celebrated Mass in the cathe-
dral and then resumed his audiences and visits. Wherever he went he
was followed by large crowds with whom he conversed familiarly.
Many knelt begging for his blessing. On the afternoon of May 13 as he
bade farewell to the bishop to go on to Faenza, the renowned bishop
asked for his blessing, but Don Bosco anticipated him, quickly kneel-
ing before him to receive his blessing instead.
Several town institutions had sought and obtained the honor of a visit
from him, among others the recently opened festive oratory directed by
Canon Venturini, the Baldini kindergarten and the city hospital. The
kindergarten was named after Count Alexander Baldini, who donated
it for the care of poor children. In 1882 it was being directed by Miss
Anna Cervellieri, living today [1934]. With vivid memory of recall she
expressed her impressions of him in an interview in the year of his
canonization, 1934, as follows: 35 "At first I saw Don Bosco as a very
serious, thoughtful man . . . and so I stood quite silenced before one
whose reputation for holiness had preceded him. But when I saw him
play lovingly with the children who instantly took to him as to a father,
when at first hand I observed how gentle, simple, and unassuming he
was, I felt my spirit rise and my heart fill with admiration for this good
priest of Turin. The children recited a few appropriate pieces of rhyme
for him, and in reply he thanked them and told them to be good and
virtuous. Before leaving he gave me some medals and said these very
words: 'Pray for me and my family, and I shall pray for you and yours.'
"'Our family is so tiny,' the orphanage bursar, Mr. Leurini,
intervened.
"'Together,' replied Don Bosco, 'our small families make one large
one.'"
In the city hospital he met a boy who, orphaned of his father, had
35Don Bosco ritorna! Memorial issue, Rimini 1934, Garattoni Press. [Author]

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455
recently lost also his mother in this hospital. He was ill with bronchial
pneumonia. Sister Superior, feeling deeply for him, extended his hos-
pital stay, keeping him busy with little tasks suited to his age and
fragile health. One morning she called him, dressed him in his best,
and brought him into the lounge to meet a priest. It was Don Bosco,
who talked to the boy in a fatherly way. "How old is he?" he asked the
superior.
"Just over ten. "
"A bit too young!" Don Bosco replied. "He's got to grow a little
more. If he is a good boy, I'll take him with me next year."
The following year Don Bosco, who never made idle promises,
asked Father Lazzero to write in his name to the superior of the hospital
and tell her that if the lad was still willing to go with Don Bosco, he
would gladly accept him. A priest accompanied the boy for part of his
journey and, before leaving, told him, "When the train pulls into the
Turin station, take out your white handkerchief and wave it. A tall, thin
gentleman will meet you. His name is Mr. [John] Garbellone. 36 Go
with him." All went well. And thus it was that Peter Cenci, master
tailor, whose pupils would later be legion, came to the Oratory. He
proudly used to say that he dressed Don Bosco when living, when
dead, and when beatified.
A local periodical37 commented on Don Bosco 's visit to Rimini as
follows:
Don Bosco's coming to Rimini was almost unexpected, but no sooner was it
announced than the prestige of his name and virtues drew vast crowds of
people wherever he went. Indeed, during the two days he was our guest he
scarcely had enough time for a brief nightly repose, so tightly was he beset by
all sorts of people wherever he went, whether churches or homes of the sick.
Those who could catch sight of him or kiss his hand considered themselves
fortunate, while those to whom he gave a word of counsel or comfort felt they
were highly blessed. People believed that they saw a saint, that they were
receiving a saint's blessing and listening to a saint's words.
The memories of Rimini stayed with Don Bosco all the way to Turin,
so much so that, back at the Oratory, meeting young Francis Tomasetti,
'36See Appendix 1. [Editor]
37IA Parola [The Word], Catholic philosophical-literary magazine, Rimini, Malvolti Press,
May 1882, pp. 157f. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
today [1934] the Congregation's general procurator in Rome, he told
him, "I was in your part of the country, in Rimini. What wonderful
people I met there! They gave poor Don Bosco a princely welcome!"
We shall not follow Don Bosco to Faenza because we have already
covered that part of his journey in Chapter 10.38 As his train traveled
between Bologna and Turin his secretary noticed that Don Bosco sud-
denly looked perturbed. "Who knows how Franchino is doing now?"
Don Bosco exclaimed. "I fear indeed that he will end up as did Tav-
ella." Then he again fell silent, lost in thought. Tavella was an aspirant
who had died suddenly after a brief illness. On the morning of May 16
Franchino also died very suddenly back home in Rubiana, where he
had gone to regain his health. As soon as Father Berto, his uncle, got to
Turin, he was told that the lad was dying; he rushed to his side only to
find him in a coma and close to death. He was a fifth-year student in
secondary school. Father Matthew Ottonello, his teacher, had jotted
alongside his name on the year's final scholastic report to Don Bosco:
"A model for all in every way." Don Bosco, who cared a good deal for
the lad, in speaking to the boys two nights after his death, remarked, "I
doubt that at his age St. Aloysius was any better."
There were others too who were dear to him and who passed away
before his return. We have already mentioned Chevalier [Charles]
Fava;39 in addition, two very saintly priests of the archdiocese also
died, Father Robert Murialdo and Canon Francis Marengo. Father
Murialdo, a cousin of the Servant of God Father Leonard Murialdo,
founder of the Pious Society of St. Joseph, had been a tireless associate
of Don Bosco in the festive oratories and for several years had directed
the Guardian Angel Oratory in Vanchiglia, Turin. Canon Marengo
taught theology in the Turin seminary and from the Oratory's first
beginnings had taught catechism to the upper grade boys as well as
moral theology to the clerics. In his last years he was extraordinary
confessor to the boarders, often hearing confessions for hours at a
stretch on Saturday evenings. The May issue of the Bollettino Sale-
siano hailed them as "twin jewels of Turin's clergy, sincere, reliable
friends, exemplary priests worthy of all trust."
Don Bosco also mourned the death of two women who had been real
38See pp. 283-294. [Editor]
39See p. 374. [Editor]

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451
mothers to the Salesians: Mrs. Pauline Clara nee Pollietti, and Duchess
Anna Costanza of Laval-Montmorency, who died at Borgo Comalese;
the latter was the daughter of Joseph De Maistre.
We have noticed that Don Bosco had one main preoccupation
throughout his long journey through France and Italy, and that was how
he might increase the number of his cooperators. By speaking of the
Salesian Congregation in minute detail, he hoped to win over to it
many helpers who, fully appreciating its mission, would work by its
side to foster its growth throughout the world. This was something he
was to do to the end of his life, striving his best to have the Association
of Salesian Cooperators, not the least of his creations, sink deep and
sturdy roots.
Everywhere he went the impression made by his presence was that of
a saint. This conviction increasingly took hold of people-not only the
less learned, but also the intelligentsia, including clerical circles-so
that an overall sense of veneration for him grew with the years. On one
occasion in Rome, Father Berto being present, Monsignor Augustine
Caprara, promoter of the faith for the Sacred Congregation of Rites,
who happened to be in the reception room of Cardinal [Dominic]
Bartolini when Don Bosco entered for an audience with His Eminence,
pointed him out to a group of priests with the words, "Do you see that
priest? I hope that his cause for beatification will be presented to our
consideration and that I will be chosen devil's advocate." That honor
he did not actually have, but it is to his credit that he recognized Don
Bosco's worth and even then unabashedly proclaimed his high regard
for him.

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CHAPTER 18
1882: Memorable Anecdotes
~INGLED with the major events of Don Bosco's life in
1882 were also other incidents having no particular relevance to any of
them. Since we could not insert them into our narrative without dis-
rupting its flow, we are assembling them, as is our practice, in a
chapter of their own, linking them only to the various individuals with
whom they are connected. First, we dwell on the feast of Mary, Help of
Christians.
1. THE FEAST OF MARY, HELP OF CHRISTIANS
Don Bosco got back to the Oratory as the novena to Our Lady began.
His first thought was to invite all the cooperators in Turin to a con-
ference which he scheduled for men at 7 P.M. on the 21st and for
women at 3 P.M. on the 23rd. The invitation read: "I respectfully
request the honor of your presence at our conference. Many are the
projects we have initiated this past year, and I would like to briefly
bring them to the attention of our cooperators who live in Turin and its
environs and are able to attend." A postscript underscored three points:
the persons invited, the papal blessing, and the purpose of the collec-
tion to be taken up. "This invitation," he wrote, "is being sent to the
Salesian cooperators and to all who are interested in learning more
about this association, men and women alike, each to his or her respec-
tive conference. Pope Leo XIII is bestowing his special apostolic bless-
ing on all who will attend, and all may receive the plenary indulgence,
in accord with our regulations. A collection will be taken up, and all
proceeds will go to the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Rome
and its adjoining hospice. I ask the cooperators to solicit funds for this
purpose from their relatives and friends and either to bring the dona-
458

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1882: Memorable Anecdotes
459
tions to the conference or to send them to the Rev. John Bosco, supe-
rior of the Association of Salesian Cooperators."
The diocesan chancery seems to have raised no objections to the
bishop who was asked to pontificate at the feast, though it may well
have done so, considering the lateness with which it was being notified.
Bishop Jucundus Salvai of Alessandria was invited. His reply wit-
nesses to his lofty esteem and affection for Don Bosco: "I most heart-
ily say yes to your thoughtful invitation to participate in the solemn
festivity of Mary, Help of Christians by celebrating the pontifical
Mass. Next Wednesday morning, with God's help and Our Lady's, I
hope to be with you. Looking forward to greeting you personally, I am
cordially yours. . . ." 1
Don Bosco was overjoyed at receiving a telegram from Rome. It was
sent by Monsignor Nicholas Marini, personal chamberlain to His Holi-
ness. He had been Don Bosco's overnight guest on May 22 on his
return from Madrid, where he had gone as the Pope's special delegate
in bringing the cardinal's hat to Archbishop Joachim Lluch [y Garriga]
of Seville, a dear friend of the Salesians at Utrera. Monsignor Marini
had purposely stopped at Turin to call on Don Bosco, who took him
through the Church of St. John the Evangelist and asked him to cele-
brate Mass for the community. Having seen for himself the ceaseless
stream of pilgrims to the Church of Mary, Help of Christians and their
prayerfulness, he sent a cable to the Holy Father to inform him of his
arrival in Turin and his forthcoming departure for Rome, requesting
also an apostolic blessing for Don Bosco and the faithful. Cardinal
Ludwig Jacobini, secretary of state, replied on the day of the feast:
"Msgr. Marini, c/o Don Bosco, Turin. His Holiness [is] grateful for
sentiments [of] filial affection and prayers of Don Bosco and the
faithful of Turin. [He] sends requested apostolic blessing."
France could not have been better represented at the feast of 1882.
Count Colle and his wife were the official sponsors of the festivities. 2
Father Mendre of Marseille celebrated the community Mass at which
practically all the faithful received Holy Communion. The daughter of
Marchioness Gaudemarie and Miss Rohland, both of whom had been
miraculously cured in March at Cannes,3 came to offer their thanks to
1Letter to Don Bosco, Alessandria, May 22, 1882. [Author]
2See pp. 86f. [Editor]
3See pp. 422f. [Editor]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
Mary, Help of Christians. With them was Countess De Corson of Paris,
who had surprisingly recovered from pneumonia at Hyeres after a
novena to Mary, Help of Christians, as was also Miss Claire Louvet,
whom we shall meet in the next chapter. Also other pilgrims came from
France.
Bishop Salvai spoke with cordial simplicity about the heavenly
beauty of the celebration. Later, as he was leaving, the bishop, deeply
moved by the day's events, could not help exclaiming to Don Bosco, "I
believe that celebrations like this can happen only in paradise!"
Everyone was convinced that God willed this cult of Mary, Help of
Christians, for His intervention could be seen in the granting of many
wide-ranging favors.
2. HEAVENLY FAVORS
How trustfully people believed in the power of Don Bosco's interces-
sion with Our Heavenly Queen, Mary, Help of Christians! For in-
stance, how moving is the distressful plea of a Vendome noble family
who in June 1882 sent him twenty-three hundred francs for the Sacred
Heart Church [in Rome], begging him to win not one, but six favors
from Mary, Help of Christians. "I have lost all hope of obtaining mercy
except through your prayers," the woman wrote. "As for myself, I
believe, I hope, and I love, whatever may happen to me in the future."
On top of the letter Don Bosco jotted a few words for whoever was to
answer for him: "Thanks. Priests and boys will pray and receive Com-
munion. We are sure to obtain whatever redounds to God's glory."
Don Bosco was already well known in high Parisian circles. Queen
Isabella II of Spain, who had abdicated in favor of her son Alfonso XII
in 1870, was then living in Paris and, of course, kept following events
in Spain with anxious concern. In 1882 Madrid and Barcelona were
rocked with what superficially appeared to be an economic but actually
was a political turmoil, causing some fear for the monarchy. During the
novena to Mary, Help of Christians Don Bosco received a laconically
worded note from Paris: "Her Majesty Queen Isabella II of Spain and
her whole royalfamily,4 Count and Countess Walsh and Mrs. Street of
4The words in italics were underlined in the French text which is still in our possession. It is
dated: St. Augustine, Paris, May 17, 1882. [Author]

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Klindworth commend themselves to the powerful prayers of Don
Bosco."
People in Italy and abroad reported graces received, giving much of
the credit to Don Bosco. For instance, Baron Anthony Manno, com-
missioner of the Royal Heraldic Council, wrote him, among other
things,5 after having served as "sponsor" of the feast of St. Aloysius:
"Last year I was in painful distress and begged for your prayers to Our
Blessed Lady, Help of Christians. Now I am almost free of my afflic-
tion, miraculously I may say. Please add a further Hail Mary for me,
that I may fully regain that peace of mind which I so badly need, that I
may give thought to my soul, and look after my beloved family. Please
say this Hail Mary. I have unshaken trust and firmly rooted hope that I
shall receive the comfort I yearn for. Please say it!" Under his sig-
nature he wrote "An unworthy Salesian cooperator."
A certain Mrs. Fruero wrote to Father [Angelo] Lago from Nice on
June 19: "I was in bed for two weeks with a most painful neuralgic
fever. I then remembered having a signed letter of Don Bosco's. I
applied that letter to my aching head and from that moment on the pain
eased, and, though weak, I feel better. Praised be God!" Mrs. Fruero,
who was then translating the novena of Mary, Help of Christians into
French, closed with the words: "Please remember me to our revered
father. Tell him that if a certain business matter now in hand turns out
well, I shall visit him at Turin and pray before the holy altar of Our
Mother, Mary, Help of Christians. " She signed herself "A loyal
cooperator."
Countess de Liniers de Champdeniers had an only child, a six year
old boy afflicted with diphtheria! angina; his parents had little hope of
his recovery. At the height of their distress ·they called upon Don
Bosco's intercession, and their son was saved. From 1882 on the count-
ess annually sent five hundred francs to Don Bosco and later to Father
Rua6 for Salesian works.
Others flocked to beseech the Blessed Virgin for favors through the
intercession of the one they considered Her treasurer. Attorney Maurice
Joumar, stricken by paralysis of the neck and spine, had not spoken a
word for two years. He was taken to Don Bosco, and on receiving the
5Letter, Turin, July 6, 1882. [Author]
6Father Rua received this written report six years later, on the occasion of Don Bosco's death,
from the Chateau du Pont Jarno Champdeniers, Deux Sevres, February 5, 1888. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
blessing of Mary, Help of Christians he was immediately able to utter
the name of Mary. He instantly felt so much better that he wrote on a
sheet of paper: "I thank you for my instant recovery; blessed be God.
Maurice Joumar." The healing took place in Don Bosco 's room on
June 14.7
Even more astounding is the cure which took place at the Oratory in
the fall of 1882.8 Mrs. Joan Le Mire, living in Misevent in the township
of Pont-de-Poitte in the district of Jura, was wasting away with con-
sumption. The foremost physicians of the area and even of Paris had
been consulted, but no one could arrest the progress of the consump-
tion; the young woman kept losing weight until she was reduced to
fifty-five pounds. They would dress her, and then her husband, Paul
Noel, would pick her up in his arms like a child and take her from place
to place as she desired. A raw egg with a pinch of salt was all the food
she was able to take in the course of a day when she could swallow.
Faith was the hallmark of that family. Having been acquainted for
some time with Don Bosco's works, they wrote to him, and in May
Paul Noel sent him three thousand francs. Don Bosco's reply, hand-
written in his own inimitable style, came in three pages, telling him
that on June 29 he would ask his boys to offer their Communions and
good deeds for his wife, while he would celebrate Mass for her. This
assurance lifted Noel's spirits, so strong was his trust in Don Bosco's
intercession.
Still, no progress was noticeable and time was running out for the
sick woman. More letters were written, and Don Bosco wrote back,
saying: "Bring your sick wife to Turin."
"How can I?" the husband replied. "She is in no condition to
travel."
"Bring her all the same," Don Bosco insisted.
A railroad sleeping car was booked, and the woman was brought to
Turin by easy stages. On their arrival, the husband notified Don Bosco
from his hotel that she was in Turin, alive, as he had assured them.
"Very well," Don Bosco answered. "If she is to be cured, you must
bring her to my Mass tomorrow morning so that she may pray there."
7This original document is in our archives. [Author]
8It was not until 1897 that this account was sent to Father Rua at the insistence of Mrs. Le Mire,
by her brother-in-law, Mr. Bouillons. He stated that he could no longer recall the month, but
declared himself ready to testify to every detail of this cure, even under oath. [Author]

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Without venturing an answer, Paul Noel brought his wife to the Church
of Mary, Help of Christians the next morning. After Mass they went to
the sacristy. Don Bosco told her: "Madame, what we need here is an
act of faith. You have been cured. Consider yourself healed; resume
your full normal routine." To her own wonderment, she was able to
eat. Some days later she returned home overjoyed, beside herself with
happiness, once more taking pleasure in life. Her entire family ren-
dered thanks to God, to Mary, Help of Christians, and to Don Bosco.
When Don Bosco went to Hyeres as the guest of Count de la
Flecheray, later Marquis de Aorillard, a friend of the Le Mire family,
he inquired about the lady. He was told that she had relapsed almost to
her former condition. "Don't let that worry you," was his answer. "All
will be well within a few months." Indeed the predicted recovery was
crowned by the birth of a long desired son, and later she gave birth to
another child. In 1897, according to a report we received, both children
were attending the Jesuit school in Dijon.
Mr. Le Mire saw Don Bosco several times after that; Don Bosco
used to say of him, "Mr. Le Mire and I are like two brothers." This,
our source remarks, "half canonized him." Mr. Paul Noel Le Mire was
indeed a very religious and most charitable person. Our source con-
cludes: "As we see it, Mrs. Le Mire's very survival must be seen as a
miracle obtained through Don Bosco, who thus repaid his benefactors
with far more than they had given him. "9
Not everyone agreed with this view of the graces granted by Mary,
Help of Christians. As usual, Turin's perfidious newspaper, Cronaca
dei Tribunali, 10 published an article crudely headed Don Bosco e la sua
bottega [Don Bosco and His Shop]. Taking a cue from D'Espiney's
book, which it characterized as "a biography of Valdocco's so-called
saint," containing "a number of miracles" performed by Don Bosco
"with the assistance of his Madonna," he claimed to unmask for its
readers a "hoax" which some "muddled heads" were using to "tum
the youth entrusted to them into so many imbeciles," as well as Don
Bosco's own cunning devices "to worm money out of the pockets of
credulous people." To back up this second allegation he gave a transla-
tion from the French of a letter written by Don Bosco the previous year
9In 1882 Don Bosco himself wrote several accounts of graces, giving the glory to Mary, Help
of Christians and concealing his own role. [Author]
10June 3, 1882 issue. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
to Marchioness Vernon Bonneuil, which the lady's husband had pro-
duced in a Paris court in legal proceedings for marital separation.
Though the letter had nothing to do with the writer's allegation, it was
published anyway. The marchioness had sent Don Bosco five hundred
francs for a favor received and promised to send an additional twenty-
five thousand if he would obtain another, very dear to her, from Our
Lady. Don Bosco replied: 11
Dear Marchioness:
San Benigno Canavese, September 8, 1881
I received your kind letter telling me that the surgery which so distressed
you was successful and that you are now quite fully recovered. May God be
thanked and blessed for this grace!
In your letter you enclosed five hundred francs for the Sacred Heart Church
in Rome. May Mary, Help of Christians duly reward you, all the more so
because in your charity you say that this is the first of others to come. I thank
God and shall not fail to pray particularly that He may bring about the union
you referred to, as long as it redounds to His glory. However, remind those
concerned that I accept their promise of twenty-five thousand francs, though
they should be mindfal that the Gospel clearly states: "Give and it shall be
given to you," not, "Promise and it shall be given to you." I would therefore
suggest that the best thing to do is to start giving something in advance.
I shall not forget you and your intentions in my daily Mass, particularly that
you, your relatives and friends may tread the path to paradise.
God bless you, my charitable marchioness. Please pray for me. Always in
Jesus Christ,
Your humble servant,
Fr. John Bosco
Patently, the letter contained nothing, absolutely nothing, blamable
in itself or in relation to Don Bosco, not even in the words underlined
by the journalist. However, we know only too well: "To the unclean all
is unclean." Too lofty was Don Bosco's repute for holiness, far beyond
the reach of any base defamers to cast a pall, even for a moment, upon
its brightness.
We have no account of St. John the Baptist's feast day,12 apart from
11Unable to trace the original letter, we are giving a translation as published in the Italian
newspaper, with minor editing in spots where the style was distinctively French. [Author]
120on Bosco's name day. [Editor]

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what the Bollettino Salesiano and the city's Catholic newspapers have
told us in their usual reporting, which contains nothing new. 13 Don
Bosco mentions the day in his letter to Count Colle: 14 "With utmost
thankfulness I accept your best wishes for the feast of St. John the
Baptist. We had a magnificent celebration, a heartfelt rejoicing which
often brought tears to my eyes."
The aura of holiness in which Don Bosco lived became obvious at
close range not only to his sons or to simple, good-hearted people, but,
as we have seen and shall continue to see more intensely as our nar-
rative unfolds, it radiated out to those who from afar moved in the
highest spheres. In 1882 we are particularly struck by an acknowledg-
ment of holiness paid to him by the Duke of Norfolk.
3. THE DUKE OF NORFOLK
Norfolk is a preeminent name in the annals of English history. The
family traces its origins to the Plantagenets, who ruled England from
1154 to 1485; Thomas Plantagenet, second son of Edward I, is the
family's founder. During the sixteenth-century [Elizabethan] persecu-
tions, this ducal family did not waver in its age-old loyalty to the
Roman Catholic Church and is no less faithful today. Nor did it lose its
privileged position at the royal court. Its present head [1934] holds the
title of first duke, first marquis, first earl and first baron of England and
in official ceremonies assumes first place behind the princes of the
realm.
Don Bosco had written to the duke's chaplain, asking him to sponsor
a collection in London for the Sacred Heart Church in Rome. The
chaplain in his reply, dated August 13, explaining that it was not oppor-
tune to grant his request at that time, took the occasion to tell Don
Bosco that the duke wished to know if it was true that Don Bosco had
sent him a message concerning his only son, a child blind from birth.
"Hoping for a cure from Our Lady," he wrote, "the duke has twice
taken the boy to Lourdes. Now someone has assured him that Don
Bosco wants him to know that he should not give up hope. Is this true?
All of Catholic England is praying for the child's cure because the duke
13July issue of the Bollettino Salesiano, No. 148 of Unita Cattolica and No. 149 of Co"iere di
Torino. [Author]
14The letter is undated; but the postmark on the envelope reads: "Torino, 417/82" [July 4,
1882). [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
is kind and charitable, beloved by all who know him. He will do
anything to obtain the recovery of his son, whose very birth was itself a
miracle. Please respond at your earliest convenience."
We do not know Don Bosco's reply to the chaplain, but that it was
effective is clear from the following two letters written personally by
the duke [in English] to Don Bosco in October. 15
Norfolk House, St. James's Square, S.W., London.
October 6, 1882
Very Reverend and Dear Sir,
We have heard that you yourself and your great anny of children have been
praying for the health of our little son.
This good news of such great kindness coming as it does from those so far
away from us and upon whose generous sympathy we have no claim has
touched my wife and myself very deeply. We have heard too of the great
works you are carrying on and the account of them has filled us with great
interest. May I ask you to accept the enclosed offering of£. 40.0016 as a small
help to your great undertaking.
We both most earnestly commend our son's health to you and yours as an
intention for your continued prayers, and we only wish that we could properly
tell you how very deeply thankful we are.
I have the honor to be
Your very faithful servant,
Norfolk
The duke's second letter, dated October 26, tells us only that Don
Bosco's reply was very encouraging and that he had asked what lan-
guage he should use in further correspondence. The duke's answer
was, "If at any time you are so good as to communicate with me, I beg
you to use whatever language you please as I can easily get a friend to
translate it for me." We shall meet the virtuous duke again during the
course of these Memoirs.
As in the past, 17 Don Bosco's holiness was remembered by bishops
when they needed someone to bring wayward priests back to the bosom
of Holy Mother Church. One such instance was that of unfortunate
Father Paul Orioli.
15Taken from the Appendix of the Italian original, Document No. 83. [Editor]
16At that time forty pounds were equivalent to forty thousand lire. [Author]
17See Vol. V, pp. 89f, 433f; Vol. VII, pp. 111f; Vol. vm, pp. 122f. [Editor]

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4. FATHER 0RIOLI
In 1874 Father Paul Orioli, of the diocese of Mantua, was associate
pastor of the parish in Canneto [Pavia], when the parish of Paludano
became vacant. The parishioners of Paludano, incited by hotheads who
wanted to form a National Italian Church with its headquarters in
Mantua, refused to accept the parish priest appointed by the bishop and
by a slight majority vote, duly notarized, elected Father Orioli as their
pastor. He accepted and took over the parish. Though unrecognized by
the civil authorities, he still posed as a spiritual mentor of sorts, resid-
ing in the parish rectory and drawing the stipend granted by the state.
In 1876 a ministerial decree had raised the parish allotment from eight
hundred to two thousand lire. Half of that was to be the priest's stipend;
the other half went to the vestry board, which the government consid-
ered the legal entity in regard to expenses of worship, school, and
works of charity.
The bishop then had no other choice but to excommunicate him by
name and also by the authority of the Sacred Congregation of the
Council. This occurrence, coupled to another of the same kind in
another parish of the diocese, which incidentally failed because no
priest would go along with the plan, was followed by a third instance of
the same kind in a section of a parish in Friuli. 18 That was enough to
convince Pope Pius IX to have the Sacred Congregation of the Council
issue on May 23, 1874, a decree of excommunication, reserved in a
special way to the Holy Father, of any priest elected by popular vote in
the ecclesiastical provinces of Lombardy and Venice.
As an intruder and a schismatic priest repeatedly excommunicated,
suspended and hit with other censures, we can easily imagine how
many sacraments Father Orioli administered and how many irreg-
ularities he incurred, besides other things that only he and God knew.
When he finally came back to his senses and sought forgiveness, the
Holy See gave Bishop Berengo all necessary and pertinent faculties to
reconcile him to God and to the Church in conscience and in law. The
bishop was also authorized to delegate any priest, even from another
diocese, to absolve him from the Church's censures and penalties, and
to dispense him from any irregularities he had incurred. The conditions
imposed on him were that he had to vacate the rectory, make a public
18A province in northeastern Italy. [Editor]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
retraction and attend a spiritual retreat in a religious house. While the
first two were being complied with, the Oratory was entrusted with the
third. Rome did not state how long the retreat was to last, but the
bishop specified at least twelve days. On sending him to Turin, the
bishop wrote: 19 "Here is a man sadly blinded by pride and self-interest.
I insert the terms under which I entrust him to the Reverend Don Bosco
and his religious. I commend him to you and place all my hopes in you
for a genuine and lasting conversion. My gratitude shall never fail, my
entire diocese will rejoice with me in holy joy, and the Reverend Don
Bosco and his wonderful Salesians will be blessed by all sincere
Catholics. "
On submitting to his bishop, Father Orioli gave him a written retrac-
tion to be made public. Informing his people of the joyous news,
Bishop Berengo blessed God for putting an end to the schism in his
diocese. On the same day, April 4, he sent to the Oratory the pertinent
subdelegated faculties for Father Orioli's confessor. On learning that
Don Bosco was away in France at the time, he entrusted the penitent
priest with equal confidence to the spiritual care of Father Rua, Father
Cagliero and the other "holy religious," for he could see Don Bosco's
spirit in his sons.
Father Orioli carried out the conditions in an exemplary manner.
During his stay he had the full run of the Oratory and so came to know
Oratory life very intimately, later recording his impressions in a pam-
phlet dedicated to a friend and entitled La casa di Don Bosco in Torino
[Don Bosco's House in Turin]. "In this home," he wrote, "one cannot
help feeling inspired to do good. There is an amazing aura of gen-
tleness and joy emanating from everyone's face.... I did not have the
coveted privilege of seeing Don Bosco, who has surrounded himself
with young priests, loving adopted sons. But even though I did not see
him, I am positive that the lifestyle and ambiance of that house is a
reflection of this man. Such excellent fruits as these which you see in
this house tell you what the tree is like which bears such hardy
branches and produces such choice fruits." Then, commenting on the
superiors, Father Orioli adds: "If you approach them without knowing
who they are, you would never guess that they are men of authority,
and this not because you would think them unqualified for the responsi-
bility demanded by their position in this or other houses, but because
19Letter to Don Bosco, Mantua, March 30, 1882. [Author]

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their way of dealing with others is such that they seem to be trying to
remove even the notion that they are superiors. And how your surprise
grows when you see them in the midst of their young students or poor
artisans, showing themselves to be more friends than superiors. In Don
Bosco's house you do not find the oppressive aura of discipline that
pervades other boarding schools. It does your heart good to see these
degreed professors so modest in manner, so unconcerned about their
genuine talents. I could not help remarking to one of them that such an
unassuming attitude on the part of those holding such important posi-
tions in the running of the house and doing so much for society augurs
well for the future. And a canker, as would be an inflated ego, will find
it hard, very hard, to wear down the great Salesian Congregation. I am
sure that in no other school would a mathematics professor ever conde-
scend to accept such lowly tasks as ringing the church bells. But piety
helps in everything. This particular teacher is so modest and selfless
that it would never dawn on you that he is a very talented professor. 20
Yet that is the way it is with Don Bosco and his school."
After describing the workshop, Father Orioli then wrote of the mu-
sic, piety and school curriculum (recall that this was the time when the
Oratory secondary school was under attack), and concluded: "I leave
this house not without deep feelings. Seeing for myself that where
there is a will, there is a way-when the will is animated by love-I
would wish that at least one house like this might arise in every town of
Italy."
The Oratory's belief in Don Bosco's holiness kept being strength-
ened throughout his life every time he made a prediction. We record
two episodes, both occurring in 1882, which cast a very brilliant light
on his prophetic charism. The first concerns [Anthony] Malan, future
Salesian bishop [in Brazil].
5. BISHOP MALAN21
Anthony Malan, emigrating with his parents from Italy to Toulon
[France], had from the age of seven felt a strong desire to become a
20He is alluding to the cleric Camillus Quirino, who later became a coadjutor. A man of keen
intellect, who had a good grasp of several ancient and modern languages and exceptional skills in
mathematics, he humbly refrained from becoming a priest. He always had a high veneration for
Don Bosco, who loved him very dearly. He died in the repute of holiness [on August 11, 1892).
[Author]
21Anthony Malan was born at San Pietro Monterosso (Cuneo) in 1864. His father's name was

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
priest, but, very much aware of his family's limited resources, he did
not have the heart to tell his parents, all the more so because he was the
eldest of five brothers. 22 "Whenever I saw any of my friends studying
for the priesthood," he wrote, "I felt like crying with frustration, and I
would tell myself, 'Forget about it!' Then I would squelch the thought,
but it would soon come back. "
This hurt lasted until he was fourteen. At fifteen he entered the
service of the noble Christian family of De Combaud, who later be-
came the Congregation's great benefactors. They were so good to him
and so generous to his family that in his happiness he gave the
priesthood at best a passing thought. At twenty, however, the idea came
back to him, but, with only two winter sessions of school as a boy with
the Brothers of the Christian Schools, he most certainly did not have
enough preparatory education to get into the seminary. His only chance
was to apply to the Capuchins, but he didn't even try because religious
orders were then being banished from France.
While mourning his lot, he received a letter from the Italian draft
board summoning him to report to Cuneo, the district of his birth, for
possible military service. Countess De Combaud, who had always
taken a warm interest in his spiritual life, advised him to go by way of
Turin and call on Don Bosco. She told him about Don Bosco and gave
him a copy of the biography written by D'Espiney the previous year.
Anthony avidly read the entire book in one day and night. He also
made a novena to Mary, Help of Christians as suggested by Don
Bosco.
He could hardly wait to leave. When he did, many people gave him a
lot of messages for Don Bosco. He had never breathed a word to
anybody of his longing to become a priest. As soon as he arrived in
Turin at daybreak on October 29, he hastened to the Church of Mary,
Help of Christians for a brief visit, just as Don Bosco was finishing his
Mass at St. Peter's altar. As Don Bosco was stepping down from the
Nicholas Mellano, but since other families had the same last name and their house was commonly
known as "Villa Malan," he decided to adopt Malan as his family name. Shortly afterward, the
family emigrated to France. Their new name fitted very well with the French language and so they
decided to adopt it permanently as their last name. (Source: Profili di Missionari Salesiani e
Figlie di Maria Ausiliatrice a cura di Eugenio Valentini, LAS, Roma, 1975. Biographical sketch
by Father Guido Borra, pp. 139-143.) [Editor]
22A report he left gives us the details of what we are about to narrate, save for one which we
obtained from another source: the little flame which Don Bosco saw hovering over Malan's head.
[Author]

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altar, he saw a tiny flame leave the altar of Our Lady and go to hover
over the head of an unknown young man standing erect nearby. Don
Bosco stopped at the altar rail to watch, and then continued into the
sacristy where he began hearing the boys' confessions. When he was
done, he walked out into the playground and there, mingling with the
boys, was Malan, who had entered the playground through the door-
keeper's lodge some half-hour before. As a crowd of boys thronged
about Don Bosco, Malan too stepped forward and kissed his hand. Don
Bosco gazed at him as at a long known friend, exclaiming, "Oh!"
Then, without giving him time to say anything, he told him in French,
"Let's go up to my room; the boys will give us no peace here."
"Do you know me?" the young man asked in French.
"Yes, let's go."
As soon as they reached Don Bosco's room, Malan gave him the
letters he had brought for him. Countess De Combaud could not have
written a word about his vocation since she knew nothing of it. Don
Bosco ran through the letters, now and then inquiring about the writ-
ers, until he had read them all. One woman had given Malan three
francs for Don Bosco to offer a Mass for her, to which the young man
had added three more of his own as a small anonymous donation for
the Oratory. Don Bosco took three francs out and, looking at him,
asked, "Cela te ne privera pas?" [Won't you need them?] He then
began to answer the notes, some on notepaper, some on cards, some on
the back of a holy picture of Mary, Help of Christians without saying a
word. Once through with that, he asked his visitor's name and wrote on
the back of a picture of Our Lady: "0 Marie, protegez votre enfant
Antoine et le conservez dans le chemin du paradis. Abbe Jean Bosco."
[0 Mary, protect Your son Anthony and keep him on the path to
paradise. Fr. John Bosco.]
While Don Bosco was writing, Anthony, nonplussed and flustered,
wanted to ask him if he could be admitted to the Oratory, but he did not
know how to begin. Should he tell him everything or only seek advice
about his vocation? He was reluctant to ask because the only time he
had dared to mention it in confession to a French religious priest, he
had received a discouraging reply. Later he was to write, "Only God
knows what went on in my heart at that moment."
Don Bosco finally put down his pen and, facing him, handed him the
answers to the people's notes along with the holy picture he had written
for him, urging him never to give it away. Then he looked at him with a

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smile and said in French: "Now that we have talked about everyone
else, let's talk about you. You will soon be coming to stay with me,
won't you?" Malan, who was already deeply moved, on hearing these
words, burst into tears, fell to his knees and made an effort to reply, but
for several moments could only sob. "Why the tears?" asked Don
Bosco. Malan would have liked to tell him that it was because of his
question and that indeed he did so desire to become a Salesian but had
not had the nerve to say so. Finally, heedless of the words, he asked
Don Bosco if he were serious. Still gazing smilingly upon him, he
answered, "Je dis tres serieusement." [I am speaking very seriously.]
Again the tears began to flow. Still smiling, Don Bosco repeated that
it was Mary Most Holy, the Help of Christians, who wanted it that way.
Malan writes: "I could no longer tell where I was or what I was doing.
My emotional upset, coming from deep within me, lasted a good
fifteen minutes. Then I made my confession to this gentle father and
told him all. Oh, what comfort, what joy!"
Malan then took leave of Don Bosco because many people were
waiting. His visit had lasted an hour and a half. The next day he
returned to see Don Bosco and the matter of his vocation was settled
with the utmost calm.
"Where are you coming from now?" Don Bosco asked.
"From Cuneo. I had to check in with the draft board."
"How did you make out?"
"I was exempted. "
Don Bosco then told him he should soon don the clerical habit. "But
my schooling is nothing," Anthony stammered in dismay.
"Can you write your name?"
"Yes, of course!"
"That's enough."
Don Bosco then offered him the choice to go either to Nice or to La
Navarre. One obstacle remained. How was he to leave Countess De
Combaud's service without slighting one who had been so good to
him?
"Very simply," Don Bosco said. "Just write to her that you are
remaining with Don Bosco."
"I will and I'll ask her permission. Then, if you wish, I'll drop
everything and come without delay."
"No, I think so highly of her that I would not like you to leave her so
abruptly. She may be inconvenienced. Return and tell her that you have
met Don Bosco and that he has invited you to become a Salesian."

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"I'll also say I am most anxious to do that, and I'll ask for her
consent."
"Do it tactfully. Don't rush."
With this understanding, he wrote to the countess and then returned
to her residence in Toulon. Dismayed at seeing her painfully moved, he
immediately said: "If you want me to stay, I will, but Don Bosco has
told me I will be a Salesian." He then explained what had happened
during his visit to Turin. "Well, in that case," she answered, "know
that Don Bosco is never wrong in these matters for he is inspired by
God. You may go back. I am glad and have no objections. Do as Don
Bosco says. I will find a way to provide for myself. "
Malan stayed on for three months at the De Combaud residence.
Every evening he would go into the estate's woods to pray and weep at
the foot of a pillar within which was a small niche graced by a statue of
Our Lady. Once, as he was urgently praying to the Blessed Virgin
concerning his vocation, he saw a tiny flame sparkling at the right of
the statue and then moving toward him. His heart was flooded with
wonder and joy at the sight. The first time he met Don Bosco at La
Navarre he told him of this happening and asked him what to make of
it. "By all means," came the response, "give it serious thought, pay it
heed, keep it in mind."
In March 1883 Don Bosco visited the Salesian house at La Navarre
where Anthony had gone some three months after his first meeting
with Don Bosco. A little assembly was given in his honor, at which
Malan also read a welcoming address. As soon as Don Bosco saw him,
he recognized him and exclaimed: "Well, Anthony, have you finally
come to prison?"
"Je suis en paradis" [I am in Heaven], Malan replied.
We have no proof whatever that Don Bosco saw in this poor son of
the working classes a future bishop of Brazil; but looking back we can
safely say that so exceptional a prelude was a harbinger of something
very special. The same is true of Father Michael Unia, though in a
lesser degree.
6. FATHER MICHAEL UNIA
We quote the very first words of the introduction to Father Michael
Unia's biography, author unknown,23 which appeared in 1898. "So far
23Memorie Biografiche del Sac. Michele Unia, sacerdote salesiano [Biographical Memoirs of
Fr. Michael Unia, Salesian priest], San Benigno Canavese, 1898. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
no other Salesian has won the love and admiration showered upon
Father Unia." Michael was a farmer. In 1877, at the age of twenty-
seven, he went to the Oratory on the feast of St. Joseph to ask Don
Bosco to accept him at the Oratory because he wanted to become a
priest. He was told to come the following August. He did not really
intend to become a Salesian, but he had to reckon with Don Bosco.
When Unia arrived on August 1, he was sent to Lanzo for a spiritual
retreat in preparation for his studies. There one day Don Bosco asked
him what he intended to do when he had finished secondary school. "I
mean to go back home," was the resolute answer.
"How about remaining here with me?"
"I always wanted to be a priest at Roccaforte."
"Supposing the Lord wanted you to work in a vaster field?"
"Well, if the Lord showed me that He wanted that ... "
"Do you want a sign?"
"What kind of a sign?"
"Supposing God revealed your conscience to me and I were to tell
you everything you did, would you take that as a sign He wants you to
stay with me?"
Michael had never heard of anything like that and wondered if it
were a serious proposal or a jest, but Don Bosco kept awaiting his
answer.
"All right, then," Michael replied, "tell me what you see on my
conscience. "
"You still have to go to confession, don't you? Well, let me do it for
you. All you have to say is, 'Yes, Father. ' "
Don Bosco then began to run through Michael's past life with such
exactness and detail that Michael at first felt it was all a dream. Every-
thing was revealed, the number and kind and evil intent of every sin.
Deeply shaken beyond all speech, Michael was totally at a loss. "But,
Don Bosco," he finally asked, "how do you know all these sins of
mine?" Seeing how dejected he looked and probably trying to comfort
him, Don Bosco replied: "I know other things too. You were eleven
years old when one Sunday during Vespers you were in the church
choir, and, noticing that a friend of yours sitting next to you was sound
asleep, with his mouth wide open, you took the biggest prune you had
in your pocket and popped it into his mouth. The poor fellow jumped
to his feet, choking, and dashed around, yelling for help. But you don't
have to do any penance for this prank, because the priest, your cousin,

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immediately gave you half a dozen slaps for penance." Michael was
convinced.
He was accepted as a Son of Mary and, after taking the required
courses in Sampierdarena under Father Philip Rinaldi, he was sent to
San Benigno Canavese for his theological studies, again under Father
Rinaldi's direction. There in 1882 Michael was admitted to the sub-
diaconate. He did not want to receive this holy order but Don Bosco
persuaded him to do so and, within the same year, to be ordained a
deacon. However, when his time came for ordination to the priesthood,
scheduled for the Sunday before Christmas, the crisis reached a cli-
max. So inflexible did he become that he was allowed to go to Turin
and see Don Bosco. He wanted at the very least a postponement be-
cause he felt that his studies were inadequate and, as he never tired of
saying, he was still too worldly.
Sitting in Don Bosco's room, he told him the reason for his coming
and, as he warmed up to his topic, he saw that Don Bosco was silently
looking at him with a smile. "So," Don Bosco asked, "you would
prefer not to continue, is that it?"
"Exactly! My head is bursting and I just want to stay as I am."
"What would you want to do?"
"Just drop everything and return home to Roccaforte and do a little
more studying. "
"So you would leave Don Bosco, you of all people?"
"Yes."
"Well, since you tell me your head is bursting, I will fix it up for you
right away. Take mine. " So saying, he took his biretta from his own
head and put it on Michael's head.
"Now go where I send you!" he ordered.
"Even to the ends of the earth?"
"Even to the ends of the earth!"
All fears, doubts and thoughts of returning to Roccaforte vanished in
a flash under that magic biretta. He walked out wearing Don Bosco 's
biretta, which he always kept with him. Today it is a precious relic.
Father Unia really did travel to the end of the world. A very special
vocation took him, with the blessing of his superiors, to the vast leper
colony at Agua de Dios in Colombia. There his heroic self-sacrifice,
which made him contract a fatal disease that prematurely led him to his
death in 1895, brought honor to the Salesian Congregation and to the
Church. His example, followed by that of other generous souls, opened

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
up a new field of Salesian apostolate which is still growing today and
which has brought comfort and salvation to thousands of lepers. Car-
dinal [Mariano] Rampolla, papal secretary of state and protector of the
Salesian Congregation, voiced the grief of Pope Leo Xill and his own,
mourning the tragic loss caused by his death and praising "his exercise
of the most sublime charity. " 24
The gift of healing, the discernment of spirits, and prophecy are
divine charisms abounding in the life of Don Bosco, and one by one,
as they occur, we shall tirelessly record events which came about
exactly as he had predicted. The next subtitle will deal with a few
which occurred in 1882.
7. VISITS TO SALESIAN HOUSES IN ITALY
In July 1882 Don Bosco went to Borgo San Martino to celebrate the
feast of St. Aloysius. Coadjutor Brother John Brigatti was in bed with a
painful attack of sciatica which caused him intense pain. Nothing
seemed to help. Don Bosco was asked to pay him a visit and give him
his blessing. He obliged. "Have you great faith?" he asked.
"Oh yes, Don Bosco."
"Then get up and kneel."
Assisted by others and leaning on a cane, he obeyed, racked by pain,
and received Don Bosco's blessing. Then as he reached out for his cane
to rise, Don Bosco restrained him. His pain had suddenly vanished
never to return again. 25
It was at that time that Don Bosco unwittingly revealed his identity
in the astonishing event narrated by Father John Baptist Lemoyne
concerning the boy Charles, whom Don Bosco was said to have raised
from the dead in 1849,26 though there were no supportive arguments to
prove that he had wrought the wonder. On the first evening of his stay,
wishing to motivate the boys to make a good confession, Don Bosco
dramatically related the happening, but, as he spoke, instead of keep-
ing himself out of the narrative as he had done elsewhere at other times,
in his enthusiastic account he abruptly switched from "he" to "I." "I
24Letter to the Salesian procurator general, December 13, 1895. [Author]
25Father Marchisio was a witness and testified to it during the apostolic process. [Author]
26See Vol. m, pp. 349ff. [Editor]

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entered the room," he stated, and continued, "I spoke to him, he
answered me. " 27 He kept speaking thus for some time, eventually
slipping back into "he" and "him" toward the end of his narrative. We
can imagine the impression made on the boys and the Salesians. Father
Lemoyne, who was present, wrote, "When he finished speaking, he
passed along the line of boys to go to his room, and while all crowded
round him, it was obvious from his gaze and his words that he had no
idea at all of what he had said."
That year too, on visiting the boarding school at Varazze and being
welcomed by the superiors in the hall, he spotted the cleric Francis
Ghigliotto and asked him puzzlingly: "How do you feel?"
"Quite well, Don Bosco."
"Would you feel up to a boxing match with Pertile?" Pertile was a
huskily built cleric.
"Honestly, I've never tried it!" Ghigliotto answered with a chuckle.
Ghigliotto, a full-time teacher who also helped the prefect and super-
vised the boys in the dining room, was never at table with the rest of the
Salesians. But after he had finished his own meal someone told him
that Don Bosco had asked Father Monateri, the director, about the
cleric's health and the director had answered that Ghigliotto was well.
Moments later, however, Don Bosco asked again, "But is Ghigliotto
really well?"
"As far as I know, he is," Father Monateri replied.
Don Bosco's insistence struck the Salesians, but Francis thought
nothing of it, considering it no more than a sign of Don Bosco's
fatherly concern that he was overloaded with work. Don Bosco was
gone from the house hardly two hours when Francis, suddenly feeling
unusually tired, asked the prefect for a substitute to take his place in
the dining room at supper, feeling confident that he would be well
enough to resume his duties the next morning. However, he was bedrid-
den for three months, and was even in danger of death. Obviously Don
Bosco did not wish to say all he knew.
The next anecdote happened while he was visiting the Salesian
house in Vallecrosia. Mr. Joachim Spinelli of Ventimiglia, a teacher in
the city schools, learning that Don Bosco had arrived, immediately
rushed to recommend his very seriously ill mother to him. No sooner
21/bid., p. 353. [Editor]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
did he enter the room than Don Bosco asked him, "Did you come to
ask for a grace?"
"Yes," Spinelli answered and told him why.
"You may set your mind at ease," Don Bosco assured him. "Your
mother will recover."
And she did. Some years later, however, when Don Bosco was again
in Vallecrosia, Mr. Spinelli once more crune to see him because his
mother was again seriously ill. Before he could speak, Don Bosco told
him, "You have returned to ask for the same favor, but this time it will
not be granted. You will see your mother in heaven. " 28
Who could ever assemble all the predictions which Don Bosco
made, most of them in an off-handed way but faithfully fulfilled? In the
fall of 1881 the cleric Angelo Bologna went back to Italy from Mar-
seille to report for military service and left for boot camp toward the
end of the year. Don Bosco, bidding him farewell, told him, "You'll be
back before your time is up." Angelo was dumbfounded and, on leav-
ing Don Bosco's room, repeated those words to the coadjutor Mon-
done.
Incidentally, Don Bosco gave Angelo ten lire, cautioning him not to
mention it to the prefect, lest the latter give him no money at all.
Two years of military service passed, and Angelo looked forward to
his discharge within the year. Now a corporal major, he had more
money and enjoyed greater freedom, so that, entirely forgetting what
Don Bosco had told him, he planned to have a great time in Florence,
especially going to the theater. At just about that time, rumors spread
that in an economic move the Defense Department would draw lots and
discharge a certain number of soldiers in their last year of service.
Bologna was one of them. He then suddenly recalled Don Bosco's
prediction; wasting no time, he unexpectedly appeared at the Oratory,
bubbling with joy.
We have seen only too well in the past chapters how Don Bosco 's
sanctity was severely tried by affliction, but there is more to be said.
We have not yet mentioned one incident deeply wounding Don Bosco
to the heart when the sectarians exploited the well known incident at
our Salesian house in Cremona. 29
28The source of this anecdote is Mr. Spinelli's nephew, Father Joachim Spinelli, a Salesian and
confessor of novices in our novitiate at Cuenca, Ecuador. [Author]
29See Vol. XIII, pp. 497f and Vol. XN, pp. 254f. [Editor]

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8. THE CREMONA CASE
The loss of Father [Stephen] Chicco, who embodied the best traits of
a Salesian director, winning the good will of the more sensible people,
or at least of those who were not tied to the sects, had proven a great
disaster for the school. The anticlerical factions, for whom the Salesian
work was like smoke stinging their eyes, were ever on the alert to seize
the first chance they could find to attack them openly. That chance-
better still, pretext-came.
The year 1881 ended peacefully. In July the Superior Chapter had
drawn up some basic principles for an agreement making the residence
adjacent to St. Lawrence Church their own. So pleased was the bishop
that he anticipated Don Bosco and was the first to send him Christmas
and New Year's greetings. Don Bosco respectfully and affectionately
replied:
Your Excellency:
Turin, December 30, 1881
I am somewhat embarrassed that you were the first to send me best wishes,
an honor beyond my merits.
Let this simple note carry out that serious duty of gratitude which binds us
all to Your Excellency. Please continue to extend your protection over us, and
we shall redouble our efforts to serve and please you in all things that you
judge to be for God's greater glory and the welfare of souls.
I trust that when necessary you will kindly give the Salesians appropriate
fatherly counsels, or reprimands, if necessary.
As I ask for the favor of your sacred blessing, I am honored to remain with
greatest reverence,
Your most devotedly,
Fr. John Bosco
The new year also began well. In February the new director called
the first meeting of the Cremona cooperators. Hardly did he have time
to introduce himself at that first formal presentation of Salesian work in
Cremona when all hell broke loose, and he was swept away in the rack
and ruin of his house. Don Bosco seems to have had a premonition of
the disaster, for during the previous fall vacation (Father Chicco died
on September 16)30 he was inclined to withdraw the Salesians from
30According to the Necrologio Salesiano he died on September 17, 1881. [Editor]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
Cremona. The Superior Chapter, however, did not share his view, and
he yielded to them. We should make it clear that Cremona was a hotbed
of Rosmini's followers. 31 In addition there were some thirty renegade
priests, part-time teachers, living as men of the world. The town itself
was controlled fully by the Freemasons. For all of these factions the
Salesians were more than an irritant; they were a thorn in the side.
In brief this is what happened. Father Hermenegild Musso, who
taught elementary school, had talked some boys into accepting silly
and outlandish penances, such as allowing nettles to be placed under
their shirts, or hot candle wax to be dropped on their bare backs. He
was, obviously, a religious fanatic. Such things could not be kept secret
for long. Some of the boys' families complained to the superiors, who
promptly dismissed the whole affair as idle talk. One father, whose
complaint had gone unheeded, walked out highly indignant. He unbur-
dened himself to the first friend he met, who immediately took him to
the police to press charges. On learning of this latest step, the director,
in an effort to protect the school, went to the father-a man, inciden-
tally, who bore the Salesians little if any grudge and who later sent his
son to the Oratory [in Turin]. The father regretted his hasty action, but
it was too late. Justice struck swiftly and mercilessly. Although there
was not a shadow of immorality in the case, the charges were based on
that allegation. Father Musso luckily managed to leave in time. The
sentence passed upon him of imprisonment for only three months
clearly shows that he was not found guilty of child abuse. Still, the
school was forced to close down, and that was what the Freemasons
wanted. Attorney Villa, the defense lawyer, who was paid his fee,
wisely let time run out for an appeal to the higher courts in Brescia.
That those who had formerly been friends of the school abandoned
the Salesians to the enemy's wrath should not terribly surprise us,
considering that the liberal press had widely published the news, bla-
tantly distorting the facts and resorting to the foulest slander.
Father Durando immediately rushed to Rome to consult top officials
in the department of education. Friends of Don Bosco introduced him
to Monsignor Louis Baccelli, brother of the minister of public educa-
31Anthony Rosmini (1797-1855) was a philosopher and the founder of the Institute of Charity.
He also served as an advisor to Pius IX, but gradually fell into the Pope's disfavor. Some of his
works were condemned by the Congregation of the Index. His philosophical system is known as
Rosminianism. [Editor]

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tion, who gave him a letter of introduction to the minister, stating:
"The bearer of this note is Father Durando. Do all you can for him as
you would for me. He is well known in literary circles and has high
connections. " When Father Durando called on the minister, he was
out, but his secretary took the note, read it, and on learning what it was
all about confidentially told Father Durando, "I'd gladly help you if I
could. The only thing you can do is to try to soothe at least one of those
people in Cremona. It is an unwritten policy that the minister does not
interfere in these matters. If that is what they want out there (alluding
to the Freemasons) we have no way of fighting them." But Father
Durando did not give up. That same evening he obtained an audience
with the minister himself, who received him courteously but told him,
"My secretary has already given you the answer. There is no other
way."
Archbishop Gastaldi, who kept a hawk's eye on the Salesians, im-
mediately, without bothering to find out what really took place, notified
the Vatican. Leo XIII consulted Cardinal Nina, expressing his grief
that a Salesian should have been accused of immoral conduct. For-
tunately Father Durando was able to give the cardinal a full account.
Quite pleased, the latter promised that the following morning he would
clear Father Musso before the Pope. 32 The archbishop's letter did ev-
erything short of provoking an apostolic investigation by Cardinal Fer-
rieri in all Salesian boarding schools, which were being depicted as
hotbeds of immorality. It later came to light that Leo XIII had reso-
lutely forbidden any such ill-advised intervention. 33
At the same time that the Cremona boarding school was being shut
down, a new school was being blocked from opening at Castellazzo
Bormida.
9. CASTELLAZZO BoRMIDA
The same struggle-only on a much smaller scale-which at Cre-
mona had riled the masonic press and its sympathizers throughout
Italy, took place all over again within a more restricted area; in fact it
did not go beyond a certain clique or anticlerical journal of the Ales-
sandria province. Basically, it was an attack upon private schools or,
32Letter from Father Dalmazzo to Don Bosco, Rome, May 15, 1882. [Author]
33Letter from Father Dalmazzo to Don Bosco, Rome, October 25, 1882. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
rather, upon schools run by priests or religious and particularly Sale-
sian schools, since Don Bosco was the standard-bearer of the Church's
renewed activity in the education of youth. One Roman newspaper,34
vilifying the "notorious Don Bosco" in connection with the Musso
affair, had crudely blurted it all out, stating: "Be it as it may, it is to be
hoped that this shameful incident will teach a badly needed lesson both
to those families who are biased toward certain schools taught by
certain priests and to the government which, in the name of tolerance,
does not exercise proper surveillance over them."
Briefly these are the facts. Professor [Joseph] Boidi,35 who had
designed the monumental main door of St. John the Evangelist Church
in Turin, had worked very hard to get the Salesians to his native town of
Castellazzo Bormida. With the best of intentions he began to negotiate
with the municipal board. The building to be adapted into a Salesian
boarding school was a former Passionist monastery, in one room of
which, still preserved, St. Paul of the Cross had written the rules of his
Congregation. Most of the townsfolk, if not all, wanted the Salesian
presence, but, of course, there was that usual core of liberals who in
those days-regardless of who ran the government-acted as lords of
creation, convinced that the government was at their beck and call.
Incensed by the town fathers' decision, they staged a little demonstra-
tion of their own, which they claimed to be the people's battle cry
against the town board's treason. This prompted a certain Professor
Ricagni, who taught in Sicily and posed as a follower of Carducci,36 to
address a literary club on August 6,37 and later to have his speech
published, fueling a dispute between the Alessandria newspapers in
favor of the decision and those against it.
The professor faced a scanty audience. For an hour the fuming
lecturer raved and ranted, deploring religious schools in modem times,
most especially Don Bosco's schools, which subverted youngsters with
unsound, inadequate and anti-national teaching. In the last analysis,
who was this Don Bosco? A ringleader of the clerical party, who
'34Messaggero, in an article entitled "What a Fine Priest!" March 3, 1882. [Author]
35See p. 310. [Editor]
36Giosue Carducci (1835-1907), the greatest Italian poet of the second half of the nineteenth
century, was awarded the Nobel prize for literature in 1906. He was also a renowned author of
historical studies in literary criticism. [Editor]
37Giovanni Ricagni, Don Bosco e l'istruzione nei suoi collegi [Don Bosco and Education in
His Boarding Schools], Alessandria, Jacquemod Press, 1882. [Author]

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conned the populace with promises of ephemeral benefits. Castellazzo
Bormida had to be shielded from such a serious peril!
Meanwhile a legal contract had been drawn up between Don Bosco
and the municipality, but it meant nothing, for a protest signed by
many people and presented to the prefect of the province could blow up
the entire project. Alessandria's ultra-liberal Osservatore reported in its
issue of August 26: "Even two priests, professors of note, whose
unprejudiced opinions and well-known untainted integrity are recog-
nized and hailed, have added their signatures to the protest against Don
Bosco!" The outcome of it all was forecast by this paper in a piece of
journalism typical of the so-called liberal thinking of the day: "We
have no doubt that the highest authority in the province, guided by a
wisely liberal government, will, with due prudence and customary
firmness, come to the aid of our cause. Ours is a holy cause arousing a
fruitful discontent and a wholesome unrest here in Castellazzo, which
probably has or will have some seventeen churches and must tolerate
every so often a pompous pageant of four or five bishops officiating
solemnly, and, God only knows how or why, it must open its arms to
Capuchin friars (sic), though it is second to none in holding liberal
principles. As regards obedience to the law, reverence to the royal
family of Savoy and love of our liberal institutions, Castellazzo has
always won the merited praise of good people and earned the esteem of
both government and provincial authorities. No, we shall never have
Don Bosco here!" They won, despite the hope expressed by one who
knew the facts. 38 "That boisterous lecture was quickly forgotten," he
wrote. "The good people of Castellazzo only yearn for the day they
will see their town blessed by so precious an institution." Don Bosco,
a man of peace, sensing the opposition of some of the local clergy to
his Salesians, thought it best to back down and bide his time. He
covered his retreat with the excuse of insufficient personnel.
The holiness which gave Don Bosco strength to withstand patiently
such shameless affronts also acted like a powerful magnet to draw the
hearts of good people. It was to see and hear a saint that French
pilgrims, on their return from Rome, stopped off at the Oratory.
38Letter from the parish priest, Father John Barizione, to Father Bonetti, Alessandria, August
26, 1882. Father Bonetti exposed Professor Ricagni's fallacies in the September issue of the
Bollettino Salesiano, but Professor Ricagni was rewarded with a teaching post in a Turin lyceum.
[Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
10. FRENCH PILGRIMS
In October 1882 a group of French pilgrims on their way back from
the Holy Land and from Rome, before crossing the Alps, stayed over-
night in Turin. They first visited the Church of St. John the Evangelist,
brightly decorated for its imminent consecration; then in the afternoon
they prayed at the shrine of Our Lady of Consolation and lastly
gathered at the Oratory. There, after a church service, they were given
an open-air welcome with song, music and speeches. At their request,
Don Bosco closed the little reception with a talk which issued straight
from his heart and emanated his candid simplicity, revealing once more
his profound love for Catholic France and his heartfelt gratitude for the
charity continuously shown him by French Catholics. 39
Private audiences immediately followed the reception. One of the
pilgrims asking to see Don Bosco was a Joseph Ciappei of Leghorn.
Penniless and wearing the habit of a Franciscan tertiary, he had joined
the French pilgrimage intending to live entirely on alms in a spirit of
piety, as did the early hermits. Begging a pittance here and there from
people on the train and the ship, he got enough money to pay his way.
His food he begged from compassionate pilgrims, all of whom had
brought baskets of provisions. He probably meant to continue with the
pilgrimage as far as Lourdes. After a lengthy wait, his tum finally
came to see Don Bosco, but just then the secretary came out to say that
Don Bosco was too exhausted and asked to be excused if he brought the
audiences to an end. But in their eagerness at least to kiss his hand no
one budged.
Shortly afterward, Don Bosco came out on his way to supper. The
pilgrims clustered about him. He did not know the tertiary Franciscan,
nor did anyone know how terribly hungry the poor traveler was. Leav-
ing the party to visit several churches, he had not joined them at lunch.
He intended to call on the Capuchin monastery that evening after his
audience with Don Bosco to beg food and a place to rest. Looking at
him, Don Bosco exclaimed: "But this pilgrim has had nothing to eat all
day and has no place to sleep!" Taking the astonished tertiary by the
hand, he brought him to the dining room and bade him sit at table.
"Eat, eat, my good pilgrim," he said, "for you need it." After he had
39Bulletin Salesien, November 1882. [Author]

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eaten, Don Bosco said: "This man has no place to sleep," and he had a
room prepared for him.
This room opened on to the balcony leading to Don Bosco's room.
The following morning the tertiary, very anxious to discuss spiritual
matters with Don Bosco, left his room, hoping to learn where Don
Bosco might be at that early hour, and as he did so, Don Bosco stepped
out of his room. The pilgrim joined him at once and freely engaged in
conversation with him, thus fulfilling his every wish.
We cannot pinpoint the date of another anecdote, but it certainly
must have taken place between 1880 and 1882.40 On that occasion Don
Bosco disillusioned a woman of her prejudice and taught her a needed
lesson.
11. A WELL-DESERVED LESSON
A countess living at Nizza Monferrato entertained doubts about Don
Bosco's holiness, specifically expressing disbelief in his supernatural
powers. One day she and Don Bosco found themselves dinner guests of
Countess [Gabrielle] Corsi; with Don Bosco were Father Lemoyne and
Father Francesia. The lady, who had been seated next to Don Bosco,
kept breaking into the table talk several times to ask him whether he
really could read the secrets of people's hearts. Each time Don Bosco
tried to change the subject; he finally told her very gently that certain
topics were out of place at the dinner table. Obstinately, however, she
kept insisting until she challenged him almost in mockery. "Tell me
now," she said, "is there anything you know about me?" Don Bosco
felt that it was time to speak up. Leaning slightly toward her and
covering his lips with his hand, he whispered a few words in her ear.
Instantly she fell silent, ashen gray. She rose to her feet and left the
room. Believing she had become ill, someone hastened after her, but
all she said was to summon Don Bosco because she wanted to go to
confession. Don Bosco was told, but he replied that they were to leave
her alone, and he remained seated at the table. Later, it appears, she did
go to confession. What is definite is that from that day on she changed
her life and became Don Bosco's benefactress. However, it should be
pointed out that, though she strove to keep up appearances, it was
fairly well known that she was not living a genuine Christian life.
40Father Lemoyne told the story to several people, among them Father Angelo Lovisolo.
[Author]

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CHAPTER 19
CZaire Louvet:
An Outstanding Salesian Cooperator
THE holy women who had a good understanding of Jesus
"and provided for Him out of their means" (Lk. 8, 3) were but the first
of an unbroken series of others who in countless ways sought to aid
both the ministerial clergy and the saintly persons raised by God for
special missions in His Church. It is difficult, if not impossible, to find
a saint more reserved in his relationships to women than Don Bosco,
and yet an extraordinary number of wealthy and noble ladies, animated
solely by genuine Christian charity, made no end of sacrifices to assist
him as best they could in his undertakings. One such providential
woman whom we now introduce to our readers is Miss Claire Louvet.
Fifty-three letters written to her by Don Bosco, all but three in French,
bring out her resplendent personality. Just as we have given ample
coverage in these Memoirs to Count [Louis Anthony] Colle, so we feel
that we should do the same for Miss Louvet. We know very little of the
generous aid which Don Bosco received throughout his life from his
benefactors in Italy and elsewhere. Often their own left hands did not
know what their right hands were doing. The' little we do know is so
obscure that we could never make a rough estimate of their total contri-
butions. Hence, now that we have been lucky enough to chance upon a
veritable treasure of authentic, original documents recording the
largesse of a particular generous person, it is only right that we should
take advantage of this providential trove and understandably seek to
unravel the mysteries of Christian charity-the sentiments inspiring
outstanding benefactors to give without stint and the undaunted inces-
sant begging of the ever "poor Don Bosco."
Don Bosco was first told of Miss Claire Louvet by the director of St.
Pierre's Hospice in Nice, Father Joseph Ronchail, who praised her
486

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487
goodness and charity to the skies. Miss Louvet lived in Aire-sur-Lys in
the department of Pas-de-Calais, the daughter of a top-ranking military
officer. Deeply impressed by the fame of holiness associated with Don
Bosco's name, she was very anxious to meet him. It was no problem
for her, because she regularly vacationed on the Cote d'Azur at the
same season that Don Bosco would go there to solicit aid. They were
two souls ideally suited to understand each other, and certainly it was
not without a special design that Divine Providence brought them
together. From that happy moment Miss Louvet constantly nurtured so
profound a reverence for Don Bosco that with charming spontaneity
she opened the depths of her spiritual life to him and set no limit to her
generosity in his regard. In tum Don Bosco treated her like a daughter,
with fatherly kindness, candidly confiding his manifold needs to her.
Their correspondence runs from January 1, 1882 to September 5,
1887. In one of his first letters, 1 Don Bosco asked if she could read his
illegible scrawl or if she would rather have his secretary, who had good
penmanship, write for him. Her answer was that she preferred to see Don
Bosco's handwriting. In fact his letters to her are in his own hand. Nor
was she troubled by his French, rather loose in both syntax and style;
with exquisite finesse, she religiously treasured all his letters.
Fairly well-off financially, and unwaveringly generous, she never felt
she had given enough to charity, as their correspondence amply shows.
Miss Louvet first went to Turin toward the end of 1881, accompanied by
a Miss Deslyons, and both stayed with the Daughters of Mary, Help of
Christians, who fondly looked forward to their return. On reaching
home she informed Don Bosco of her safe arrival and enclosed a note
for five hundred francs for his works. But when she went the following
year for the feast of Mary, Help of Christians she did much more. She
promised to make him a handsome pledge for his name day [June 24].
On receiving her first payment, Don Bosco wrote to her:2 "You prom-
ise to fulfill the pledge which your goodness prompted you to make. I
thank you, my very kind lady, and accept your donation most gratefully
before God. But please send the rest in your own good time as circum-
stances will permit." She however chose to keep her word so promptly
and solicitously that her pledge was honored a full week before his
1Turin, August 5, 1882. [Author]
2'furin, May 31, 1882. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
name day. Acknowledging her closing donation, Don Bosco wrote:3 ''A
floral bouquet of ten thousand francs to wish me well on the feast of our
dear St. John [the Baptist]. 0 my lady, if everyone coming here that
day were to bring similar bouquets, I would soon be another
Rothschild! "4
Occasionally, so timely were her donations that they seemed inspired
by Divine Providence. "Let me tell you an interesting tale," he wrote
to her in July 1882. "I was faced with a considerable debt for the
seminary where we train young men for the priesthood and, not know-
ing where to tum, I thought, 'If I did not think it indiscreet I would ask
Miss Louvet for the money, but she has already given and continues to
give so much that I must be reasonable.' Meanwhile July 14 came
around. True, I did manage to scrape some money together, but I was
still short two thousand francs. And lo and behold, Divine Providence
steps in. The mailman arrives and hands me a registered letter contain-
ing two thousand francs. How did that happen? Truly the Lord inspired
Miss Louvet to anticipate her gift and send me the exact sum I needed
at the time the debt came due. Blessed be God! A thousand thanks to
you!"
A similar thing happened at the beginning of 1884. "You have al-
ways been a true Providence to us," Don Bosco began his letter dated
January 2. "This past week Father Rua was faced with a considerable
debt. While he and I were discussing how we might find the money, in
comes your registered letter containing two thousand francs. Blessed
be God! May He bountifully reward your charity! We shall certainly
offer up continuous prayers for you!"
On October 8, 1882, Miss Louvet returned a third time to Turin,
again staying with the Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians. She then
volunteered to collect sums for the Sacred Heart Church in Rome, and
that December she sent in her report with five hundred francs. "There
are only six donors on the list," Don Bosco observed, "and Miss
Louvet's name is down for three hundred and ninety-five francs. This
contribution squares up everything. "5
In January 1883 he wrote to her that in April he would be in Paris and
3Turin, June 17, 1882. [Author]
4A German Jew who founded and gave his name to a powerful bank, which was continued and
expanded by his sons. [Author]
5San Benigno, October 5, and Turin, December 18, 1882. [Author]

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from there might go to Aire to pay her a visit unless she was still away
at her usual spa. In that case he would defer his visit to another time.
Then humorously he added, "But you will answer me, 'If you come to
Aire I have some money set aside for you. ' However, this is something
we can settle in due time. Let's look for something less expensive but
more beneficial to your health. Just have the money ready, and the
postal service will certainly come to our aid. But please, don't take me
seriously."
Miss Louvet's letters were always a harbinger of bountiful charity,
Don Bosco assured her when thanking her for her five hundred francs. 6
In that same letter, praying that the Blessed Virgin would be with her
on a pilgrimage to Lourdes, he expressed the hope that Our Lady
would lead her to Turin, where the Daughters of Mary, Help of Chris-
tians always kept a room ready for her. We do not know whether she
came or not.
On his trip to France in 1883 Don Bosco agreed to take charge of St.
Gabriel's Hospice in Lille in northern France, not far from Aire. Father
Albera and Father De Barruel had gone there in December to prepare
the house for opening. Miss Louvet immediately asked how she could
endow several places for orphans. "Just now don't think of any endow-
ments," Don Bosco advised. 7 "Everything in its own time. At present
we have to meet staggering debts for the construction of the new church
and hospice in Rome and overwhelming expenses to finance our mis-
sionaries and missions among the Patagonian Indians." In due time
Miss Louvet set up a trust fund to maintain five orphans, as Father
Alvin Ronchail, former director of the hospice, testified.
There was a time when Miss Louvet feared that her donations did not
always reach Don Bosco, and she warned him of this. At first, in the
above letter, he replied that he had never noticed that any of the enve-
lopes had become unsealed in the mail, but later8 he had to admit that
some of the letters had been tampered with and their money taken.
When Miss Louvet felt that she should make good the stolen money, he
disapproved. "Never mind," he wrote. "My thanks to you for now.
The bulk of mail we receive does not allow us to check and ascertain if
any pieces have been opened. Still, we shall not fail to be on guard."
6Turin, August 19, 1883. [Author]
7Turin, December 21, 1883. [Author]
8Turin, February 14, 1884. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
Don Bosco wished that she would come to Rome in 1884 for the
blessing of the church's cornerstone, but, since in those hectic years
rumors of impending war would periodically circulate and frighten her,
he wrote to her,9 "Do not be shaken by what you read in the French
newspapers. You can safely travel to Rome, where you will find Don
Bosco waiting for you." It appears, however, that she did not go.
Cholera struck in 1884. Don Bosco spent August of that year at the
home of the bishop of Pinerolo, from where he wrote to her: "Here I
am in Pinerolo indulging my laziness. The bishop is a kind father to
me. Everybody at the Oratory is enjoying good health; so too our
Salesians and boys in our houses in France." Miss Louvet hastened to
assure him of her prayers and sent him a donation, for which Don
Bosco thanked her. "Just now," he wrote, "your prayers are most
needed. Please keep praying. Your kind gift of a thousand francs will
help some child orphaned by the cholera and will doubtless be your
protection. I have some good news for you. Thanks to Mary, Help of
Christians, all our orphans' benefactors have been spared from the
scourge harassing France. This includes you too, my dear Miss
Louvet. " 10 Once more, in autumn, he gently appealed to his bene-
factress' charity for the same cause: 11 "This time it is not my intent to
ask you for your charitable aid because you always help us whenever
you can. However, just now I am greatly worried by lack of funds. The
cholera epidemic has packed our houses with orphans, leaving us to
shift for ourselves. Please pray but do only what your means allow.
Meanwhile we have prayed and will keep on praying for you, for your
health, especially that the evil now harassing both our nations may be
kept far from you. 0 Mary, keep Your daughter Claire on the path
leading to heaven!"
His words could not help but touch his generous benefactress' heart,
and a week later he wrote to tell her that he had received her very kind
letter and the enclosed donation. He also suggested that she could save
on postage when sending checks to Turin by marking on the envelope:
"Declared value, one hundred francs." Through this simple formality,
regardless of the actual sum in the envelope, it always reached the
Oratory safely. 12
9Thrin, February 26, 1884. [Author]
10Pinerolo, August IO and 18, 1884. [Author]
11San Benigno, October 4, 1884. [Author]
12Turin, October 12, 1884. [Author]

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During the Immaculate Conception novena he received another kind
letter from her with a note of five hundred francs. Thanking her for "her
boundless charity," he said that he wished God would reward her "a
hundredfold over and over again" and once more banished her fears
about the current political trends. "Please don't let present day events
upset you," he wrote. "Be sure that the Blessed Virgin Mary will guide
you and shield you from all life's dangers. " 13 Another time, sending her
his New Year's greetings, 14 he wrote: "I am very sorry that your health
has weakened these past few days. Our priests, clerics and orphans pray
for you morning and night at the altar of Mary, Help of Christians. Take
heart. Your hour has not yet come. Let nothing frighten you!"
The ravaging scourge of cholera had disrupted normal communica-
tions between Italy and France; on their resumption Don Bosco found
that he again had to knock at Miss Louvet's door. A fire at the Oratory
had caused damage amounting to one hundred thousand lire, but there
were no fatalities. He told her about it on February 1, 1885, very
delicately, mentioning only his needs. As regards the fire's conse-
quences, he merely stated, "Divine Providence has always been at our
side and will not forsake us now in this hour of extraordinary need." A
truly Christian letter from her promptly reached Don Bosco with a
thousand francs which Father Rua just as promptly put to good use. In
return Don Bosco promised that prayers for her intentions would be
said every day throughout Lent, especially that God would keep her in
good health. 15
Unfortunately, however, Miss Louvet's condition showed no im-
provement. For a speedy recovery she mused about a trip to Italy. "You
could do no better," Don Bosco urged her on February 27. "As soon as
you have made up your mind, let me know. The Daughters of Mary,
Help of Christians are joyfully awaiting you. Please tell me in advance,
and let me know if you will have a companion with you. If Father
Engrand should accompany you he is welcome to have his meals and
lodging with us during his stay in Turin. Please let me know your
plans. I shall consider it my good fortune to be at your disposal in every
spiritual and temporal way I can."
Father Engrand, a worthy Salesian cooperator from Aire and a close
13Turin, November 30, 1884. [Author]
I4Turin, January 8, 1885. [Author]
15Thrin, February 21 and 27, 1885. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
relative of Miss Louvet, would occasionally send Don Bosco dona-
tions. We have four letters of Don Bosco to Father Engrand, whom he
called his dear friend. We find no further reference to a trip to Italy, but
a gap in their correspondence extending from February 27 to August 12
[1885], St. Claire's feast day, may mean that she actually did go to
Turin. There is further silence up to October 7. Don Bosco's thanks for
new donations show up again in the first line of his letter to her dated
October 15. "Thank you for your charity," he wrote. From the letter we
also learn that Miss Louvet was unsuccessfully trying to rent or sell a
piece of property. "I too regret that," wrote Don Bosco. "The loss is
mine, because the less money you have, the less we can do for our
orphans. But the Blessed Virgin will put all things right: better health,
rain for the fields and a more abundant harvest will straighten every-
thing out." He closed his letter expressing the great comfort he had
derived from the hope she gave him of seeing her again. "All the
Salesians pray that this will come true," he told her. "Let us hope that
public events and your personal affairs will permit it."
In February 1886 he was still waiting for her visit. Following is the
letter that he then wrote her:
My kind Miss Louvet,
Turin, February 7, 1886
We have celebrated the feast of St. Francis de Sales and held our con-
ference, but we did not forget to offer many prayers for your health and peace
of mind. The newspapers talk of turmoil in France, but keep calm. Nothing
will harm you. I do however recommend that you wear a medal of Mary, Help
of Christians. Just now we have with us three missionaries from Patagonia
who have brought us good news about your proteges. 16 They will stay with us
two more weeks.
Won't you drop in to visit us sometime this year? I hope you do, for my
health keeps me here in Valdocco all winter long. The Daughters of Mary,
Help of Christians impatiently await you.
All the Salesians send their regards and are praying for you; we all recom-
mend ourselves to your prayers.
16Pagans baptized by the missionaries. He calls them "her proteges" because of her assistance
to the missions. [Author]

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The Blessed Virgin will shield and guide you always on the path to heaven.
Amen.
Yours gratefully,
Fr. John Bosco
P.S. At your convenience please give our Aire cooperators my best wishes
and assure them that I shall not fail to remember them in my daily Mass.
Feeling somewhat stronger, Don Bosco cut short his convalescence
and went to Spain in the latter part of March, 17 but returned in complete
exhaustion. "My state of health," he wrote to her on July 27 [1886],
"has forced me to give up any kind of work, but now, feeling that I can
do something, I must write to you, my kind friend."
Reading between the lines, we can tell that her contributions far
exceeded those we find specifically noted. For instance, Don Bosco's
letter dated December 26, 1886, begins as follows: "You are charity
personified"-an obvious reference to a handsome Christmas gift
from her. There are other instances during that same year. From a
sentence of Don Bosco in his letter of July 27, we can infer that Miss
Louvet had just successfully completed an important financial deal
benefiting the Salesian Congregation. In fact, he wrote: "First, let me
say that the transactions concerning us were handled by Father Rua in
agreement with the intentions you expressed in your letters to him and
personally to me. We are now fully tranquil about those matters." Very
simply then he passes on to another matter, asking, "Are your maids
doing their work properly? And are you and your family always patient
with them?" Since cholera once again had broken out in France, he
urged her to have no fears and not to leave her country. "Nothing will
harm you," he wrote, "and even though there may be danger about
you, it will not touch you." He ended up with some news about
himself: "I shall spend a couple of weeks with the bishop of Pinerolo.
My health is improving considerably here. All the Salesians are pray-
ing daily for your intention. May God bless us and may the Blessed
Virgin guard you and help you make out my awful scribble."
We could more exactly calculate her total contributions if we could
17Alassio, March 19, 1886. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
know the greater sums of money she gave to Don Bosco when they
would meet in France and Italy; however, all of that was swallowed into
the vast sea of funds provided by the Salesian cooperators. Further-
more, she personally told Father Moitel, a Salesian she had sponsored
through his training, that she had destroyed some of Don Bosco's
letters to her. Running through the remaining correspondence, we
glean whatever else can tell us more in this regard.
To Don Bosco's appeal to cooperators for funds to finance another
missionary expedition, she responded with usual promptness. "Your
charity is most timely," Don Bosco wrote on November 6. "Your
thousand-franc note has considerably helped speed up preparations for
our missionary expedition to Patagonia and Brazil. Not only our mis-
sionaries but also the Indians to be saved through your charity will pray
for you and win you a great reward. The Salesians and I will offer
special prayers for your health and holiness, as also for that of your
family and for the success of your business affairs."
The last of Miss Louvet's contributions to Don Bosco which is
specifically mentioned in their correspondence-certainly not the last
in his lifetime-was that of five hundred francs for the feast of the
Immaculate Conception. Indeed, in March 1887 he wrote to tell her of
the disaster wrought by an earthquake that most certainly must have
touched both her heart and her purse.
My dear Miss Louvet:
Turin, March 15, 1887
Not a word from you about your health after all the disasters threatening us!
Just two words would bring me comfort.
The earthquake has sorely tried us. All our houses have felt its effects to
some degree, but our church, hospice and school at Ventimiglia are in utter
ruins. Thank God, all in the house, priests and pupils, are safe. Our heartfelt
thanks go to God and to Mary, Help of Christians. Please pray now that the
Lord may come to our aid!
Will you pay us a visit this year for the consecration of the Church of the
Sacred Heart of Jesus in Rome? It is set for May 14.
We always pray for you, for your serenity and peace of mind. Please pray
for all our young orphans, our missionaries, and one who will always be in
Our Lord Jesus Christ,
Your most grateful and humble servant,
Fr. John Bosco

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Though Claire Louvet did not go to Rome, Don Bosco wrote to her
immediately upon his arrival there.
My dear Miss Louvet:
Rome, May 3, 1887
I am in Rome for the consecration and inauguration of the Sacred Heart
Church and Oratory; God willing, I shall be back in Turin by the 16th of this
month. I hope to see you on the 18th at the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales to
discuss matters which redound to God's glory and the honor of the Blessed
Virgin Mary, Help of Christians.
May God bless and generously reward your charity. Please pray for our
young orphans, who pray daily for your intention, as I too have the honor of
doing every morning in a memento during holy Mass.
May God guide us! May the Blessed Virgin protect us and our benefactors
in all life's perils. Amen.
Most gratefully yours,
Fr. John Bosco
We think we can rightly guess that the "matters" he refers to con-
cerned investments for charitable purposes. Miss Louvet did go to
Turin for the feast of Mary, Help of Christians, but she was extremely
distressed to find Don Bosco practically drained of all strength! She
was sorely grieved by her own presentiment that she would never see
him again and by a few words of his to the same effect. As Don Bosco
said goodbye to her, he noticed how deeply saddened she was, and so
he hastened to reach her by mail:
[Turin] Valsalice College, June 12, 1887
I trust that you had a pleasant trip to Aire and are enjoying good health; that
is my prayer for you in my daily Mass.
You spent a few days with us, but as you left I thought that you were upset
even to tears. This saddened me. It may be that you did not fully grasp what I
have always told you, that our relationship here on earth is not to be a lasting
one; only in eternal life will our days be spent in everlasting joy. Forever and
ever we shall have what our hearts desire.
Presently, Turin's heat is so intense that it threatens to cook us alive. So I
have come here to Valsalice, where the cooler air [of the hills] gives me much
relief. All I need now is your presence to boost my spirits a bit. But let's be
patient. I shall not leave off saying a special prayer for you every morning at
holy Mass; so too for Miss Lyons.

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
ls Father Engrand's health improving? Can he do any work? The Salesians
are all talking about you and your charity, but they also assure me that they
pray for you daily.
What about war, you ask? Keep calm. As soon as I see the slightest danger,
I will immediately warn you, that is, if I am still among the living.
God bless you, my kind friend. May the Blessed Virgin keep you in good
health for years to come and guide you ever securely on the road to heaven.
Your most grateful servant,
Fr. John Bosco
It was by prayers, Communions and Masses that Don Bosco habitu-
ally expressed his gratitude to his benefactress on receiving her charita-
ble contributions, on the principal feast days of the year and on her
name day. The extensive documentation left to us-our readers will
not mind-allows us to study at length the sentiments he voiced on
these three occasions. 18
We have already seen several examples of his customary expressions
of gratitude on receiving a donation, and so we shall add but little to
that. On one occasion he wrote to her, "You are far away, and yet a
special memento is being made of you each day at holy Mass." An-
other time he wrote, "The Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians often
speak to me about you and wish you the best; they remember you
particularly every day in their community prayers."
He became more expansive on important celebrations like Christ-
mas. In 1882 he wrote: "Our young orphans send you special thanks
for your kindness to them because they are in very dire need. They lack
bread and clothing in this cold climate of ours. And so they pray and
will keep praying in a special way for their benefactors. " The follow-
ing year he told her: "You are very aware that we offer special prayers
every day for your intentions, but on this great day of Christmas please
accept our gift of three Masses celebrated at the altar of Mary, Help of
Christians, along with many Communions and prayers-all this to
repay your charity to us. We shall ask the Infant Jesus to keep you in
good health and grant you many days, weeks, months, and years full of
happiness, and crown these blessings with a beautiful reward in
heaven. Does this please you? Then let it be! All the Salesians and the
Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians send you their best wishes,
18Turin, July 15, 1882; January 18, 1883; December 26, 1886. [Author]

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497
beseeching God to grant you a long life, but always in good health." In
1886 Don Bosco's letters became briefer; by then they knew each other
so well that many words would have been superfluous. "Many thanks
for your charity to us during the course of the year. Your pious inten-
tions will be carried out. "
Great Salesian cooperator that she was, she regarded as her own the
feast of St. Francis de Sales. In 1886 Don Bosco wrote to her shortly
before the start of the novena, including a holy card of St. Louis, king
of France, because he knew that she was tormented with fears. "On the
20th of the month," he told her, "the novena of St. Francis de Sales
begins, and I am sending to you the king of France to reassure you that
no harm will come to you. Every day of the novena I will say holy
Mass for your intentions and our boys will offer their prayers and Holy
Communions." In 1887 he wrote, "On the 20th of this month we begin
the novena of St. Francis de Sales, and, since we don't want you to feel
all alone in prayer, the Salesians will pray with you and offer Commu-
nion for you every day, while I will make a daily memento for you at
holy Mass. " On the 29th he sent her a picture of St. Francis de Sales
by [Philippe de] Champaigne, 19 on the reverse of which there was this
prayer: "O St. Francis de Sales, grant Our Lord's holy and mighty
blessing of peace and serenity to your daughter. She has nothing to
fear; for her we pray. "
On the last Easter he was to celebrate on earth, his mind set on the
coming consecration of the Sacred Heart Church in Rome, Don Bosco
sent her the following note: "Happy celebration! Happy Easter! I hope
to see you in Turin or in Rome. God bless you and keep you healthy
and holy! All the Salesians send their respects." One year, on the feast
of Corpus Christi,20 acknowledging and thanking her for her gift of two
thousand francs, he wrote, "On the feast of Corpus Christi, as a token
of my thanks, I will offer my Mass and our boys will receive Holy
Communion for your intention. Does that please you?" In June,21
renewing his thanks on the occasion of his name day, he told her: "St.
19Philippe de Champaigne (1602-1674) was a Belgian painter of the Flemish school. He was
commissioned by Richelieu (French statesman and cardinal) to adorn his palace and paint murals
for the dome of the Sorbonne; he was also favorably regarded as a portraitist. Source: Webster's
Biographical Dictionary, G. & G. Merriam Co., Springfield, Mass. [Editor]
20'furin, May 31, 1882. [Author]
21Thrin, June 17, 1882. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
John the Baptist will repay you on my name day. To persuade him I
shall offer holy Mass on that day at the altar of Mary, Help of Chris-
tians. Our boys will pray and offer their Communions for your
intention. "
France kept the feast of All Saints more solemnly than did several
areas of Italy, and for this reason Don Bosco sent this brief note to Miss
Louvet in 1886:
My dear Miss Louvet:
Turin, October 20, 1886
Good day! I want you to know that the entire Salesian family of Valdocco is
gathered together. It is All Saints Day, and I would not have you forgotten in
our prayers.
Daily throughout this novena a Mass and many Communions will be of-
fered for your relatives living and deceased. However, with special fervor we
shall pray for your health and holiness.
O Mary, guide us always on the way to heaven.
Your humble servant,
Fr. John Bosco
On days honoring Our Lady he would not fail to let her know that he
commended her to the great Mother of God. Thus, on the feast of the
Assumption in 1885 he wrote:22 "On Saturday, the feast of the Assump-
tion of the Blessed Virgin into heaven, I shall pray and have others pray
to this good Mother of ours to grant you long-lasting good health and
holiness. May She reserve a place for you at Her side in heaven. This I
ask also for your relatives and friends. I will say Mass for you. Please
remember me too. Good-bye, many times good-bye on this earth of
ours, but an unfailing reunion in heaven." For the feast of Our Lady's
Nativity in 1882 23 he wrote: "I am not writing for money, but merely to
wish you a happy feast of Our Lady's Nativity. My boys and I will pray
for your good health and for your intentions. I shall also offer my holy
Mass and the boys will offer their Communions for you. Does that
221urin, August 12, 1885. [Author]
23Turin, September 5, 1882. [Author]

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please you?" In 1885 he wrote her on the Maternity of the Blessed
Virgin Mary:
My dear Miss Claire,
Turin, October 7, 1885
I know that you take every occasion to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary,
especially on Her feast days, and I would like to help you as best I can.
Sunday, October 11, is the feast day of the Motherhood of Our Heavenly
Mother. Our boys will fervently pray and offer their Communions for your
intentions, and I will have the consolation of celebrating Holy Mass entirely
for you-for your health and holiness and your perseverance on the path to
heaven. All this is to repay you in a small way for your charity to us and for the
support you give us in our undertakings.
I just received a letter from Bishop Cagliero; he has baptized a young Indian
girl on the Rio Negro in Patagonia and named her Claire Louvet in memory of
you with the proviso that she pray for you all her life. I hope to send you more
news about this orphan child. May she be as good as the sisters would like her
to be.
Good-bye, my dear Miss Louvet. May the Blessed Virgin guide you, your
relatives and your friends and assure you that we shall certainly be together
again in heaven, your poor Don Bosco included.
Remember me and most especially our priests, who never fail to make a
special memento for you every morning. Blessed be God!
Your humble servant,
Fr. John Bosco
The approaching feast day of the Immaculate Conception lent new
inspiration to his words. In 1882 he wrote: "The Blessed Virgin Herself
urges me to write you. In thanks for your charity we want to do
something to please you. On Friday all our boys-a hundred and fifty
thousand strong-will offer their prayers and Holy Communions for
you, and I, unable to do more in my poverty, will celebrate holy Mass
for you, that God may bless you and that Our Blessed Lady may be
your shield, your help in peril, your comfort at the point of death, your
delight in paradise. Are you pleased? Of course, all things in due
time. "24 Then offering her a spiritual treasure in exchange for her
24This thoughtful remark was meant to be a gentle disclaimer that her death was not near.
[Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
temporal assistance, he invited her to join the Daughters of Mary, Help
of Christians in a spiritual retreat at Nizza Monferrato the next summer,
adding that the sisters would welcome her with open arms.
In 1884 he wrote to her:
My dear Miss Claire:
Turin, November 22, 1884
Next Saturday we start the solemn novena honoring the Immaculate Con-
ception, and I wish the Salesians to offer fervent prayers that you may long
enjoy good health.
We will offer Mass, prayers, and Holy Communion for you at the altar of
Mary, Help of Christians.
On that day Father John Cagliero will be consecrated bishop and will
particularly remember you at his holy Mass.
Good-bye, Miss Claire. May the Blessed Virgin be your shield and guide.
Pray also for the whole Salesian family, especially your poor and grateful
Fr. John Bosco
We have seen that Don Bosco, speaking for his missionaries, prom-
ised her, their benefactress, that they would give newly baptized Indian
girls her name and would tell them about her, asking them to pray for
her. He had already told her this more explicitly: "I will now direct that
all our fifteen mission stations in South America, in baptizing Indian
children into the Christian faith, shall make sure that at least one girl in
each station shall be named Claire and thus be bound to pray for you all
her life long." Another time he told her: "These last few days I have
been swamped with work. Our missionaries finally left us yesterday
morning for Patagonia. They will pray for you, Miss Claire, and have
assured me that St. Claire's name will be given to many Indian girls at
their baptism; they will tell thein that they are to pray for you through-
out their lives. " 25
We are touched to see Don Bosco's gracious remembrance of her on
her name day, August 12. "We are approaching St. Claire's feast day,"
he wrote in 1882, "and I certainly will not forget you on that day. This
is my simple bouquet of prayers: on that day I shall offer my Mass and
our boys will offer their prayers and Communions for you as our gift
for your many kindnesses to us." In 1883 he mistakenly sent his best
25Turin, July 15, 1882 and November 15, 1883. [Author]

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501
wishes a month ahead of time, although that letter, dated, he said, July
12, is not in our files. Then, on the right day, realizing his error during
Mass, he decided to write to her again: "Sorry! Better early than late!
However, I did celebrate Holy Mass for you today at the altar of Mary,
Help of Christians, and our boys did offer their prayers and Commu-
nions for you. God bless you and keep you healthy and holy." A letter
of his in 1886 begins with a prayer:
Pinerolo, Bishop's Residence, 1886
St. Claire, pray for us. Pray very especially for your protegee, who worthily
bears your name.
God bless you! May the Blessed Virgin obtain peace of heart for you and
perseverance in good works. All the Salesians will pray daily for you, that
God may generously reward your charity on earth and more generously in
paradise.
Please pray for me. In heartfelt gratitude I am always,
Your humble servant,
Fr. John Bosco
Knowing that she would be pleased, Don Bosco sometimes sent her
grapes which he had personally picked from the balcony vines shading
his window and which he would send to patrician families in Turin.
Miss Louvet and her friends considered the grapes as coming to them
from the Promised Land itself.
However, when it came to persons who he knew were living a life of
fervent faith, Don Bosco would also express his gratitude in a very
personal way. He would not stop at words of thanks and the promise of
prayers; rather, on receiving donations, he endeavored to return the
benefit by encouraging them to a very meritorious detachment from
earthly goods. Though material-minded people may find this hard to
grasp, it has very lofty moral and Christian worth. Nowhere else in his
letters does Don Bosco as clearly reveal this saintly tactic of his as in
the following excerpt from a letter to Miss Louvet:26 "In your last
letter," he wrote, "you tell me that you find it hard to neglect putting
some money aside for emergencies. But that's not the way to look at it.
I want you to keep all your revenues as an investment yielding a
hundred percent interest on earth, and then as a guarantee that you will
enjoy your wealth forever in heaven. Do you know what I mean? I have
26Turin, June 17, 1882. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
always endeavored to do my utmost to free my friends' hearts from the
wretched things of this world and to lift them up to God, the eternal
Good. You see, my dear friend, I am only striving to make you rich, or,
to put it better, to bring to harvest your earthly wealth, which lasts but a
moment, and transform it into an everlasting treasure." Then in a more
practical vein, putting himself in the background, he wrote, "You ask
me in what charities you can best invest your money. I say it would be
best used in coming to the aid of the Church and of the Holy Father,
who is in so many financial difficulties. Help the works he personally
recommends, such as Rome's Sacred Heart Church and Hospice, and
support projects which aim at turning out priests who will bring many
souls to God. Please patiently try to understand my awful scribble, and
I shall later develop this thought further. "
However, it seems that there was no need to do so. He had already
touched on the topic in his very first letter of our collection. Miss
Louvet then had a small sum ready to give him personally and, chang-
ing her mind, sent it by mail instead. Don Bosco replied:27 "It was an
excellent idea for you to send us five hundred francs for our work.
Yours is all the benefit because the hundredfold repayment began the
moment you sent it. Then again, I'm sure, by the time I get to Aire in
April you will have time to put another contribution together. " He
similarly wrote in August of that year: "You say that on some occasion
you wish to send me two thousand francs. Well, since we're always in
need and particularly so now, I believe it better for you to anticipate
your offering, since by doing so you will hasten God's hundredfold
reward for yourself, and we shall all the sooner be able to benefit by
your help."
Although Don Bosco never again expressed his view as categorically
as he did above, he reaffirmed it in practical ways as circumstances
required. For instance, when Miss Louvet, weighing his suggestion
that she go to Rome in 1884, asked him to whom she should entrust her
valuables during her absence from home, Don Bosco replied that she
could entrust them with the same person who usually cared for them on
similar occasions. But then he added: "However, if you want to be
doubly sure, you could deposit them in Don Bosco's bank, which will
protect them, or, better still, spend them promptly, in such a way that
27'furin, January 1, 1882. [Author]

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503
thieves will never be able to lay their hands on them. That is the best
way of insuring your wealth. Of course, Miss Claire, you understand
that I'm only joking." At another time he went more to the point. In
1886 it seems that Miss Louvet was thinking of setting up a trust for a
project to be initiated after her death. However, very many pious foun-
dations had recently been sidetracked from their original aim as a result
of the secularistic state laws. So Don Bosco cautioned her: "Concern-
ing the matter you mentioned, here is my advice: whatever good you
can do, do it now rather than putting it off for the future. This is what
the signs of the present times are telling us: do what you can in the
present and make no commitments to the future. " 28 This conviction of
his he carved in stone, as it were, when writing to his benefactor Father
Engrand, saying that he begged for him of God and of the Blessed
Virgin the grace of dying in poverty so as to be wealthy in eternity. 29
Before closing we would like to glean a few notes on spiritual
direction which we find scattered throughout this interesting corre-
spondence. All in all, we see that Claire Louvet was a beautiful soul,
thirsting for Christian perfection and full of charity. Her trust in Don
Bosco was such as one places in a saint. There was a time when she
thought of joining the Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians and
actually consulted Don Bosco, but he replied with a smile: "Your age,
health and social standing form an insurmountable obstacle to attaining
your quest." She acquiesced.
In his concern for her spiritual life Don Bosco did not take the place
of her spiritual director but only helped her put everything together,
especially by encouragement. "As for yourself and for your spiritual
guide, be patient," he had written in his first letter. "God will put in
order your affairs, spiritual and material, unto His own glory. Mean-
while endeavor to receive Holy Communion as often as you can, and if
you cannot for one reason or other, do not fret over it. Tell me your
worries, and I shall do my best to offer you counsel." As for her fear
that her daily Communion might become routine, Don Bosco told
her:30 "Continue receiving Holy Communion every morning. You say
that you fear it will become a mere habit. Well, when a habit is good
and conducive to virtue, we should continue to keep it."
28Turin, January 26, 1884 and December 26, 1883. [Author]
29'furin, December 18, 1882. [Author]
30'furin, July 15, 1882. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
She also had her trials. One day Don Bosco sent her a holy card
depicting a little cross. Wondering what it meant, Claire asked him. He
replied:31 "The little cross I sent you means that among crosses and
thorns God is preparing many flowers for you. Do not worry. In due
time I will explain it all." Meanwhile he cheered her, continuing: "God
bless you, Miss Claire! May He keep you in good health and reserve a
place for you in heaven at the side of Mary, Help of Christians!" In
January 1883 he once more endeavored to raise her spirits. "Be fully at
peace in mind and heart. I shall remember you every day at holy Mass.
I trust that you will also pray for me."
It appears-and we know it from other sources too-that God was
trying this delicate soul by inner sufferings, and so Don Bosco kept
encouraging her:32 "All I desire is your peace and serenity of mind.
Listen to me. Your conscience is clear; the Blessed Virgin Herself has
been given to you as your guide; your guardian angel looks after you.
Therefore there is nothing to fear. "
Eight days later he traced out for her a very practical spiritual pro-
gram meant to free her from her fear of never doing enough. 33 "Just a
few suggestions, but they must be followed diligently. Every year:
thorough examination of conscience, weighing the progress or regress
experienced during the past year. Every month:· Exercise for a Happy
Death with a monthly confession and Holy Communion as though they
were the last of your life, and prayers for a holy death. Every week: a
good confession, great diligence in recalling and carrying out your
confessor's advice. Every day: Holy Communion, if possible, a visit to
the Blessed Sacrament, meditation, spiritual reading, examination of
conscience. Always: look upon every day as if it were your last."
When the cholera epidemic broke out, he swiftly intervened to calm
her fears.
Dear Miss Claire Louvet,
Turin, July 9, 1884
lrusting you are in good health, I hasten to prescribe an effective antidote
against cholera.
1. Wear a medal of Mary, Help of Christians.
2. Often say: "Mary, Help of Christians, pray for us."
3ITurin, August 10, 1882. [Author]
32Thrin, September 9, 1883. [Author]
33Turin, September 17, 1883. [Author]

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Claire Louvet: An Outstanding Salesian Cooperator
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3. Receive Holy Communion often.
I thank you for your donation. May God amply reward your good deeds. We
are praying for you. Please remember us and our family. Amen.
Yours most gratefully,
Fr. John Bosco
Always frail in health, and very sensitive in conscience, Claire
wanted to observe the Lenten fast and abstinence in 1885. Don Bosco
dissuaded her:34 "Throughout these days you are not even to think of
abstinence or fast. I strictly forbid them. Let real sinners like Don
Bosco do penance."
His thirty-eighth letter, giving a detailed itinerary of his trip to
Spain, has also some wise norms, brief to be sure, but promising a
lengthier treatment to come. It seems that Miss Louvet hesitated to go
to the Coted'Azur that year, probably fearing it to be idle recreation
rather than actual necessity. At any rate Don Bosco suggested that she
come to Italy and stay with the Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians.
Dear Miss Louvet:
Alassio, March 19, 1886
Your gracious dear letter reached me here at our school in Alassio. The
matters you mentioned are a mere trifle in the light of eternity. If we get a
chance to discuss them personally we can straighten them out; if not, we will
do so by letter.
Give some thought to this: first, the southern climate would do you a world
of good; second, you would rid yourself of worrisome distressing thoughts.
Each point we shall later discuss together.
My health is fair. God willing, I shall begin my trip from Nice to Barcelona
on Saturday, expecting to be back home in Turin by the beginning of May.
Please keep addressing your mail to Turin, and it will promptly be forwarded
to me wherever I am.
My trip will take me to Nice, Cannes, Toulon, Marseille and Barcelona. I
shall return to Italy by the beginning of May.
Good-bye, Miss Louvet. May Our Lady guide us always on the path to
heaven.
Your most grateful servant,
Fr. John Bosco
34Turin, February 21, 1885. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
P. S. I believe that a stay at Alassio during the winter and Nizza Monferrato
during the summer would benefit you. We have two rooms for you near our
sisters' house. Details we can discuss later.
Quite often in the letters of Miss Louvet fears crop up over a tum for
the worse in the political situation in France which was causing her
spiritual distress. As we have seen, Don Bosco often comforted her,
but in 1886, on the day after the feast of the Immaculate Conception,
he seemed less optimistic than usual as regards world affairs, though
always relying on divine assistance. Thus he wrote: "The world's
future looks very dark, but God is Light and the Blessed Virgin is ever
the Morning Star. Trust in God and in Mary and have no fears. I can do
all things in Him who strengthens me, Jesus Christ. Be patient. Pa-
tience is absolutely necessary if we are to conquer the world, gain
victory, and enter paradise. "
The closing words of a letter dated January 16, 1887, though sound-
ing like a good-bye, have the earmarks of spiritual direction: "Good-
bye, Miss Claire. May God preserve your peace of heart, your serenity
of soul, and perseverance unto paradise." How often he reminded her
of paradise! He did so in the four letters which end their corre-
spondence. Two we reproduce here translated; the other two are in
French and photographically reproduced in the Appendix. 35 They are
brief, the handwriting very irregular, for, like his whole body, his hand
had grown weary. The first two letters were written at Lanzo, where he
spent part of his last summer on earth; in each, paradise is mentioned
twice.
Dear Miss Louvet,
Lanzo, July 4, 1887
Your place in paradise is ready and, I trust, secure, but you must wait a
while.
I received your donation for our orphans. May God reward you bountifully.
Father Rua is doing better; not so Count Colle. We keep praying.
God bless you and Father Engrand, and may He guide us on the way to
heaven. Amen. Pray for me.
Yours most gratefully,
Fr. John Bosco
35Qmitted in this edition. [Editor]

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Claire Louvet: An Outstanding Salesian Cooperator
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Dear Miss Claire:
Lanzo, July 25, 1887
I am at Lanzo; my health is slightly improved. How is yours? I never fail to
pray for you every day. When will paradise come to meet us? We wait in
expectation of God's good pleasure.
I commend Father Rua to your kind prayers; his health leaves much to be
desired. At present he is in Toulon with Count Colle, who is grievously ill.
God bless us, and may Mary guide us through earth's perils until we reach
paradise. Amen.
Yours most gratefully,
Fr. John Bosco
The last two letters he wrote in Valsalice on September 4 and 5
during the spiritual retreat and the novena for Our Lady's Nativity; their
contents are almost identical, probably due to forgetfulness on his
part.36
On two occasions Don Bosco had words of lofty praise for Miss
Louvet. Once, in speaking to Father Engrand, he said, "She is a
woman of great virtue." Another time he told Salesian Father [Charles]
Bellamy:37 "She is a great support for us financially, but even more by
her prayers. "
As for Count Colle, so for Miss Louvet Don Bosco left a note to be
sent after his death. To her he wrote, "I must depart before you, but I
shall not fail to pray for your eternal happiness. Please keep helping
our orphans, and they will form your crown when the angels will one
day come to take you to the enjoyment of eternal bliss. 0 Mary, protect
Your daughter always. Kindly pray for my poor soul's eternal rest."
After his death, she lived with his memory, praying to him as her
most powerful heavenly patron and mostly trying to imitate his pa-
tience in the inevitable distress of advancing age. Throughout the most
painful moments of her final illness, all she needed was to have some-
one mention Don Bosco's name and a smile would return to her lips,
serenity to her soul. A Daughter of Mary, Help of Christians, sent by
Father Rua to nurse her, always used this unfailing means in critical
moments to bolster her courage and acceptance.
A few months after Don Bosco's death, rumors of a certain prophecy
360mitted in this edition. [Editor]
31See Appendix 1. [Editor]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
of his concerning a forthcoming war perturbed her sleep. Father Rua
reassured her, while thanking her for her gift of a thousand francs. "We
have no knowledge of the prophecy being rumored about and being
attributed to Don Bosco," he wrote on December 19 [1888]. "Hence, if
he did speak of a war against an enemy next spring, he simply meant
the war we wage every spring: our boys gobbling up bread, our sup-
pliers and creditors clamoring for money day after day when more than
ever we always lack funds. This is the only war I believe Don Bosco
meant; otherwise he would have told us something, but he neither
wrote nor said a word about it. So put your mind at ease and your trust
in Mary, Help of Christians and Don Bosco, whose protection will
shield you from all harm. They both know that you are the great
protectress of their children. Have no fear. "
For as long as she survived Don Bosco, she put all her trust and
reverence in Father Rua, whose rare virtues and supernatural gifts she
had already perceived with the intuition of a holy soul. Don Bosco had
told her, "When we shall open a house in your district, you will be its
mamma." A house was in fact opened at Ruitz in 1891, and until 1903,
when religious congregations were expelled, Miss Louvet gave gener-
ously to its first director, Father Alvin Ronchail, and to his successors,
Father [Emil] Cosson and Father [Charles] Patarelli. Along with other
help she always met the deficit year after year. For the rest of her life
she kept in touch with the superior chapter, giving as often and as
generously as she had done to Don Bosco. Since she had no heirs-she
had only cousins-we can understand the generosity of her last years,
so much so that Sister Guiot, a Daughter of Mary, Help of Christians,
recalled that she once sent Father Paul Albera fifty thousand francs in
Miss Louvet's name.
She departed this life on November 11, 1912, to behold once more
her two great protectors in heaven.

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CHAPTER 20
Don Rosco's Concern for
the Missions and Missionaries
DoN Bosco's trip to Rome [in 1882] was a decisive step to
gain the official recognition and canonical autonomy of his Patagonian
missions. No sooner, therefore, did he arrive than indefatigably he
exerted all his efforts with the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation
of the Faith-all the more after an audience with Leo XIII, who gave
him a personal mandate. 1 At that time Europeans knew precious little
about Patagonia's geography. Even the Roman curia had only the
vaguest notion, certainly not enough to set up adequate boundary lines
of jurisdiction. For this reason, at Don Bosco's urgent request, a map
of Patagonia, drawn to scale, which hung in the corridor outside his
room had been rushed to him. 2
His plan called for not one but three vicariates or at least three
prefectures apostolic in Patagonia: one extending from Rio Colorado to
Rio Chubut, another from Rio Chubut to Rio Santa Cruz, and a third
from Rio Santa Cruz to far-off Tierra del Fuego, including the Falkland
Islands. The Pope gradually agreed with him, but made it clear that
though the boundaries of three vicariates could be established, it would
be wiser, for the time being, to start with one extending from the Rio
Colorado to the interior of Patagonia. 3
Rome, however, moves very prudently and unhurriedly; unless all
details are clearly spelled out, Church officials make no commitment.
It comes as no surprise, therefore, that in August Don Bosco com-
plained about the obstacles that were hindering the acceptance of his
'Letter from Father Berto to Father Costamagna, Rome, April 28, 1882. [Author]
2Letter from Father Berto to Father Bonetti, Rome, April 22, 1882. [Author]
3Letter from Don Bosco to Father Dalmazzo, Turin, July 29, 1882. [Author]
509

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
long-cherished plan. The delay, he feared, might eventually ruin it
completely. 4 However, he had very wisely indeed initiated negotiations
two years before. Had he not foreseen the situation that early, he most
certainly would not have had the joy of seeing his wish gratified in
1884.
We are not to think that his plan met with favor in Argentina. Even
the archbishop of Buenos Aires, kind as he was, considered it neither
timely nor necessary to set up a vicariate, for, as he maintained, "I give
the Salesians on these missions all the faculties I myself have. Then
why cut Patagonia off from the archdiocese of Buenos Aires?"5 Later,
when he came to know Rome's mind, he altered his stand. Great
caution also had to be exercised in approaching the government, lest its
sensitivity be aroused as if the establishment of a vicariate were an
arbitrary intervention or a foreign intrusion into the national borders
only recently solidified by the army. This explains what Don Bosco
meant when he wrote to Father Dalmazzo, his procurator, "about the
advisability underscored by the archbishop of obtaining the govern-
ment's support" in this matter. 7
Meanwhile in Patagonia the missionaries were striving energetically
to create a situation which would justify, if not openly require, a
structure which in fact and in law would constitute a distinct moral
entity in the organic complex of the Catholic missions. From their
center at Patag6nes and Viedma Father Beauvoir and Father Milanesio
kept pushing ahead in every which way, wherever isolated white colo-
nies were located or wherever Indian tribes or families might be found.
By "colonies" Don Bosco meant small settlements erected in areas
where people could live by farming or sheep raising. Using them as
bases of operation by always erecting small chapels for prayer and
worship, the missionaries would set out in search of natives who usu-
ally lived nearby in scattered clusters. 8 By erecting a church and two
boarding schools at Patag6nes-one for boys, one for girls-Father
[Joseph] Fagnano, superior of the mission, consolidated his headquar-
ters and then courageously ventured forth into the wilderness, explor-
4Letter of Don Bosco to Father Dalmazzo, San Benigno, August 27, 1882. [Author]
5So stated Father Vespignani6 in his already cited but unpublished chronicle of the San Carlos
provincial house. [Author]
6See Appendix 1. [Editor]
7Letter from Turin, July 29, 1882. [Author]
8See Bollettino Salesiano, April and July 1882; February 1883. [Author]

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Don Rosco's Concern for the Missions and Missionaries
511
ing the most unreachable areas. Every now and then the missionaries
sent Don Bosco reports which cheered his heart and reassured his
efforts to press negotiations for establishing a vicariate apostolic.
Salesian work in Buenos Aires was also on the ascent. The year 1882
was particularly fruitful for the workshops of our arts and trades
school. Orders kept pouring in and the young apprentices had all they
needed to meet their commitments. The printshop's three presses were
never idle; the woodworkers had a steady flow of orders; a blacksmith
shop was opened. The Salesians had made a name for themselves at a
recent Continental Exposition, when the printers, tailors and wood-
workers won choice prizes. The archbishop's pastoral letter, focusing
upon Catholic projects in existence or in the planning stages, com-
mended to the laity's support the Salesian school of arts and trades,
which he spoke of with the highest praise.
The school's reputation, spreading throughout the country, brought
in requests for similar institutions in other countries. Father James
Costamagna, provincial, was flooded with requests from Chivilcoy,
Dolores, Salta, Las Flores, Azul, and, very heavily, from Tucuman.
The governor and state authorities of that province bombarded him
with all kinds of letters and recommendations, inviting him meanwhile
to visit their district, promising land, funds, a church, and both mate-
rial and moral support. Pressed by such overwhelming overtures, he
could not put them aside. A four-day journey brought him to Tucuman,
where he readily saw that the place was ideal for a new house-except
that he lacked the personnel. Four months later the governor gave the
archbishop of Buenos Aires authority to negotiate with the Salesians;
the federal government was ready to pay passage for any Salesian
being sent to Tucuman from Europe. Realizing that it would be unwise
to say no, Father Costamagna had half a mind to sail to Turin and
personally request personnel. "I am afraid you will scold me," he
wrote to Don Bosco on July 7, "deny me my request, and send me
back here with my tail between my legs. . . . I know that my feelings
wrong Don Bosco's fatherly heart, but what can one expect? Being so
far away, not hearing Don Bosco's voice for so long, we are half in a
daze. Let that be. If the government really intends to pay our fares and
we can all travel together on the same ship, I may very well decide to
come over. We should bear in mind that we should not delay because
winter would create problems." But Don Bosco immediately answered
and very graciously asked him to defer his trip:

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
My dear Father Costamagna:
San Benigno Canavese, August 9, 1882
It's always a pleasure to receive your letters, which I read to the superior
chapter; we give much weight to them.
We recognize the daily increasing rich harvest which God entrusts to us.
But two problems stand in the way: lack of personnel and overwhelming
pressure of work.
I think we can do as follows. Here we shall organize a regular missionary
expedition for the coming year 1883; in July of 1883 you will come here with a
confrere to pay us a visit and attend the general chapter scheduled for either
August or September.
At that time you can fire us all with apostolic zeal and then return to the land
of Cabot with a company of heroes.
This is just my opinion, as I sit here at San Benigno for a few moments of
ease. Your proposals, instead, will properly be studied by the superior chap-
ter, and then we can unanimously act upon them as far as is possible.
I am now at San Benigno; yesterday we kept the feast of St. Aloysius with
Bishop [David] Riccardi of Ivrea, who pontificated at the services and spent
the whole day with us.
In the evening we saw Father Lemoyne's drama "Patagonia." People
flocked from all the neighboring villages to see this new kind of play. It
generated great enthusiasm and emotion. Everyone wanted to head out for
Patagonia!
Please give the confreres my heartfelt greetings. I commend Father Debella
to your care; he can be a great help to you in your ministry but needs much
kindness and great trust.
I spoke to the priests and clerics here about you. Their reaction was pro-
longed unanimous applause and greetings from all.
God bless you, my ever beloved Father Costamagna. May God keep you
always in His holy grace and bless you, Father Remotti, Father Bourlot, Father
Vespignani, and all the rest. I hope to write to them soon.
Pray for me, all of you, for I am always in Jesus Christ,
Yours affectionately,
Fr. John Bosco
The high esteem enjoyed by the Salesians in Buenos Aires led the
affluent to include them in their wills. In 1882 a very wealthy lady,
Mrs. Petronilla Rodriguez, bequeathed five hundred thousand pesos to
Father Costamagna on her deathbed without ever having met him per-
sonally. Another legacy of one hundred and fifty thousand pesos was
bequeathed by Mr. Felix Frias. Father Costamagna passed on the first

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Don Rosco's Concern for the Missions and Missionaries
513
bequest to the Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians, who needed a
residence at Almagro. With Turin's permission, he had plans drawn up
based on his personal knowledge of the sisters' daily routine, health
requirements and needs, and the needs of community life which he had
acquired as their director both in Europe and in [South] America. He
wanted their chapel to be a miniature shrine of Mary, Help of Chris-
tians. The archbishop heartily agreed to bless the cornerstone on May
24; the foundations of the entire building were laid, the walls began to
rise, and the design of the structure took shape. Construction pro-
gressed rapidly also because Father Costamagna was often there, su-
pervising the work and providing additional help through the aspirants
and the older boys.
These material responsibilities, however, did not keep him from
looking after the spiritual needs of the houses, particularly of the house
at Patag6nes, which he had not yet visited. At the end of June he
boarded a ship for this long, dangerous journey. At Patag6nes he
focused his attention on the temporal and spiritual needs of both Sale-
sians and sisters. He preached a retreat to the mission's four priests and
three coadjutors and one also to the sisters. A month later he returned
to San Carlos, where they celebrated his name day with greater solem-
nity than ever.
Writing on May 1 to Don Bosco to inform him of his coming trip to
Tucuman, Father Costamagna closed his letter with some sad news: "At
San Nicolas they had to send the boys home because of a contagious
disease. Pray.... "Indeed a heavy burden had fallen upon that board-
ing school. At the end of their spiritual retreat the boys had been taken
for the customary outing. On their return home, many were seized with
symptoms of what soon proved to be diphtheria. In the dead of night
Father Tomatis sent home as many boys as could withstand the journey.
It was a fortunate decision, for the next day the army arrived to place
the school under quarantine, and no one could either enter or leave.
The quarantine lasted two months. Four boys died; the Salesians who
cared for them also had to lay out and seal their bodies in coffins. An
Irish settler, father of a pupil, who volunteered to stay on in the house,
helped out through the virtual imprisonment, nursing the sick and
supporting the Salesians. Other colonists brought in food, passing it
through an iron grating. Father Costamagna rushed to visit his unfortu-
nate confreres but was halted by a sentry at the gate. Granted permis-
sion at least to enter the church, he went to the sacristy and called out

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
to the Salesians, who anxiously came down, haggard and exhausted by
their endless night vigils. After a few words of greeting, Father Cos-
tamagna called for a bottle of wine and, fearing what the sentry might
do if he found them there, sent for the soldier, and a glass of hearty
wine put everything right. Then they all returned to their work, and the
provincial went back to Buenos Aires.
Father Tomatis had better news to give Don Bosco on July 15. "After
our enforced agonizing trial, we are cheerful again. Thanks to Mary,
Help of Christians, our forty patients have all fully recovered, and now
all of us, teachers and pupils, have resumed our school activities. In
fact, not only did the boys who had temporarily been sent home be-
cause of the disease return to school, but, as though compensating for
our past afflictions, the Lord sent us more pupils, so that the San
Nicolas boarding school is now in excellent shape." The forty boys
who had recovered were most probably those who fell ill after the four
who died. That was when Father Tomatis sent Don Bosco the first news
of the epidemic in an early letter which we have not been able to trace.
He referred to it in a second letter dated July 15: "After my last letter
that I sent you through Ramon Quesada, nothing new has happened."
This statement is to be interpreted as meaning that there were no
further deaths. Certainly, without heavenly intervention, the epidemic
might easily have become a horrible disaster.
A month later to the day, Don Bosco was to celebrate his birthday at
the Oratory and so Father Tomatis continued: "Now the main reason
for this letter: along with all your many other loving sons, I too offer
you my congratulations, dearest of fathers, and wish you a happy
birthday next August. On that day you will certainly have reason to
thank the Lord who has wrought great things through you, nor shall
we, your sons in the Lord, have any less reason, for not only has He
given us in you the best of fathers and sincerest of friends, but He has
also spared the founder of our Salesian Society, our ark of salvation.
The Salesians of San Nicolas are fully aware of this truth, which fills
their hearts with love and gratitude to the Lord and to you. In union
with the Salesians in all our houses, we too will offer our Masses and
Communions on August 15, that we may be graced to see your days
prolonged by Divine Providence and that you may receive the health
and strength you need to continue leading our Society. These, dear
Father, are our sentiments; their expression is the only gift we can send

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Don Rosco's Concern for the Missions and Missionaries
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you from this far-off land. Please accept it as a token of our thanks and
of our heartfelt affection, and bless us."
Such a show of affection of sons toward their father was typical in
the Salesians' letters to Don Bosco; they form a new chapter in the
history of the great founders of religious orders and congregations.
From Uruguay another example reaches us. Father [Lawrence] Gior-
dano, writing to Don Bosco from Villa Colon, and describing the
welcome given Father [Louis] Lasagna by confreres, friends, pupils
and past pupils on his return to the motherhouse, suddenly exclaims,
"O dearly beloved father, what a celebration will all your loving sons
give you in heaven, what a welcome, what joy will thrill their hearts!
How comforting it is for us who have gone so far from you, perhaps
forever, to know that you are working, suffering and praying so much
for us! May the Lord long spare you for our benefit and that of many
souls! On the other hand, may the Lord speed that day of joy and
endless celebration in heaven when all your sons will be reunited with
you, their beloved father, never again to leave your side!"9
At that time the new Uruguayan province entrusted to Father
Lasagna had four houses: Pius IX boarding school at Villa Colon, St.
Vincent de Paul Festive Oratory at Montevideo, the parish and board-
ing school of San Isidro at Las Piedras, and the parish of San Isidro at
Paysandu.
Pius IX school, the provincial house, received a notable increase of
personnel to conduct its many works and to ease it into a promising
new field of activity. Its red-letter day of 1882 was the inauguration of
the meteorological observatory. 10 The project required much time to set
up, but it was ready to go into operation by the beginning of May. The
occasion called for the greatest possible solemnity; present were the
internuncio of Brazil, then passing through Uruguay, the bishop, and
many very outstanding dignitaries. The record of the proceedings,
bearing twenty-five illustrious signatures, stated that the observatory
was a very important response to the ardent wish of the Third Interna-
tional Geographic Convention held in Venice [in 1881] and expressed a
prayer to God that it could carry out successfully its difficult scientific
9Letter to Don Bosco, Villa Col6n, January 26, 1882. [Author]
10See pp. 20f. [Editor]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
challenge, "reinforcing new discoveries and advanced studies of the
physical laws given by God to govern the planet which supports gener-
ations of our mortal humanity. "
In the Uruguayan capital, Montevideo, the St. Vincent Oratory and
Hospice were joyfully frequented by two hundred and eighty poor
boys. In fact, as we have stated elsewhere, it became the headquarters
of an impressive chain of festive oratories springing up in the city
through the initiative of Villa Colon's former Salesian pupils. In Las
Piedras, responding to the needs and trust of the people, both the
Salesians and the Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians expanded their
apostolate.
However, the parish at Paysandu had cause for grief. The town was
built on the left bank of the Rio Uruguay at the far end of a hill whose
summit was crowned by the parish church of San Isidro. On March 26,
one year after the Salesians arrived in the city, in the middle of the
night, the church caught fire, with damage running to forty thousand
lire. Father Lasagna feared that the Protestants would make capital of
the disaster, but even in their brief stay the Salesians had so won the
hearts of the people that very quickly enough funds were collected to
restore the church, which soon arose from its ashes more beautiful than
before. The provincial was so heartened that, while organizing cate-
chism classes and new mission stations, he started a fund-raising cam-
paign for the erection of a boarding school for boys and one for girls.
Divine Providence thus wrought good from evil.
It was Providence too which seemed to dispose things in ways which
would hasten the arrival of Don Bosco's sons in Brazil. We recall that
back in 1877 Bishop [Peter] Lacerda had zealously worked for this
favor. 11 In December of that year he left Europe in the fond hope that he
would soon welcome Salesians to Rio de Janeiro, but as late as May
1882 no action had yet been taken. Don Bosco, however, never forgot
his promise; he only needed time to train properly the men he intended
to send. In 1881 he had held lengthy discussions about his plans for
Brazil with Father Lasagna, who had long been keeping Brazil upper-
most in his mind and in his heart. And so Don Bosco instructed him to
go to Rio de Janeiro and negotiate with the bishop for the first Salesian
house in Brazil.
After settling the affairs of the house at Villa Colon and those of the
11See Volume XII, pp. 243, 392f. [Editor]

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Don Rosco's Concern for the Missions and Missionaries
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province, Father Lasagna set sail for Rio de Janeiro on May 9. A few
days before, he had written to Don Bosco,12 "As you may guess, my
mind and spirit are absorbed in the vastness of the endeavor we are
undertaking and in the future awaiting Don Bosco's youthful mission-
aries in that vast empire. My heart, though quaking with anxiety and
fear, is flooded with even higher hopes. . . . Strengthened by your
blessing, my most beloved father, and determined to follow your in-
structions faithfully, I shall set out on this first journey, which will open
to our Society the portals of an empire equal to three-fourths of all
Europe." He chose to sail on that particular day because he could
accompany [titular] Bishop [Mario] Mocenni [of Eliopolis], who was
voyaging from Chile to Brazil to assume his duties of papal intemuncio
to Emperor Peter II.
Two factors were pushing the social problems of abandoned youth to
an all-time high in the empire. The emperor, figuring that it was simply
impossible to abolish slavery at one fell swoop without also totally
wrecking the nation's agricultural economy, which was entirely depen-
dent upon slave labor, chose to follow a middle course, and so, eleven
years previously, had promulgated a law freeing, from that year on,
children born of slaves. As a result, the city's streets swarmed with
hordes of abandoned youngsters. Worse still, recurrent waves of yellow
fever orphaned countless children, leaving them homeless. Walking
through Rio de Janeiro, Father Lasagna continually came across
crowds of young people who, left to themselves, were fast becoming
experts in crime. The government was trying to remedy this situation
by rounding them up and forcing them upon plantation owners, but
most of the young rascals would run away and tum up again in the
capital, until their aimless wanderings were cut short by either prison
or death. The same was happening in other densely populated cities.
Such a plight rent Bishop Lacerda's heart and so moved Father Lasagna
to tears that in his flaming zeal he promised the bishop he would move
heaven and earth to bring the Salesians to Brazil so they could care for
these children of the people. And so a Salesian house was opened in
the Niter6i hills facing Rio de Janeiro's imposing waterfront.
Father Lasagna was further encouraged by the gracious reception he
was given by the government authorities. The emperor himself granted
him a special audience at his palace in Petropolis on the feast of
12Villa Colon, May 6, 1882. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
Pentecost, engaging him in friendly conversation. He asked for a de-
tailed account of the founding of the Salesian Congregation, the pur-
pose of their mission in the Church, their system of educating the
young, the financial support of their many enterprises, and the results
of their efforts. Hearing of the festive oratories and hospices, the
agricultural and trade schools, the missions of Patagonia and the Pam-
pas, in utter satisfaction he voiced a fervent wish that he might soon
have the Salesians working in his vast empire, promising firm patron-
age and fullest protection.
From Rio de Janeiro Father Lasagna headed out for the states of
Pemambuco, Ceara, Maranhao and Para, and was welcomed every-
where in a show of high esteem by the local bishops, who begged
whatever help he could give them in their hour of painful distress. Each
of their dioceses extended endlessly to cover more territory than all of
Italy; the diocese of Para, for instance, was six times larger than all of
France. Priests were very few, seminaries were empty, religious orders
were dead or dying. Don Bosco had asked Father Lasagna to give
special attention to the provinces of Para and Amazonas; there he met
one of the Church's finest bishops of the time, Antonio de Macedo
Costa. Realizing that he had found in Father Lasagna a man of his
caliber, he drew for the priest a graphic and touching picture of his
diocese, which was critically short of priests needed to preserve the
faith of the Christian population and to evangelize the teeming un-
civilized tribes.
The lengthy letter supplying many of these details13 contains a pas-
sage outpouring all the priestly ardor of this great son of Don Bosco to
such a degree that we cannot read it without marveling at the wonders
achieved by our saintly Don Bosco in training these first co-workers of
his. It is a well-known fact that Father Lasagna, who ranks with the
most renowned apostolic missionaries, was among the most restive
boys at the Oratory, resisting discipline and restraint. He personally-
and we heard him-praised with tears in his eyes Don Bosco's untiring
patience with him. Here is his letter:
And now, my most beloved father, let me remark that 1882 may well come
to a close with not one single Salesian leaving Italy to join his missionary
13Letter of Father Lasagna to Don Bosco, Villa Colon, November 24, 1882. We gleaned other
details from a letter dated May 24, published in the August issue of the Bollettino Salesiano. The
original has been lost. [Author]

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confreres. Such a thing, which has not happened in recent years, very pain-
fully distresses us. It tells us that Italy's needs are also growing and that
obstacles are looming larger and larger. It tells us that, though the zeal of our
younger confreres' hearts is not cooling, you may be finding yourself without
the basic funds needed to supply and undertake these very costly missionary
expeditions. Therefore we must lift our hands in prayer to heaven, begging the
merciful God to rush to the aid of our father Don Bosco by raising up many
generous souls who, by their sacrifices, will support his enterprising spirit and
his works so eminently devoted to charity and evangelization. May God grant
that this coming year will be for you one of rich consolation and powerful
help, and for us the bearer of the help we have long begged for! May we no
longer have to moan and sigh as we await another missionary expedition! May
the heroic sacrifices they make to tear themselves away from their loved ones
and the endless good they will be able to accomplish for souls in their mission-
ary labors tum into many heavenly blessings for their native soil! Let them
come, these many heroes of the Lord, to form the dauntless, bold advance
ranks of the undefeated army of Christ's Church! Here they will find already
laid out for them a road to great victories, and they will be enabled to crown
their brows with immortal laurels. We will need some to go with us at the
beginning of the new year to the capital of Brazil, to the Niter6i hills, over-
looking Rio de Janeiro. A modest home already awaits us there, destined to be
one day a spacious hospice for poor and abandoned boys and, perhaps, also a
wellspring of future missionaries. The bravest shall bear the cross and Chris-
tian civilization into the very hinterland, into the very heart of South America,
following the winding course of endless rivers, pushing through virgin forests
and alien lands scorched by the blazing sun. It is a daring challenge, and of
such great consequence that it cannot but impress even the dullest of minds.
Some will go to Cuiaba, a city of Mato Grosso, Brazil's most inland state, the
continent's most central and least known region, criss-crossed by many un-
civilized tribes. It is bordered on the north by the unexplored basin of the
Amazon and Para rivers, on the west by the dense forests of Bolivia, to the
south by the charming woodlands of Paraguay once evangelized by the heroic
efforts of the Jesuits, but now again fallen into the hands of Satan and his
earthly agents. To the east it borders on other Brazilian provinces, unmapped
because no one has dared to break through those forbidding woodlands, the
lair of ferocious animals and of men fiercer than the fiercest beasts. Its area is
estimated at one million four hundred thousand square kilometers, five times
as large as all Italy and its adjacent islands. In this boundless wilderness the
Christians barely number sixty thousand, six thousand of whom are still
slaves. 14 The natives living in the forests, numerous as they are, are so indom-
14The total abolition of slavery in 1888 was Emperor Peter's last historic achievement; it was a

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
itable and warlike that a census is impossible.... The Salesians will not
hesitate a moment to take on so challenging a task.... Thus, while some of
our confreres push forward to conquer the icy shores of Patagonia, we will
follow the course of unknown rivers under the blazing rays of the tropical sun
. . . to conquer the very heart of South America. . . . And who knows but
someday, climbing the ridges of the Parecis Mountains and canoeing down the
Arinos and Tapaj6z Rivers, we may join hands with our confreres whose task
it is to set up missions along the mighty states of Para and Amazonas.
· Obviously, plans were being considered for a mission in the di-
ocese of Para. Bishop Macedo Costa, unable to win a definite prom-
ise from Father Lasagna, appealed to papal secretary of state Cardinal
Ludwig Jacobini on June 27 [1882]. A year before, he had written Don
Bosco a touching letter asking for a few Salesians. Don Bosco had then
thanked him for his trust in the Salesian Congregation, and had assured
him that he would send a Salesian from Montevideo to Para to discuss
the situation with him personally. He chose Father Lasagna; his man-
date was to study the area and report to him, but to make no commit-
ments. The bishop therefore, unappeased by this gesture, appealed
directly to the Holy See15 and begged Cardinal Jacobini to drop Don
Bosco a line in the Pope's name, asking him to consent to set up a
Salesian house in his diocese. The cardinal obligingly forwarded a
copy of the bishop's letter to Don Bosco and asked him to meet the
request as best he could, assuring him that the Pope would look very
favorably upon this move. 16
To come up with a document which exactly states Don Bosco's mind
on this matter, we must cite a letter of his, dated September 8, to Father
Dalmazzo, his procurator: "You may also inform Cardinal Nina that
we have already very decidedly set up two mission centers in Brazil in
the dioceses of Para and of Rio de Janeiro, to fulfill the Holy Father's
wish as expressed through his cardinal secretary of state. At Para new
construction and renovation have already begun, and we shall take up
residence as soon as the work is finished. At Rio de Janeiro our house
is ready; it's in a lovely spot called Niter6i, not far from the city, just
tribute to Leo XIII, whose priestly jubilee was then being celebrated throughout the world.
[Author]
15The French text of these two letters was published in the September [1882] Bulletin Salesien.
[Author]
I6Rome, July 22, 1882. [Author]

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Don Rosco's Concern for the Missions and Missionaries
521
north of it, as you can see on the map. Yesterday I signed and returned
the agreement drawn up between Bishop Lacerda, Father Lasagna and
the seller. "
Just the day before, Don Bosco had replied to Cardinal Jacobini's
letter. We do not know what his reply actually was, but the cardinal's
prompt acknowledgment is a valuable document and we reproduce it in
full. It shows us how Don Bosco would not miss any opportunity to
insist upon the granting of privileges to his Congregation.
Very Reverend Father:
Rome, September 12, 1882
I took occasion of your letter of September 7 to present the Holy Father with
a gratifying report. He was most pleased with your promptness in planning to
have your religious open an agricultural school near Para with the added aim
of fostering vocations to the priesthood. The Pontiff also was delighted to
learn that, heeding his recommendations for the diocese of Rio de Janeiro, you
have already assured Bishop Lacerda of the purchase of a house at Niter6i, a
short distance from the capital.
The rest of Brazil also feels the dire need of zealous evangelical workers,
particularly the vast, sparsely populated area of the Cuiaba diocese. Only
recently we received a heartrending account of the situation there from Bishop
[Mario] Mocenni, intemuncio apostolic at the court of Brazil, pleading with
loud cries for priests of your Congregation to help those unfortunate Catho-
lics. Could you respond to that appeal? You would certainly delight the Holy
Father, all the more so if, taking to heart those urgent needs, you could begin
setting up a novitiate for native vocations in that vast empire.
For the rest of your letter, I assure you that I shall take pains to support your
request for the granting of the privileges you need for your Congregation. I am
happy to sign myself with high esteem,
Yours most affectionately,
+Ludwig Cardinal Jacobini
By now the Oratory was looked upon as a great nursery of mission-
aries and Don Bosco as a man sent by God to further the conversion of
infidels and to promote the missionary apostolate in distant lands
among the most abandoned of the faithful. In 1882 two missionary
bishops, former pupils of the Missionary Institute of St. Calocerus in
Milan, visited the Oratory. The second to come, Bishop Simon Volon-
teri, vicar apostolic of Honan in China, arrived on September 7, to-
gether with a priest from Savoy and a Chinese catechist; they spent the

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
entire day there, warmly feasted by both Salesians and boys. But the
bishop, much to his chagrin, did not have the pleasure of meeting Don
Bosco, who was then away.
More relevant to our narrative was a visit to the Oratory on April 26
of newly appointed Bishop Eugene Biffi of Cartagena, Colombia. He
stayed two days with Monsignor Marinoni, superior of the Milanese
Institute. On the morning of September 28, after celebrating the com-
munity Mass in the Church of Mary, Help of Christians, he expressed
his deeply felt gratitude to the boys for granting him a heavenly half
hour by their prayerful conduct. But he too did not have the joy of
talking with Don Bosco, who was then in Rome, nor could he return
for a second visit because he was on his way to Saint-Nazaire to board
his ship. He had come to repeat orally what he had asked Don Bosco in
writing: to send him Salesian missionaries.
Returning to Turin, Don Bosco immediately had the following letter
sent to Monsignor Marinoni: "I regret that I was away from Turin when
the bishop of Cartagena visited the Oratory and that I also missed the
pleasure of your acquaintance. At present I cannot be of service to you;
however, with God's grace, under the leadership of such a zealous
shepherd of souls who draws them by his love, how much good can be
accomplished by even half a dozen good, earnest workers! But enough.
Please join us in praying that I may be given scores of workers who
seek God's glory, for in Him I place my trust."
Bishop [Eugene] Biffi, who had begun his heroic missionary career
in the province of Cartagena and later went to the Indians of Yucatan,
Mexico, and finally to Burma, returned to Cartagena as its bishop;
however, he had but one single missionary priest to help him. His
entire diocese was laid out like a corpse awaiting a Christian resurrec-
tion. Anguished and agonizing over the unfortunate condition of his
people and his lack of clergy, he began negotiating with the superior
general of the Eudist Fathers for a missionary or two, but he could not
resign himself to the fact that Don Bosco had been unable to satisfy his
wish. On October 14, 1883, he wrote to Monsignor Marinoni to voice
his regrets. "Ah, Don Bosco," he exclaimed, "Don Bosco! How much
good your zealous priests would accomplish were they to come here!
You may have been told that everybody here is a Freemason. Yes, there
are Freemasons in the city, but they have made no headway in the
villages, where there are good-hearted farmers, ofloose living I admit,
but what could you expect from the example set for them? However,

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Don Bosco's Concern for the Missions and Missionaries
523
they are open to teaching and would heed a Salesian's voice as that of
their shepherd. Ah, Don Bosco, Don Bosco! How could you tell me
you have not even one priest for Cartagena? Your words cut me to the
quick! I am sorry, but I cannot understand it. We should mistrust the
words of those whose self-interest makes excuses for them before men,
though they cannot do so with God. Here we have countless souls to be
saved. This is the magic word touching the heart of a Francis Xavier!
But enough of this! I raise my eyes to heaven and cry to the Lord: I
knocked at every door, and none was opened. If this is Your doing, let
Your most holy will be done. Poor Cartagena! My poor diocese! But I
will keep doing all I can for my children, and may the Lord be my
shield!"
The Lord blessed his zeal with an abundant and lasting harvest. Don
Bosco at that time, involved in the missions of South America, really
could not go to his aid. However, the Salesians did not long delay to
initiate work in Colombia, first at Bogota, heroically dedicating them-
selves to the care of lepers. This was followed by a parish in Barran-
quilla, in the diocese of Cartagena, entrusted to them by Bishop Biffi's
successor, Bishop Brioschi.
In his letter of 1883 to the Salesian cooperators, after reviewing
recent projects and future plans, Don Bosco posed the question: Are
we somehow tempting God and being rash by taking on so many
enterprises? I say no, he answered, citing several signs of God's ap-
proval-for example, the encouragement given him by revered prel-
ates, persons in high places, and even by the Supreme Pontiff himself;
the success of his undertakings and the help offered him every year to
go into new ones; the good will of many good people and the fervent
charity of his cooperators; the flow of graces and outstanding heavenly
favors granted by God and His Mother to those who came to his aid by
their donations; the charitable rivalry shown by so many people of
different cities and towns who personally brought or sent him their
savings and the surplus income they did not really need, in order to aid
his current works. These he saw as signs of God's approval. "Now," he
concluded, "if God is pleased to show His approval eloquently and
effectively, we have no cause to fear. Rather, we must open our hearts
to the highest hopes and continue to strive for His greater glory, confi-
dent that He will not neglect to favor us in our own need." Each page
of this our narrative is and shall continue to be an eloquent witness of
this divine assistance!

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CHAPTER 21
Don Bosco, Letter Writer
DoN Bosco certainly did not intend his letters for the gen-
eral public, but only for those to whom they were addressed. Written in
haste, they responded to single situations which have long since
passed; yet they are still meaningful today. They are our remaining
record of a grand life whose minutest details keep us spellbound, so
that the body of letters seems to breathe a life of its own. In addition
they possess psychological and historical value for scholars of every
age. However, those who search them for their spiritual worth happily
discover and taste in them that supernatural love extolled by the author
of the Imitation of Christ: "Love is swift, sincere, pious, joyful and
pleasant, strong, patient, faithful, prudent, forbearing and manly. It is
never self-seeking; whenever a man seeks himself, he falls from love.
Love is circumspect, humble and righteous; not sluggish, flighty or
concerned with vain things. It is poised, chaste, unwavering, serene
and thoroughly cautious. " 1
Throughout 1882 Don Bosco wrote quite a number of letters which
did not aptly fit in previous chapters of this volume, and we prefer to
group them here according to their contents.
1. LETTERS OF THANKS
To Mrs. Sophia Bonola Mattei of Milan, who had sent him a small
donation in addition to a payment with certain conditions attached, he
most graciously wrote a thank-you note:
1Thomas a Kempis, The Imitation of Christ, Book III, Chapter 5, No. 40. [Author]
524

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525
Dear Mrs. Bonola:
Turin, January 8, 1882
I thank you for your kind wishes, for your Mass offering of fifteen francs
and for the six francs owed to the bookstore.
May God reward you for your charity and grant you, your husband and your
family a long, happy life.
Please continue to help us financially, and we shall reciprocate especially by
praying that heavenly blessings may be showered upon you and your family
every day.
Please pray for me. I will always be in Jesus Christ,
Your most obedient servant,
Fr. John Bosco
In his inimitable way Don Bosco expressed his wann thanks to Mrs.
Joan Bosio Saladino, who had formed a local chapter of Salesian
cooperators in Acqui and had sent him their collective donation.
Dear Mrs. Saladino:
Turin, January 10, 1882
I owe you my heartfelt thanks for your gift of sixty lire sent in behalf of your
friends, the good cooperators, and even more for the touching, devout letter
you so kindly wrote me. You pointed out that the offering was a small one. But
it is not small when we realize the ladies' generosity and our growing needs.
At this time every tiny offering is gratefully welcome.
I thank you with all my heart. Please assure the Cooperators of Acqui that I
send them my special blessing and remember them daily at holy Mass. I shall
also urge all our eighty thousand boys to offer their Communion for the
intentions of all of you.
God bless and keep you all in good health and in His holy grace! Please
pray for me and especially for our missionaries who are presently braving the
stormy waters of the Atlantic.
Believe me in Jesus Christ,
Your humble servant,
Fr. John Bosco
When neighboring benefactors celebrated their name day, Don
Bosco often enjoyed sending them a token gift-nothing of material
value to be sure, but highly treasured because of the giver. On the

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
occasion of Baron Ricci's name day, finding that he had nothing to send
him, Don Bosco compensated as follows:
My dear Baron Ricci:
[No date]
I've hunted up and down for something to send you for your name day but
have found nothing. Sorry! However, we have carefully made up for it as best
we could.
This morning I celebrated holy Mass for you, and our boys prayed and
offered Holy Communion for your intentions.
Please be assured of our renewed fervent gratitude for all the charity you
have shown us on many occasions. Daily we shall pray the Lord to comfort
you on earth and in due time insure your true reward in paradise.
With heartfelt thanks, I am,
Yours affectionately,
Fr. John Bosco
He would promptly accommodate his benefactors, regardless of the
trouble it cost him. Thus, in every possible way he tried not to upset
Mrs. [Bernardine] Magliano2 who, generous though she was, had her
peculiarities. He wrote to her:
Turin, July 3, 1882
Dear Mrs. Magliano:
Keep sending me as many youngsters as you wish to make priests or good
Christians of them, and I will accept them all. However, when I find myself on
the verge of bankruptcy, I'll send my bills to you. Give it some thought ...
but of course I say this in jest.
Please come at your own convenience, and we shall reach an understanding
about the students mentioned by the Father Guardian of the Busca Capuchin
friars.
God bless you and grant you life to see the fruits of your charity. In Our
Lord Jesus Christ,
Yours gratefully,
Fr. John Bosco
zsee p. 375. [Author]

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527
As the following letter to a teacher shows us, he was careful to give
due importance to small donations by underscoring the lofty end they
would serve.
Dear Mrs. Amelia Sartena:
Turin, August 14, 1882
With genuine gratitude I acknowledge the receipt of twenty-six francs
which you sent to help our Salesian missionaries who are bringing the Gospel
to the natives of Patagonia.
Fr. John Bosco
It was his regular practice to repay the charity of his donors by
praying for them and having others pray, particularly if they sought
divine favors; such was the case of Father Orestes Pariani.
Beloved in the Lord:
San Benigno Canavese, September 5, 1882
It was a pleasure to receive your letter and the enclosed one hundred lire. I
heartily thank you and shall not fail to pray for all your intentions, especially
for your sick sister. Indeed, I shall ask all our one hundred and fifty thousand
boys to pray for this grace, so that, in unity of prayer, we shall, as it were,
press the Lord to grant all those graces which will not jeopardize your sister's
well-being. Should you ever be in Turin, please stop in to see us as brothers; it
will be our pleasure.
God bless you, dear Father Orestes, and may He also bless your aunt and
your sick sister and keep all of us in His holy grace. Yours gratefully,
Your humble servant,
Fr. John Bosco
Throughout the last five volumes we have remarked that the total
number of Don Bosco's boys grew from twenty thousand to forty and
then to eighty; now he speaks of one hundred and fifty thousand. It is
obvious that Don Bosco certainly inflated these figures. After all, do
we not easily exaggerate in common talk and people understand? Don't
we easily say "a thousand" as in "a thousand times no," "a thousand
years of life," "a thousand obstacles"? This rhetorical exaggeration
was Don Bosco's way of effectively demonstrating the enormous dis-
crepancy glaringly visible between the work that one person like him-
self could do and that being achieved by his entire Congregation. The

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
ratio "of Don Bosco to his boys was one to one hundred and fifty
thousand. To comprehend adequately the grandeur of an enterprise that
is by nature predominantly moral, most people need a magnifying
glass, as it were. Consider too that Don Bosco's hyperbole did rest on a
solid basis of fact, for he was counting all the boys and girls in his
boarding schools, oratories and missions, as well as all the other young
people benefiting from the endeavors of his cooperators-truly an
astronomical figure!
The next letter is addressed to Mary Acquarona of Porto Maurizio.
We may recall that in 1881 she had been healed by Don Bosco's
blessing. 3
Dear Mrs. Acquarona:
Turin, November 1, 1882
I have duly received Mr. Louis Sartorio's letter, your own, and a donation of
one hundred and fifty francs. I humbly thank you, and God in His own time
will be your generous paymaster.
I certainly rejoice to know that your health is satisfactory. My boys and I
shall pray that it may keep improving until it is perfect. I expect to be in Porto
Maurizio next January and will briefly stop over to see you and pray for you
and your sister Vincenza.
May God keep you both in good health and grant you perseverance in His
service here on earth, that one day the Blessed Virgin Mary may welcome you
to heaven's unfailing happiness! I ask both of you to pray for me too. Always
gratefully yours in Jesus Christ,
Fr. John Bosco
Whenever Don Bosco went to Milan, he would call upon a widow,
Mrs. Louise Radice, nee Vittadini, a zealous cooperator, and on those
occasions she would invite those of her relatives who wanted to meet
and speak with him. Acknowledging an offering she sent for the con-
secration of the Church of St. John the Evangelist, Don Bosco wrote:
Dear Mrs. Louise:
Turin, November 2, 1882
Your letter was a delight. I am glad to know you are better, and I bless God.
I trust too that your recovery will soon be complete. We have consecrated the
3See pp. l 12f. [Editor]

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Don Bosco, Letter Writer
529
Church of St. John the Evangelist. What crowds, what rejoicing, how many
confessions! Even today at noon people are flocking to confession. Rejoice
and give thanks to God! May He bless us all.
Yours gratefully,
Fr. John Bosco
P.S. Thank you for your charity. May God reward you.
Mrs. Musso Bensa, originally from Porto Maurizio and living in
Turin, wrote to Don Bosco and sent him regards from her father and the
two Acquarona sisters. He replied:
Dear Mrs. Bensa:
Turin, November 17, 1882
I shall pray and ask my boys to pray for your intentions to Mary, Help of
Christians.
Thank you for the kind greetings of the Acquarona sisters and your father.
God willing, I hope to visit them sometime during the winter.
Please give my regards to your husband. May God bless us all and keep us
always in His holy grace. Please pray for me too.
Your humble servant in Jesus Christ,
Fr. John Bosco
Recognizing the lofty Christian way of life of Count Guido Lazzoni
of Carrara, who had sent him a donation, Don Bosco readily suggested
that he invest his money at the usual highest possible rate of interest.
Turin, December 16, 1882
Dear Count:
I received your letter and offering. I heartily thank you, and God will
reward you. We shall pray for you and for all your intentions, particularly for
your late lamented wife, though I believe that she has now entered into God's
glory and has no need of further prayers.
The truly Christian sentiments you express in your letter show you to be a
devout, practicing Christian. I commend you and thank God for preserving
your health, perhaps that you may benefit His Church. Should you ever come
to Turin, I would deem it an honor and pleasure to have you visit us.
I am not sure if you are in a position to help the poor; if so, let me
recommend to you my little orphans at St. Vincent Hospice in Sampierdarena.
There are some three hundred lads there who need food and winter clothing.

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
Forgive my frankness. I am grateful for whatever you can do and shall pray
for your intentions at my daily Mass.
God bless you. Please pray for me.
Most gratefully yours in Jesus Christ,
Fr. John Bosco
2. HONORARY RECOGNITIONS
A good friend of the Oratory, Chevalier Vesme of Turin, who wished
to obtain a title of nobility through Don Bosco, wrote to Father Rua to
ask how his request was faring. Father Rua in tum wrote to Don Bosco
in Marseille. The matter was entirely in the hands of Commendatore
[Caesar] Correnti, general secretary of the Order of St. Maurice. One
requirement for the decoration was that the applicant must have con-
tributed to the public welfare; in addition, one had to donate no less
than twenty-four thousand lire to the Mauritian Hospital, which the
Order maintained. A very close friend of Correnti,4 Don Bosco had
already won special recognition for Vesme, and he now suggested
some things he might do in pursuing his quest further.
My dear Father Rua:
Marseille, February 16, 1882
To give Chevalier Vesme a proper reply, I thought I had best get information
from the person responsible for the final decision. The chevalier must still:
l. Donate ten thousand lire to the Mauritian Order for a church to be built
adjacent to the new Knights' Hospital.
2. Donate another ten thousand lire for bread and food supplied to our poor
boys.
3. Have a recommendation from a federal or municipal officer on official
stationery.
Please send me the letter of recommendation with receipts of the first two
items. I will take care of the rest very quickly. Please tell Chevalier Vesme that
Commendatore Correnti and I have come to an understanding that in his case
an exception will be made to the regular fee of twenty-four thousand lire
required for a hereditary title.
4See pp. 258ff. [Editor]

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Don Bosco, Letter Writer
531
God bless and keep us in His holy grace. My humble respects to our good,
honorable Chevalier Vesme.
Yours affectionately,
Fr. John Bosco
While he was in Rome he applied to the Honorable [Joseph] Zanar-
delli, Secretary of Grace and Justice, for an official recognition of the
free services rendered by a French physician to the Italian community
of Marseille and to St. Leo's Oratory.
Your Excellency:
[No date]
A gentleman who has undoubtedly distinguished himself to a high degree
for his charity to the Italian community of Marseille is Felicien Bousquet,
doctor in medicine and surgery.
At no cost and at any hour of the day or night he treats Italians who come to
his office or request house calls.
For the past four years he has been the house physician of St. Leo's
Hospice, which cares for over three hundred poor boys, mainly Italians, and
he has done so free of charge and most willingly, regardless of the hour.
He enjoys a well merited reputation for integrity and philanthropy, as can be
attested by both the city officials and the Italian consul of Marseille.
In view of these and other merits, I think he well deserves a decoration of
honor from our government if and when you deem it advisable.
This would be a well deserved recognition of his merit as well as an
inducement to continue his kind and generous aid to the many Italian families
of Marseille.
Enclosed please find copies of the required documents.
You will promptly be sent whatever recommendations you may require.
Fr. John Bosco
3. VOCATIONS
To Stephen Quartino, a freshman attending classical courses at the
Salesian junior college in Alassio, who sought his advice about his
vocation, he wrote:
My dear friend:
Turin, June 4, 1882
I was happy to receive your letter so expressive of excellent planning and
holy sentiments. I must praise the lofty thoughts you voiced. However, it is not

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
clear to me if you wish to become a diocesan or a Salesian priest. In the first
case there would be hurdles to overcome; in the second you could deal directly
with me. Talk it over with your director, Father Cerruti, and he will explain
everything.
At all events we can talk about it during the summer ·vacation and consider
what will best benefit your soul.
God bless you. Pray for me always in Jesus Christ.
Your friend,
Fr. John Bosco
Stephen Quartino donned the clerical habit at San Benigno in Oc-
tober of that year and died prematurely in 1901 as director of a new
house in Syracuse [Sicily], which also was short-lived.
Making the San Benigno retreat with Quartino was twenty-year-old
Theodore Harmel, nephew of good Father Leon of Val des Bois. He
had previously discussed his vocation with Don Bosco in France.
When Theodore asked Don Bosco if he might equally reach salvation
by living in the world or in a religious congregation, the reply was:
"I'm not saying you would do wrong by returning home. If you lead a
good life you can save your soul even in the world. Nevertheless, I
suggest that you stay here with us." Being left totally free, Theodore
did return to his family.
Later, in August, he had second thoughts, and with his parents'
consent, he went back to San Benigno to get himself ready for his
novitiate, but at the end of the spiritual retreat he was so overwhelmed
by homesickness that he decided once more to leave. He wrote to his
father asking how he could get home and where he should get the
money. In Theodore's presence Don Bosco added a note in his own
hand in Italian:
Dear Mr. Harmel:
[No date]
Your son Theodore came here very willingly; he is well in health and has
been contented with everything. The retreat, he says, did him a world of good.
Without giving me any reason, he says that he wants to return home. I would
like him to remain, but he insists, and I cannot force him to stay. I will write
you soon.
My regards to your whole family. God bless us all!
Your friend in Jesus Christ,
Fr. John Bosco

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533
P. S. Do not worry about the money. If necessary, we shall supply him
whatever he needs.
The boy added a long postscript of his own, saying among other
things: "Don Bosco has shown me his note and says that I should
remain, but I do not feel I am called. I foresee that if I were to stay, I
could not live with this depression.... I cannot take it anymore.
Please stop all this, and give me a final answer. "
He left. Seven years later, however, in January 1889, a year after
Don Bosco's death, he made his postulancy and novitiate at Marseille,
and at present [July 1933] h~ is an exemplary Salesian priest. 5
For Father Nicholas Fenoglio it was not so much a matter of follow-
ing his Salesian vocation as of persevering in it. After completing his
theological studies at the diocesan seminary of Turin he went to San
Benigno in 1880; he was at the Salesian house of Este when he was
ordained in Padua in March 1882. Before joining the Congregation he
used to practice such bodily penances that his health was jeopardized,
but on his becoming a Salesian, Don Bosco and his superiors imposed
due limits. However, he could not accept their restrictions.6 In the
following letter, Don Bosco tried to win him over to clearer thinking.
My dear Father Fenoglio:
Turin, July 13, 1882
Your wish to work and suffer for God's greater glory is praiseworthy, but
before you do so, I would like to talk it over with you sometime. We can do so
during a spiritual retreat at your own convenience.
Meanwhile, strive to practice St. Francis de Sales' virtues of charity, pa-
tience and sweetness.
Accept heat, cold, thirst and discomfort as so many gifts of Our Lord.
I will say more when I tell you of my plans for you.
May God bless and assist you on the path to heaven. Pray to the Lord for
me.
Always your friend in Jesus Christ,
Fr. John Bosco
What Don Bosco told him during his retreat did not succeed in
restraining him, and he had it in mind to change over to another
5He died at Caen, France, on October 22, 1935, at the age of sixty-three. [Editor]
6Fenoglio's letter to Father Rua, Este, October 21, 1881 (File No. 4945). [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
congregation, perhaps the Oratorians [founded by St. Philip Neri],
which might give him more leeway in this matter. Convinced that this
was but a temptation, Don Bosco tried to dissuade him.
My dear Father Fenoglio:
Turin, October 14, 1882
Father Riva passed your letter on to me. Don't be worried about your
vocation. To think of another vocation after having made your profession
would be yielding to temptation.
Remain in the calling to which you were called. The devil seeks to claim for
his own the souls God entrusts to you. Don't be tricked. I'll say more when I
see you.
God bless you. Work hard to win souls. Pray for me.
Always your friend in Jesus Christ,
Fr. John Bosco
Father Fenoglio was faithful to the Congregation until his unex-
pected death at our house at Malaga, Spain. Don Bosco himself had
sent him to Spain, where he did much good from 1886 to 1910.7
4. WARM FRIENDLINESS
Warmth characterized eleven of the following twelve letters written
by Don Bosco to distinguished persons who sent him funds and whom
he addressed with his heart on his sleeve and with the freedom of the
saints.
At the beginning of 1882, with disarming assurance, he began to
besiege Monsignor [Melchior] Fantini, a Salesian cooperator of
Liguria, to win from him the gift of a trifling fifty thousand lire.
Dear Reverend Monsignor:
Turin, January 8, 1882
I duly received your dear letter and am delighted to know that your health is
improving. I have always asked our boys to pray for you, and every day I
include you in the memento of my holy Mass. I trust that God will heed our
humble prayers and renew your former vigor.
7According to the Salesian necrology his first name was Francis. He died on May 20, 1910, at
the age of fifty-six. [Editor]

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535
However, you yourself could with a single blow wrest this grace from the
Lord's hands. Let me tell you how. Our hospice at Sampierdarena is in sad
straits. Our boys there are experiencing hunger. I've already sent all I can and
I keep sending more, but it is not enough. Their bills now total one hundred
thousand lire. Couldn't you, therefore, solely for love of God and the as-
surance of your bodily health and spiritual salvation, do something? For
instance, couldn't you take fifty thousand lire in bank notes or stocks and
bring them to the hospice, where you will find the poor director floundering in
a sea of debts? Bring him comfort and relieve the poor and the hungry.
You will say it is a huge sum. 'Ilue, it is, but the reward is much greater.
Besides, our life, like a swift steed, rushes to its end, and we never know
whether others will do what we have left undone.
I immediately prayed and got others to pray for the family you recom-
mended; I hope God will shower His comfort upon them.
I shall gladly pray for you, my dear monsignor, and for little Nicole and
your nephew in the seminary. God bless us all and keep us in His holy grace!
Please pray for me.
Always your affectionate friend in Jesus Christ,
Fr. John Bosco
Don Bosco was practically a member of the De Maistre family, as
the next two letters show us.
My dear Count Eugene:
Turin, June 4, 1882
I shall certainly pray and ask others to pray for your nephew Henry de
Menthon's successful examinations on the days you cited. Nor shall I forget
you, my dear Eugene, and your family.
I saw Lady Annunziatina for a few minutes in the sacristy; she says your
health is good and that you are very pleased with the way she is managing her
part of the family. 8
You may have heard of Countess Philomena Medolago's decision to enter
the convent of the Ursulines at Bergamo. I heard about it when it had already
been done. She chose the better part.
8Annunziatina, whom Don Bosco, with tongue in cheek, calls "Lady," was Maria An-
nunziata, Count Eugene's daughter, who had recently been asked to care for her brothers and
sisters in Turin. She had often acted as secretary to Don Bosco when he was their guest at Borgo
Comalese. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
God bless you, dear Count Eugene, and your whole family with you. Please
pray for me, who shall always remain in Jesus Christ,
Your devotedly,
Fr. John Bosco
Don Bosco had been misinformed about Countess Philomena
Medolago, nee De Maistre; she had joined not the Ursulines but the
Daughters of the Sacred Heart,9 whom she had known in Bergamo.
Don Bosco's second letter expresses his fond hope for a brief meet-
ing with Count De Maistre. Traveling from Alassio to Turin on the
Savona line, Don Bosco intended to stop at Villastellone, where pas-
sengers who were headed for Borgo Cornalese-which today [1934] is
still the country home of the De Maistre family-would get off the
train.
My dear Count Eugene:
Alassio, September 25, 1882
I've gone over my timetable and hope it will fit into your schedule. I arrive
at Villastellone at 9:53 on the evening of the 29th. If you can, please send a
coach to meet me. If not, or if you have already left, there will be no need. If I
do not hear from you it means that our schedules do not mesh and I shall
continue directly to Turin.
May abundant heavenly blessings come to you and your family! Please pray
for me.
Your most devoted friend in Jesus Christ,
Fr. John Bosco
We possess the original of the following letter but are not sure whom
he was writing to, since Don Bosco used to call both Countess Callori
and Countess Corsi of Piedmont "my good Mamma."
My good Mamma:
Turin, June 28, 1882
For several days I've meant to write to you, if only to get a word from you in
reply. Are you still in this wretched world of ours, or have you already flown
off to paradise without even asking if I had any messages to give you? But I
9See p. 387. [Editor]

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537
am very happy to know you are still here, sharing our exile. Fine! We'll do all
we can to help you, and I shall remember you in my daily holy Mass.
Stay peacefully at Mount St. Victor;10 elsewhere, what will be, will be, and
you shall not be harmed. God bless you, my good Mamma, and may He keep
you in good health. Please pray for this poor soul of mine.
Devotedly in Jesus Christ,
Fr. John Bosco
Don Bosco 's letters to Countess Callori are all marked by an easy
familiarity, as is the following:
San Benigno Canavese, August 29, 1882
My good Mamma in Jesus Christ:
I received your note from the Oratory. I wish I could have welcomed you
and chatted with you a while, even just small talk. If you are still in Turin next
Monday, I may come to see you.
You sent me word that Countess Damincourt (did I spell it right?) has won a
very important lawsuit. I knew nothing of it and cannot recall the details, but I
believe she promised a generous offering if she won a court case she thought
would be lost. Let me know what you remember about this. I'll repay you with
a Hail Mary.
The best of all to you and your family. Please pray for me.
Fr. John Bosco
His letters to generous Marchioness [Mary] Fassati are equally
informal:
Dear Marchioness:
San Benigno Canavese, August 30, 1882
I gladly send you a few medals, or rather holy pictures, of Mary, Help of
Christians for you to distribute freely. On one picture I have written you a few
words in Latin, for both Our Lady and you are well acquainted with that
language.
Last year I wrote a booklet entitled L' Orfanella degli Appennini [The Little
Orphan Girl of the Apennines] and asked you to translate it into French and
have it published. But I do not know if you ever received it. If it has gone
10We cannot make out whether he wrote St. Victor or St. Victoria. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
astray and so has not been translated, I will immediately send you another
copy, since I have had several requests for a French version of this little work.
I thank you for your good news about the young De Maistre grandchildren.
I shall not fail to pray for them, particularly for Rudolph, that he may be
enlightened in his choice of a career.
I am here at San Benigno with a division of my Salesian army. Our series of
annual retreats began in August and will run, back to back, to October 9. I
hope I can relax and breathe a little fresh air in peace at Pessione11 between the
10th and 15th of this month, and put some kind of order in the papers clutter-
ing my desk. That way I shall both keep my word and enjoy your charity as I
have done on so many other occasions.
God bless you, my well-deserving marchioness. May He keep you in good
health, but always on the way to heaven. Please pray for me.
Your gratefully in Jesus Christ,
Fr. John Bosco
P.S. If Baroness Azelia and Baron Charles are with you at Pessione, please
give them my regards and ask them to pray for me.
The title of the "booklet" he refers to, written the previous year and
sent to the marchioness to translate into French, was Angelina o l' Or-
fanella degli Appennini [Angelina, or The Little Orphan Girl of the
Apennines]. It had been published as Number 203 in the Letture Cat-
toliche [Catholic Readings] series. It was the biography of a wealthy
young lady who, having been denied her wish to become a nun, fled
her father's house and for the rest of her days lived a hidden life as a
servant in a peasant family. We have not come across a French
translation.
To Mrs. Angela Piccardo, a faithful cooperator from Mele, near
Voltri, he wrote a hasty letter answering her questions and asking some
of his own.
Dear Mrs. Piccardo:
San Benigno Canavese, August 31, 1882
I like what you say about the cleric Artana and shall gladly see him. But
since I must be at our hospice in Sampierdarena from September 13 to Sep-
tember 20, it would be easier if he met me there.
HA hamlet of Chieri, where the Fassati family had a villa. [Author]

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539
I shall gladly continue to pray for your good health, as I have always done
since I first had the honor of making your acquaintance.
I hope you will honor me by a visit to Sampierdarena, and when you come
please remember to bring me a little bag of marenghi,12 which I can really use.
God bless you, Mrs. Piccardo! May He keep you in good health and in His
holy grace! Please pray for me.
Always yours in Jesus Christ,
Fr. John Bosco
With confident simplicity he asks the parish priest of Loranze, di-
ocese of Aosta, for a donation and for a list of people he can write to.
My dear Father Peronino:
San Benigno, September 7, 1882
At the present time I am in urgent need of funds. Without a penny to my
name, I owe a lot of money for the paper mill at Mathi, for construction being
done at the Turin Oratory and at San Benigno, and for the bread already
consumed by some one hundred and fifty thousand boys.
Please help me out, first with your own donation and later by asking your
uncle, the parish priest, as well as Mr. Pagliassotti, to do all they can to ease
this emergency.
"What is over and above give in alms," says the Gospel. Explain the "over
and above" to Mr. Pagliassotti.
I am presently at San Benigno for another retreat. Give my regards to your
uncle and his sister. Please pray for me.
Always your friend in Jesus Christ,
Fr. John Bosco
P.S. Please give the enclosed to Mr. Pagliassotti and briefly ask him to help
my cause.
Readers of the March issue of the Bollettino Salesiano would readily
understand his reference to the paper mill at Mathi, which had been the
scene of a terrible mishap on February 3. At about five that morning a
thunderous explosion rocked and terrified the quiet community. While
two employees were working at the papermaking machine, the steam
12The marengo, a gold coin worth twenty francs, was minted by Napoleon I to commemorate
his victory over Austrian and Russian troops on June 14, 1800, near the village of Marengo in the
province of Alessandria in northern Italy. [Editor]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
boiler used to wash the rags exploded; ceiling and walls were blown
clear through the roof, destroying the entire works and crushing the
two luckless workmen under the wreckage. The entire building and all
equipment were a total loss.
He mentioned the Mathi disaster in his letter to Mrs. [Bernardine]
Magliano; despite its endless begging refrain, it is an example of
skillful writing.
Dear Mrs. Magliano:
San Benigno Canavese
Nativity of Our Lady, 1882
On birthdays mothers usually give their children presents, even if they don't
really deserve them. And so I am reaching out to Our Blessed Lady through
you for a very special gift. As I told you in Turin, I am being swamped with
the expenses for the rebuilding of the Mathi paper mill, the final payment on
the Church of St. John the Evangelist, the repair work on the buildings
adjacent to the Church of Mary, Help of Christians, and the financing of our
South American missions. Right now the very least I need is twelve thousand
lire; however, I gratefully welcome any donation if I cannot possibly come up
with the whole amount.
You see how I trust in you; please work things out with Our Lady. Mean-
while I shall pray for you to this heavenly Mother of ours and ask Her to keep
you in good health and always on the way to heaven. With all my heart I hope
you will attain it-yet not too soon, because I wish you to die poor, totally
freed from this world's goods so you can take with you the harvest you will
reap from all your works of charity.
I want you to know that I will be at Sampierdarena on September 13 for
another spiritual retreat. From there I'll go to Alassio and San Benigno Ca-
navese, and finally I'll be back in Turin for good by October 9. Always address
your mail to Turin; it will promptly be forwarded to wherever I may be.
God willing, Father Pavia will leave for Busca on Monday. The poor man
has been working hard and is exhausted. I entrust him to you to restore him for
me. 13
God bless you. Please pray for me too.
Most gratefully yours in Jesus Christ,
Fr. John Bosco
BFather (Joseph] Pavia received from Mrs. Magliano considerable help for the Valdocco
Festive Oratory, where he was director for over thirty years. At this time Don Bosco was sending
him to the Magliano family for a short rest. [Author]

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Don Bosco had developed a wann friendship with Canon [Edward]
Martini of Alassio, 14 with whom he exchanged many favors.
San Benigno Canavese, September 11, 1882
My dear Canon Martini:
From September 22 to the 29th I shall be at Alassio for a retreat. Come and
join me for a few days so we can talk together and spend some time in friendly
relaxation. You will come, won't you?
God bless us all and keep us in good health, yet always on the road to
heaven. Amen.
Please pray for me.
Always your friend in Jesus Christ,
Fr. John Bosco
Father Joseph Apollonio, Salesian cooperator and dear friend of Don
Bosco, whom Father John Baptist Lemoyne often mentions in his later
volumes15 of these Memoirs, had been elected bishop of Treviso. Don
Bosco was most pleased with this choice, one reason being that the
house at Magliano was in his diocese.
Alassio-Turin, September 23, 1882
Your Excellency, my dear Father Apollonio,
God knows we need to be in your hands. Just recently we opened a house at
Magliano in your new diocese. Blessed be the Lord in all things!
Most heartfully I shall celebrate holy Mass and say a Hail Mary for you! It
will be my particular intention that God will keep you in good health for years
to come. Soon, God willing, I will call on you and spend an hour or two with
you.
I thank you for your offering of fifteen francs which I received.
My writing is atrocious. Here I am sixty-seven years old and I still have not
learned to write! Will I do better in the future?
May God keep us all in His holy grace! Please give your sacred blessing to
all the Salesians who, through me, pay you reverence.
Your most affectionate friend,
Fr. John Bosco
I4See Vol. XIII, pp. 139f. [Editor]
I5father Lemoyne authored Volumes I through IX. He went to his reward in 1916. [Editor]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
With much cordiality he wrote to a Turinese benefactor, Mr. Joseph
Ceriana:
Turin, December 7, 1882
Dear Sir:
I thank you for your gracious letter. For some days I could not leave the
house, but I am now ready to receive you on any day and at any time you care
to stroll out here-always, however, at your own convenience. I would very
gladly have you tour the Church of St. John the Evangelist. When you find
time to come, please have someone call for Father Marenco, the director, who
will certainly be happy to take you through the church.
It is my pleasure to call the blessings of heaven upon you and your family. I
am highly honored to be
Yours most gratefully,
Fr. John Bosco
5. DEATH OF COUNT CAYS
On the eve of the feast of Mary, Help of Christians Don Bosco's
thoughts turned to Count [Charles] Cays, who could not be present for
the solemnities. Lack of appetite and sleeplessness had forced him to
seek the bracing air of his home at Caselette.
Turin, May 23, 1882
My dear Count:
It was a pleasure to receive your letter. From what you say your health
seems to be considerably improved, for which I thank God with all my heart.
I would be most delighted to have you with us these days which, as the
French say, provide work for tout le monde. I hope I shall soon have an
opportunity to speak with you personally either here in Turin or there in
Caselette.
You know my great love for you in the Lord. I pray and ask others to pray
for you. Everything we have is at your beck and call.
God bless you, my ever beloved count, and may He grant you the best of
health. Please remember me too, ever in Jesus Christ.
Yours most affectionately,
Fr. John Bosco

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The count never regained his health. 16 During the summer he had
sought relief in the thermal baths of Saint-Didier near Aosta. At the
beginning of September he made his retreat at San Benigno. On Sep-
tember 28 he spent some morning hours hearing confessions in the
Church of Mary, Help of.Christians. That evening he ate supper with
appetite, a rare occurrence for him, and his condition seemed to be
improving. During the night, however, he experienced difficulty in
breathing and could hardly sleep. Sensing that this was a sign of ap-
proaching death, he centered his thoughts on God alone and his soul.
He possessed a relic of the true Cross which he used to wear about
his neck when attending parliament, because there in that exalted
chamber he stood face to face with the adversaries of the Cross. He
now had placed the precious fragment of wood in a small sachet and
had it attached to his arm. From time to time he kissed it while meditat-
ing on the passion of Our Lord and pleading with the Divine Redeemer
for strength to suffer for His love.
Don Bosco, returning to Turin late on the night of September 29,
went directly to see him shortly before midnight. Count Cays asked
him to hear his confession. Some time later, with urgent insistence, he
asked to receive Holy Viaticum. Before doing so, he asked pardon for
any displeasure or scandal he might have caused his confreres and for
any trouble he might have given them, moving those present to tears.
He then asked that a telegram be sent summoning the young count,
his son, to whom he imparted serene counsel and his priestly, fatherly
blessing. Later he asked for and received the anointing of the sick, as
well as the papal blessing, though death did not appear imminent. Dr.
[Lawrence] Bruno, who examined him, however, said that medical
science had done all it could.
On Sunday, October 1, the feast of the Holy Rosary, he prayed that
Mary might open heaven's portals to him that day. Although Don
Bosco was due in San Benigno for the season's last retreat, he
postponed his departure in order to assist him in his last moments, if
the Lord should call him to Himself on that day. A slight improvement
suddenly set in, and Don Bosco left Caselette for San Benigno, where
a crowd awaited him for confession, but he did not leave before saying
16See Vol. XIII, Chapter 8. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
good-bye to his old friend, comforting him with inspired words of
affection and faith. Despite his eager desire to have Don Bosco assist
him at the hour of death, the virtuous count serenely offered this
sacrifice to God with full resignation to the divine will.
Throughout life he had often asked God not to let pain or suffering
torment him during his last illness because he feared he might not be
able to endure that. God heard his prayer, for his only suffering was a
heavy weariness, a total exhaustion, with no physical or moral pain.
This grace he attributed to Mary's motherly intercession.
On the morning of October 3 he again received Holy Communion,
after which he spoke only of his journey into eternity. He had the
prayers for a happy death read to him from the Giovane Provveduto
[The Companion of Youth], 17 often calling upon the Blessed Virgin
Mary and his saintly patrons, fervently kissing the crucifix which he
had kept by his bed for the past two days. That evening he said with
serenity and deliberation: "I shall not die tonight, but tomorrow will
not find me here. "
Noting how visibly he was sinking, Father Rua would not leave him
but spent the night at his side with the count's nephew, Baron Albert
della Torre, very dear to the count because of their long intimacy, his
religious sentiments, and his solicitous charity to his neighbors.
At ten-thirty the count asked that the prayers for a happy death be
read to him again and that he be given sacramental absolution. As
Father Rua shaded the burning candle to darken the room and walked
out for a few moments, the count dropped into a peaceful sleep. Awak-
ing suddenly, he cheerfully asked Baron della Torre, "What time is it?"
"Midnight," the baron said.
"Impossible! Can't you see it's already light?"
"Midnight has just struck."
"It does not seem possible. The room's too bright."
Was he beholding the immortal light he was soon to enter? Be that as
it may, the light he saw flooded him with unspeakable joy, as he
seemed to be basking silently in a vision known to him alone.
Urged to rest, he again fell asleep, his face bathed in a mysterious
serenity. On reawaking, he began murmuring fervent ejaculations. At
one-thirty he made the sign of the cross several times until he no longer
17A prayerbook for boys compiled by Don Bosco and first published in 1847. See Volume III,
pp. 7-18. [Editor]

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had the strength to raise his right hand to his forehead. The few
invocations suggested to him he repeated fervently in a hardly audible
voice. He was now nearing his end. His son, his daughter-in-law and
her brother, Baron Garofoli, who were all staying at the Oratory, were
immediately summoned. Father Rua told him that his dear ones were
there and asked him to bless them once again. The count nodded in
response. Moments later, holding the crucifix in his right hand, he
rendered his soul to God. The clock stood at twenty minutes after
three. He was sixty-nine years old. 18
6. To SUPERIORS OF SALESIAN HousEs IN FRANCE
As his correspondence shows, Don Bosco kept the needs, problems,
and persons of his houses in France always in mind and heart. How-
ever, it was upon the festive oratory in Marseille that he looked if not
with predilection at least with more vigilant attention, considering it,
we might say, as his base of operations. He wrote to its director:
Dear Father Bologna:
Turin, July 16, 1882
Please tell Countess De Sobran that every day we remember and shall
continue to remember her and her whole family in prayer.
Assure Madame Jacques that I make a special memento of her every day at
holy Mass and that in this she takes the place of my mother, who is no longer
on earth.
I am puzzled by something. Mrs. Mary Loyton of Thoumon has written me
three times, complaining that she gets no answer, and yet I have each time
faithfully written to her at the address she gave me. How can I be sure she
receives my letters? Is anything wrong?
Lest I forget, tell Mrs. Broquier that we still revere her as a mother and
fervently pray for her and her husband.
18A Latin inscription, written by Father John Baptist Francesia, was carved on his tombstone.
[Author]
The English translation is as follows:
Here in the peace of Christ rests Charles Cays of Turin, count of Giletta and Caselette, doctor
of civil and canon law, inscribed by Charles Albert as a city father and several times elected as the
people's representative in the legislature. He was a shining example of integrity and justice. At
sixty, summoned by heaven's call, he entered the Salesian Society in Turin and, ordained a priest,
excelled in piety and other virtues. Dear to all, he lived sixty-nine years, dying a holy death on
October 4, 1882.
Placed by his son Aloysius, in deep mourning for his deceased father. [Editor]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
I understand that Father Albera has some money he doesn't know how to
spend. Father Rua is delighted to hear of this and is hopeful.
God bless us all. Always in Jesus Christ,
Your most affectionate friend,
Fr. John Bosco
P.S. I am told that the parish priest of St. Joseph's is to leave Marseille on
vacation. If he hasn't already done so, ask him to come to Turin directly or to
stop off here on his trip. We would be delighted to host him, and I would do
my very best to accompany him on a pastoral visit to those of our houses he
has not seen for some time. Also, is Mrs. Prat's name Ann?
Unfortunately we as yet have no idea what happened to the letters
which Don Bosco must certainly have written to Father Albera both
before and after appointing him as provincial of the French houses. We
have only a few. The two we present here are only copies and we don't
know whence they came.
Turin, November 26, 1882
My dear Father Albera:
Enclosed please find some letters to read and forward. The rest will come,
until you receive them all. Heartfelt regards to Father Bologna, all the con-
freres and all our boys and benefactors.
Father Cagliero will send you instructions regarding the four or six Sale-
sians who will be passing through on their way to Spain.
God bless us all. Believe me always in Jesus Christ,
Yours affectionately,
Fr. John Bosco
The Salesians he mentions had been assigned to the house at Utrera,
where the confreres had done wonders during their first year there and
were badly in need of reinforcements. The second letter opens on an
affectionate tone.
Turin, December 4, 1882
My dear Father Albera:
You may keep the thousand francs which Madame Fabre donated, but on
condition that you be good and always remain Don Bosco's close friend.

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However, at the opportune moment you might do well to say that, despite
our financial straits here, we are still ready to help the house in Marseille with
its money problems.
Do all you can to help the house at Saint-Cyr.
I have written and received a reply from Mrs. Jacques. Get to see her, thank
and reassure her that we pray much for her, and say that Father Cagliero hopes
to pay her a visit before leaving. Give Miss Dugaz the enclosed note.
Thank Mrs. Rocca and Mrs. Fabre and tell them both we remember them in
our prayers and shall have a Mass said for them at the altar of Mary, Help of
Christians on the feast of the Immaculate Conception.
God bless you! Regards and greetings to the parish priest and our confreres,
with the assurance of our prayers.
Your affectionate friend,
Fr. John Bosco
Don Bosco expected to be in Nice by the end of January 1883, but
his plans went awry; he got there only in the latter part of February.
Turin, December 25, 1882
My dear Father Ronchail:
I was pleased to know that Mrs. Ferrant got to Nice. I am very happy
indeed. Please give her my sincerest regards and tell her that, while I hope to
pay her my respects in person at the end of next month, I continue to re-
member her in my daily Mass. Send me detailed information about this
distinguished benefactress of ours.
Fond regards and best wishes to the family of Baron Heraud, to our good
Mamma, to Attorney Michel, and to the parish priest Father Germon; tell him
to get a lot of money ready for the Sacred Heart [Church].
What about the "Mamma" of Saint-Jean de Villefranche, Mrs. D'Aprotis,
and Miss Guigou? How are Marquis D'Avila19 and Chevalier Levrot?
Do you have many tourists there? Has Mrs. Fauche sold her estate? I
understand that the prince of Vallombrosa is very sick. Is he?
Heartfelt regards to Father [Louis] Vincenti and Brother [Jules] Reimbeau.
19We are grateful to the Marquis D' Avila for copies of three letters which Don Bosco wrote in
French. [Author]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
I pray for heaven's blessings on you, my dear Father Ronchail, and on all
the priests, clerics and boys with you. Always in Jesus Christ,
Yours affectionately,
Fr. John Bosco
P.S. If Father Lambert calls on you, don't get upset.
7. DoN Bosco' s FATHERLINESS
We now center on Don Bosco's fatherly kindness toward his sons.
We will reproduce only two letters which much more reflect that dis-
position of soul that we unhesitatingly style "fatherliness," and how
can we help but feel the throb of fatherly love when he writes to the
humblest confreres? With fatherly concern he asks about the health of
Father Confort6la, director of the Salesian house in Florence, for
whom he used the third person polite form of address because he had
joined the Congregation after his ordination.
My dear Father Confort6la:
San Benigno Canavese, August 28, 1882
Thank you for your letter teliing me your health has somewhat improved.
Blessed be the Lord! Do what you can for the time being, but take good care
of yourself and use every precaution. I'd like you to stay where you are in
Florence. Father Bruna has only been substituting for you, and as soon as you
feel you can do without him, I will send him to the new position awaiting him.
There is no need for you to make another retreat, all the more so because
you are not completely recovered. Every now and then read snatches from our
rules as daily food for meditation until you have read them all.
I will see that you get the staff you need, but concentrate-or, better, help
the others to concentrate-on the oratory, so much in demand in your city.
Please extend my loving regards in the Lord to all my beloved sons who live
with you in Via Masaccio and commend me to their community prayers.
God bless you, dear Father Confort6la. May He grant you good health and
keep you always in His holy grace. Please pray for me.
Yours most affectionately,
Fr. John Bosco
However, his fatherly heart is magnificently revealed in this second
letter addressed to Father Joachim Berto, who for reasons of health had
gone to his home that August. We do not think it irrelevant to recall

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that Father Berto's disposition was far from likeable and that, had not
Don Bosco in his more than natural goodness kept him as his secretary
for well over twenty years, the good man would hardly have found his
place in life. The following shows us how Don Bosco treated such a
difficult member of his family.
San Benigno, August 31, 1882
My dear Father Berto:
I haven't heard a word from you since I left Turin. Please tell me how you
are feeling and if you have started some kind of hopeful cure. Do you think
that the mountains or the seashore or some other place could bring you some
relief?
I am writing during a superior chapter meeting. All the members send you
their regards and best wishes, praying God to grant you excellent health.
If you need anything, let me know. We are all concerned that you lack for
nothing; it would not speak well for our Congregation if you had to ask others.
God bless you, my dear Father Berto! May He restore your health. Pray for
me. Always in Jesus Christ,
Most affectionately yours,
Fr. John Bosco
P.S. Give my regards to your parish priest and all your relatives.
8. A COMFORTER
Mrs. Magliano had suffered a serious accident while at her estate in
Busca over the end of December and the beginning of the new year.
Don Bosco was informed of it by the Capuchin superior, to whom he
wrote in reply:
Beloved in Our Lord Jesus Christ:
Turin, January 2, 1882
I was afraid something would happen to Mrs. Magliano, and now it has. I
am writing a note to her directly; please read it to her if she cannot do so.
Thank you for your kindness. Please continue praying for me and my large,
growing family.
Gratefully yours,
Fr. John Bosco

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
To Mrs. Magliano he wrote:
Dear Mrs. Magliano:
Turin, January 2, 1882
Lack of news from you had me really worried. Several times I had people
inquire for you at your home, but to no avail. My fears were well founded; the
Capuchin superior wrote to tell me of your accident. Blessed be God in all
things! The harm could have been worse. Ever since you left for your villa we
have been praying for you, but now we shall continue praying mornings and
evenings until God has fully restored you to health and, like a kindly mother,
you come to visit us. Our whole family at Valdocco, particularly Father Rua,
Father Lazzero, Father Bonetti, Father Pavia and others, wish to be remem-
bered to you, assuring you of their prayers at daily Mass. I hope that your
return to Turin will not long be delayed, and then how many things we shall
have to talk about!
God bless you, my deserving Mrs. Bernardine. May He grant you good
health and a holy life and death. In your charity, please pray for me.
Yours gratefully in Jesus Christ,
Fr. John Bosco
In September and October, floods inundated all northern and consid-
erable portions of central Italy. For about a month, newspapers ran
accounts of continual disasters in a column entitled L'Italia sotto l' ac-
qua [Italy under Water]. The region hardest hit was Veneto,20 where
swollen rivers flooded vast areas, forcing people to leave cities and
towns, their homes in ruins and buried in mud. The countryside around
Este was also badly damaged and, like so many others, Chevalier
[Benedict] Pela, a generous Salesian cooperator, 21 suffered great loss.
Our boarding school was spared harm, but the outlook for the new
school year was a dreary one, indeed. Don Bosco wrote words of
comfort to the director and to Mr. Pela, offering also suggestions for
reaching out to aid the flood victims.
My dear Father Tamietti:
Turin, October 12, 1882
Tell Chevalier Pela that we attain to glory through the crosses of life. We
must not lose heart. Keep going as you did last year, with tranquility, entrust-
20A region in northern Italy covering seven provinces: Belluno, Padova, Rovigo, Treviso,
Venezia, Verona and Vicenza. [Editor]
21see Vol. XIII, pp. 529f. [Editor]

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ing yourselves into the hands of Divine Providence. Do not be afraid. Assure
Chevalier Pela that the present thorns will bloom into roses before his very
eyes. If the flood should demand some sacrifice, do not begrudge it.
God bless you and our confreres, the sisters and all our young friends,
pupils and others! May He deliver them from all evil. Amen.
Yours affectionately,
Fr. John Bosco
He expressed comfort and thoughtful concern to Marquis Cantono
Ceva of Vercelli, who was then having family troubles.
Turin, November 14, 1882
My dear Marquis:
I feel personally touched by the distress which the Lord has laid upon you. I
assure you that I shall exercise discretion and reserve in using the information
you pass on to me from time to time. But loads of patience are needed, along
with great prudence. Meanwhile I shall pray and ask others to pray that the
good Lord will touch the heart and enlighten the eyes which cannot see.
I shall follow your suggestions concerning the young lad at Lanzo.
I am grateful for your donation of one hundred lire for the Church of St.
John the Evangelist. I heartily thank you. Incidentally, let me inform you that
St. John is awaiting your visit to his church. Could it be that he means to grant
you some special favor, maybe that which we both have so much at heart?
God bless you, my ever dear marquis, and may He grant you the priceless
treasure of family peace and serenity.
Please pray for me, who am ever in Our Lord Jesus Christ,
Yours most gratefully,
Fr. John Bosco
Mr. Joseph De Paolini must have been a devout soul and a close
friend of Don Bosco, because the latter pens but a few lines to comfort
him, much as two spirits who need not many words to understand each
other.
My dear friend in the Lord,
Turin, December 27, 1882
Be patient. Thoms most certainly lead into the realm of flowers. I shall pray
fervently for you and your sister. My family will too.

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
Pray for me and for the host of youngsters-one hundred and fifty thousand
strong-whom Divine Providence has willed to entrust to me.
God bless us all and keep us in His holy grace. Always in Jesus Christ,
Yours affectionately,
Fr. John Bosco
9. PATIENCE IN ALL THINGS
In the years covered by this volume Don Bosco preached patience
more in practice than in word. Nevertheless, words too have a great
value when the preacher advising patience also has the opportunity of
actually practicing it abundantly.
In a brief note to Father Dalmazzo Don Bosco packs every phrase
with meaning. During that summer of 1882 how many trials put to the
test the patience of this man of God! Three sources of distress pop up:
domestic problems, delays slowing down negotiations for the Patago-
nian missions, and nasty gossip about the construction of the Sacred
Heart Church [in Rome]. Speaking only of these ready detractors-
now that we have seen Don Bosco's more than heroic efforts as he
strained under that Roman burden, a burden heavier than Mount
Etna-we can understand the anguish underlying his mild lament.
San Benigno Canavese, August 27, 1882
I received your letter. Patience in all things. Everything will tum out well.
Set up your staff. I am not happy at all about the decision of the Congregation
for the Propagation of the Faith. This delay can ruin everything. I shall write
to Cardinal Jacobini.
I wish that instead of criticizing what we are building in Rome, certain
people would think of giving us money.
Nevertheless, your health always comes first.
Most affectionately,
Fr. John Bosco
P.S. 'fry to speed up the dispensation for Bielli.22
We find a second hint of the problems caused Don Bosco by the
strong-headed contractor of the Sacred Heart Church, as well as an-
22Don Bosco refers to Albert Bielli who, born in December 1858, was some two and a half
months below canonical age for the priesthood. He was ordained on September 23, 1882. Albert
had a brother named John. He too was a priest. [Author]

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other indication of his patient long-suffering in a second note to Father
Dalmazzo. Father Angelo Savio was Don Bosco's legal representative
for all matters of administration and law.
My dear Father Dalmazzo:
Turin, December 6, 1882
Our confreres Father [Charles] Farina and [Brother Joseph] Mainardi-both
very dear to me-are stopping off at Rome. Please give them anything they
need. I have it at heart that those books get into the Holy Father's hands
somehow or other.
Is there no way we can settle our differences with the contractor? You and
Father Savio may possibly come up with something in a spirit of friendship.
God bless us all! Always in Jesus Christ,
Your most affectionate friend,
Fr. John Bosco
10. THE RELIGIOUS SISTERS OF THE SACRED HEART [OF JESUS]
As one ascends the gentle slope leading from the Po River to the
Valsalice College, one will find an icon of Mary, Help of Christians
about three-fourths of the way up. Ensconced in a small wayside
shrine, it looks like a heavenly vision in that lonely comer of the shady
valley near the murmuring brook which gives its name to it. Behind the
shrine stretches a wooded area which encloses an elegant institute run
by the Religious of the Sacred Heart [of Jesus]. 23
Before 1848 the sisters' convent was located in Via dell'Ospedale in
Turin, but was confiscated by the government during the stormy revolu-
tion of 1848.24 Today it is the site of the Polytechnical Institute. As
partisan rivalry calmed down with the years, Mother Christine
Gazzelli, a relative of the counts of Rossana and sister of Canon
Stanislaus Gazzelli, an eminent Turinese churchman of the past cen-
tury, 25 was sent from France to re-establish her congregation in Italy.
As her congregation's provincial vicar for Italy, she founded and di-
rected the convents at Avigliana, Portici, Florence and Turin. From
Florence she got in touch with Don Bosco.
23Founded in France in 1800 by St. Madeleine Sophie Barat, 1799-1865. [Editor]
24See Vol. m, pp. 202, 208, 293. [Editor]
25Father Louis Di Robillant, a count, wrote a fine biography of Canon Gazzelli: fl canonico
Stanislao Gazzelli di Rossana e San Sebastiano con documenti inediti, Torino, Tipografia Sales-
iana, 1901. [Author]

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Being quite knowledgeable of the educational needs of the daughters
of Turin's patrician families, Don Bosco looked forward to having these
well-trained teachers return to their apostolate; in fact, it would appear
that Our Lord gave him particular insights in this matter. One day in
1880, on meeting a group of the sisters' students who had been chap-
eroned to Turin from the Sacred Heart School in Chambery by a sister
to spend their vacation with their families, he walked up to them with
the words, "You have just passed your school." The young ladies
looked at each other in surprise, for they knew very well that the sisters
had no convent in Turin. He continued, "Yes, your school, not the one
that used to be here, but the one you will later have. "
In 1881 the mother general of the order was planning to reopen a
convent of the Sacred Heart in Turin, but the time was not ripe. In 1882
Mother Gazzelli wrote to Don Bosco for the first time to ask for his
prayers. He seems not to have realized at first that she was a religious
and a superior.
San Benigno Canavese, August 29, 1882
Dear Madam:
Thank you for your letter informing me of your long cherished plan to have
a convent of the Religious of the Sacred Heart here in Turin.
Our Blessed Lady, the Help of Christians, will have no problem providing
needed land or building. However, after being granted this favor, the mother
general should show her appreciation by extending her patronage over the
church and orphanage now under construction in Rome in honor of the Sacred
Heart.
If you'd like, I'll willingly do what I can and, once I've found a suitable
house, I will immediately get back to you but will leave all negotiations to
you.
To this end, I will start a fervent novena of prayers, Communions and
Masses from September 8 to the 20th. I thank you for your donation of fifty
francs. Please forgive my scrawl; at sixty-seven I have still to learn how to
write and have no idea when or how I shall improve my script.
May heaven's blessings shower you and the Congregation of the Sacred
Heart of Jesus. Please pray for me.
Your humble servant in the Lord,
Fr. John Bosco
A month later Mother Gazzelli sent Don Bosco a generous offering

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but still did not clarify her religious identity, and so he wrote to her
much as he would have to any benefactress of his.
Dear Madam,
Alassio, September 26, 1882
God bless you. How wonderfully thoughtful of you! Our boys are going
hungry, and I know not how to provide bread for them. Your offering came as
a true relief.
On my return to Turin I shall do my very best to look for a suitable building
and Our Lady will doubtless assist us.
I shall not fail to pay my respects to you in person when I next go to
Florence.
May the Lord's grace always be with you and your family. Please pray for
me, ever in Jesus Christ,
Your humble servant,
Fr. John Bosco
Don Bosco 's third letter makes it clear that both Mother Gazzelli and
he were making headway with their project.
Dear Mother Superior:
Turin, November 12, 1882
Enclosed is the holy picture you asked for. I thank you for your offering to
our young orphans, who pray fervently for you and your community.
There are any number of buildings available, but each has its drawback of
either too much or too little. Baron Ceva has a house which I am told might
suit your purpose.
I have spoken to Baron Ceva and to Count Orsara, who enjoys our mutual
confidence. Please pray for me.
Yours gratefully in Jesus Christ,
Fr. John Bosco
Their correspondence ends here. However the elderly nuns tell us
that in 1882, as Don Bosco worked for and supported the foundation,
he assured them that it was all inspired by Mary, Help of Christians and
urged the sisters to go to Turin in May of the next year. In fact, on May
24, 1883 the deed was signed for the house in Via Legnano 11, where
the convent remained until June 1885, when it was moved to its present
site at Villa Rolle. It is striking that embedded in the villa's surround-

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
ing wall was an icon of Our Lady, covered by a grill. As far back as
1830 two daughters of Count Gazzelli, who owned a villa on St.
Margaret's hill, used to pick a handful of flowers from their garden
whenever they went to town, and on their way they would have their
coach stop momentarily by the little shrine and slip flowers through the
grill at Our Lady's feet. One of the girls was Christine. Today the
painting portrays Mary, Help of Christians. The painting, which had
been restored by one of the nuns in 1930, was very old, but we cannot
determine if it is the one to which the girls brought their flowers. Nor
do we know Don Bosco's role in the choice of this house: he may have
been influenced by its proximity to the Valsalice College for wealthy
students. 26
He visited the new convent twice. The first time was September 29,
1885, toward ten in the morning. He was in the company of three
priests. He expressed his joy at seeing the nuns in such a delightful
setting, telling them that he thanked the Lord and Our Lady for having
called them back to Turin. One sister remarked, "Father, you predicted
we would come to Turin in May 1883, and it was precisely on the 24th
of May that we found the house in Via Legnano." "Oh, very often we
just say things and the Lord lets them come true," he replied. "The fact
is, however, that this was the time Our Lord willed you to come here
and He gave His blessing. Had you delayed even a little, you would
have run into serious difficulties. But now you are here, and nothing
can stop you. The Lord wants you to do His work, and there is much to
do."
To the mother superior who thanked him for sending his priests for
the sisters' Mass and Benediction [of the Blessed Sacrament], he re-
plied: "It is our pleasure. I'd gladly come myself if I could." The
school's principal requested, "Don Bosco, please pray for the physical
and spiritual well-being of our young girls." "There is no need to pray
for that," he answered. "Your pupils will be healthy and holy." As he
entered the coach to depart, he said to Mother Gazzelli: "Let us do all
we possibly can to save souls." The chronicle states: "He left all there
with the pleasant feeling that they had been visited by a saint."
His second visit was on October 2, 1887, the feast of Our Lady of the
26Don Bosco was practically forced by Archbishop Gastaldi to accept this schoool in 1872. See
Vol. X, pp. 68ff. [Editor]

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Rosary. He came at the filial insistence of Mother Gazzelli, who was
most anxious to have him visit. He arrived at five-thirty in the evening,
immediately after Benediction, supported by Father [Charles] Vig-
lietti, his secretary, and Father Caesar Cagliero, the sisters' confessor
and director of the Valsalice College. Throughout those last few
months of his life, Don Bosco could walk only with the greatest diffi-
culty. Despite his visible weariness, he showed lively interest in the
house and the boarding school then nearing completion. "I see you
have accomplished a mighty task here," he remarked. When the
mother superior told him that they had placed their convent under the
protection of Mary, Help of Christians as he had suggested, he an-
swered with a smile, "Oh, Mary, Help of Christians is an awesome
patron: frightening to those who try to oppose Her work, but all-
powerful for those who stay beneath Her mantle."
Before getting back into his coach, standing before the main en-
trance, he looked up, took the whole building in his glance, and,
pointing with his right hand to the topmost story, said, "That floor
will be full of postulants." The sisters thought he meant boarding
students; only later did they realize that he spoke prophetically. That
top floor, meant as a dormitory for the older girls, was used to
accommodate many young ladies who were blessed with a call to
serve God and are now among the Religious of the Sacred Heart or in
other congregations.
11. THE BONMARTINI FAMILY
On a tragic night in 1904 Count Francis Bonmartini of Padua re-
turned home late, only to walk into an ambush awaiting him in his
bedroom. Men whom he knew and even some relatives pounced upon
him and viciously stabbed him. For a long time the public took an
intense interest in this atrocious crime, the mystery first surrounding it,
the discovery of the assailants, the unknown motivation behind the
deed, the dramatic unfolding of the trial and the overt Masonic at-
tempts to rescue the culprits from justice. At the same time the public
bewailed the poor victim's fate and abhorred his vicious attackers.
Apart from very few people, no one then knew that some twenty
years before, Count Bonmartini had started a relationship with Don
Bosco. The count had been but a child when he lost his father. His

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
mother, a very pious lady whose maiden name was Mainardi,27 eager to
see her Francis grow up to be good, had found a conscientious and
holy tutor for him, a Father Tullio De Agostini, who in tum introduced
her to Don Bosco. A spiritual friendship was immediately formed,
which is attested to by seventeen letters from Don Bosco; seven of
them are addressed to the countess, two to her son, and eight to his
tutor. Although they were not all written in the two year period of our
present account, we have found it more convenient to keep them
together.
In October 1881 Countess Bonmartini sent Don Bosco an offering
from Padua with a request for prayers for herself and her son and for a
special favor from the Holy Father. Don Bosco replied:
Dear Madam:
San Benigno Canavese, October 1, 1881
I thank you for both your offerings amounting to one hundred lire. Just now
I am busy presiding over our eighth spiritual retreat, and my time is all
parceled out. However, I shall not fail to pray for you and your son.
Your request must be presented personally to the Holy Father. I shall cer-
tainly take care of it on my next visit to the Catholic world's capital.
God bless you and your family! May He keep all of you in good health!
Please pray for me,
Yours most gratefully,
Fr. John Bosco
Another offering for the Sacred Heart Church shortly afterward
called forth a response from Don Bosco:
Dear Madam:
Turin, November 19, 1881
I hasten to acknowledge your kind letter of October 15 and the enclosed
offering of one hundred lire for the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus now
being built in Rome. Please accept my heartfelt thanks to you and to those
who contributed to the offering. Be assured that I shall continue to pray for
you, your son, and your relatives both living and deceased.
In reply to Father Tullio De Agostini's question, please tell him that he can
27For the rest of this long episode the maiden surname of the widowed countess is intermit-
tently used instead of her deceased husband's name. [Editor]

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always help us by celebrating Masses for my intention. Whenever he does,
however, he should let me know so I can record it as having been done and for
his own merit.
Please keep up your charitable contributions. I shall always pray that the
Sacred Heart of Jesus reward you with heavenly blessings.
Please accept my regards and best wishes for your happiness. Pray for me.
Yours most gratefully,
Fr. John Bosco
Going on a pilgrimage to Lourdes in 1882, the countess, accom-
panied by Father De Agostini and her son, stopped off at Turin so that
she might personally make Don Bosco's acquaintance and consult him
on spiritual matters. The boy impressed Don Bosco favorably, while
his mother, deeply touched by Don Bosco, felt the need to rely on his
spiritual counsel. This we can tell also from a letter of Don Bosco to
Father De Agostini:
My dear Father Tullio:
Turin, October 17, 1882
Mrs. Beltramini [Antico] has made several requests of me which I shall try
to obtain by my poor prayers.
As for the confidential matters she mentions in her letter to me, it is wholly
indispensable that she abide by her spiritual director's advice. My own opin-
ion I shall express more clearly if I ever have the opportunity of speaking with
her.
Meanwhile, how is young Francis doing? Is he behaving? Is he working
miracles? Give him no rest until, willy-nilly, he becomes a real St. Francis de
Sales.
How is Mrs. Mainardi? Please assure her of my daily remembrance at holy
Mass.
I hope that the floods have not damaged her real estate, because ultimately
this would hurt the poor of Jesus Christ.
God bless you, salt of the earth and light of the world! May He grant all
good things to Mrs. Bonmartini, her son, and Mrs. Beltramini.
Your friend in Jesus Christ,
Fr. John Bosco
Don Bosco had an effective ally in the Bonmartini household, and
he availed himself of Father Tullio De Agostini's help to give the
countess spiritual counsel.

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
My dear Father Tullio:
Turin, December 14, 1882
By this letter I appoint you my secretary general and plenipotentiary!
Please give the enclosed note to my good friend, Mr. Antico. Tell Mrs.
Bonmartini that her first concern is to keep in good health. I hope it will not
suffer either by her remaining at Cavarzere or by her returning to Padua. Still,
I think she would do better to return to the city, where accommodations are
better suited to winter and where Don Bosco can also go for a good meal or
two. I shall particularly pray for this intention.
Please tell Master Francis that St. Francis de Sales is waiting for him to
become a saint either in Padua with Mamma or with Don Bosco in Turin. Ask
him to think it over and give me his answer personally.
May the Child Jesus grant you and your family health and holiness. My
wish to you in particular is: Esto sal et lux.
During the Christmas novena I shall make a special memento in my daily
Mass for Mrs. Mainardi, that God will grant her health, happiness and peace
of mind.
God bless us all! May He keep us in His holy grace. Please pray for me.
Your humble servant in Jesus Christ,
Fr. John Bosco
In 1883 Francis took up Don Bosco's invitation to join him in be-
coming a saint. That summer his mother, planning to spend some time
in Turin so as to enjoy at greater length the benefit of Don Bosco's
spiritual direction, asked if she might stay with the Daughters of Mary,
Help of Christians. Don Bosco sent her a reply through Father [Peter]
Pozzan, manager of the Bollettino Salesiano, on June 25: "The Or-
atory's facilities are, as always, open to Father Tullio and to your very
dear son, but you must follow your doctors' directions. The sisters'
residence has no available room, cramped as they are themselves in
tight quarters. Even if they were to set up a tiny room for you, it would
be so confining and the ceiling so low that you could not endure the
summer heat. Should you care to find other lodgings for yourself and
your son while you are under Don Bosco's spiritual direction, he as-
sures me he has no objections but merely wishes to advise you that he
will be in Turin only until the end of July, when he will have to leave for
the spiritual retreats, which will end on October 15. He thanks you
again for your offering and best wishes, assuring you of his prayers for
you and your intentions."

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Her best wishes had been sent for his name day. "Again" tells us that
Don Bosco had already thanked her, but we have no letter showing this.
The overall tone of the above letter suggests strongly that he was not
encouraging the countess to prolong her stay in Turin.
Father Pozzan then added this message from Don Bosco to her son:
"Tell young Francis to study hard while he is in Padua; when he comes
to Turin he can talk personally to Don Bosco. Meanwhile, tell him to
keep busy." Why this advice? Is it a hint to the lad's future? In August
he and Father Tullio accompanied his mother to Turin; then the two of
them joined the novices in their spiritual retreat at San Benigno, while
the countess stayed with the Sisters of the Good Shepherd not far from
the Oratory. Later, when she responded with a "generous offering" to
Don Bosco's appeal for missionaries, Don Bosco wrote to her:
Turin, November 1, 1883
My kind lady,
I am sincerely grateful to you for the generous offering you were so kind to
send for our missionaries. They will be leaving for Patagonia on the tenth, but
even there in those far-off lands, they will continue to call down God's bless-
ings upon you, your relatives and your friends.
I shall endeavor in my little way to join them in prayer along with the
homeless lads Divine Providence has deigned to send to our houses.
God bless and keep you in good health. In Jesus Christ,
Yours most gratefully,
Fr. John Bosco
He had also a special reason to thank the countess during the Christ-
mas novena. She had obtained permission from the bishop of Padua for
Don Bosco to set up a conference of Salesian cooperators in that city
on January 20. He calls her son Francis his "guardian angel," probably
because the young man sometimes escorted him.
Turin, December 18, 1883
Dear Mrs. Bonmartini Mainardi:
At least at this season I feel I must write you a few lines.
Please let me thank you for your steadfast concern for our poor boys both by
proposing a cooperators' conference to the most reverend bishop and by
keeping in such close contact with several charitable persons. In due time I

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
shall certainly write to His Excellency, the bishop of Padua, and ask him
kindly to let me know what he plans to do for us.
However, I have reason to take issue with my guardian angel, young Fran-
cis, certainly well known to you. He has promised to write me wondrous
letters often, but as yet, as far as I know, not a word has reached me. He may
excuse himself by saying that he has prayed for me and that should be enough.
Well, I believe he has, but maybe not hard enough because my heart-true,
it's not so soft-has felt nothing at all. I shall be happy to know what kind of
excuse he will make.
I have also been somewhat lax in writing, but I have not forgotten to pray
for you and your family in my daily Mass.
The last time we spoke together, I seem to remember that, just to humor
me, you promised me-though I can't recall the exact sum-a gift of ten or
twelve thousand lire. My memory is somewhat hazy. However, either sum I
will gladly accept-preferably the latter.
In this season we intend to pray a great deal for you that you may have
perfect health. Yes, may God bless and keep you! May He grant you many
years, all of them most consoling!
Sincere regards from all the Salesians who personally know you. We all
commend ourselves to the kindness of your holy prayers. Writing for all, I am
honored to be in Jesus Christ,
Yours gratefully,
Fr. John Bosco
On December 27 he thanked Father Tullio for sending his greetings
and two offerings, one from himself, the other from another donor he
had contacted.
My dear Father Tullio:
Turin, December 27, 1883
I have received your kind letter with your Christian greetings. May God
reward you a hundredfold, you and your family and your work.
Please thank Mrs. Beltramini Antico for her kindness to us in this hour of
dire distress. I shall particularly pray for her family, relatives, and friends.
Tell Mrs. Mainardi I am pleased that she has persuaded you and young
Francis to write to me.
God bless you, my dear Father Tullio. May He reward all your efforts to
help our young orphans. Love me in Jesus Christ and pray for me.
Ever most devotedly yours,
Fr. John Bosco

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Don Bosco had also asked the countess to finance the cost of a
column in the Sacred Heart Church. He mentions this and the cooper-
ators' meeting in two letters he wrote to Father Tullio De Agostini.
Turin, January 4, 1884
My dear Father Tullio:
With renewed joy I received your letter and the fifty francs you enclosed.
Thanks for everything. May God repay you!
I was very happy to learn from you that in view of our special need, Mrs.
Mainardi is willing to anticipate her offering for a column in the Sacred Heart
Church. I leave the matter entirely up to your decision. If you see that antic-
ipating her donation will not inconvenience her, please let her know that I will
gratefully accept the money, all the more so because the column is already in
place and construction above it is in progress. But if this should in any way
burden her, don't even mention it.
I cut this letter short because I am having stomach pains.
May the Lord's favors fall generously upon you, upon our dear Francis, and
most especially upon our good Mamma Mainardi, whom I remember every
morning at holy Mass. All of you, please pray for me. Always in Jesus Christ,
Your most affectionate friend,
Fr. John Bosco
P.S. When you send me money in the mail, just make sure it is securely
sealed and send it, as bankers do, by registered post.
Turin, January 12, 1884
My dear Father Tullio:
Your packet reached me safely with one thousand francs from Mrs. Main-
ardi and one hundred and twenty francs from the kind donors you mention in
your note. I ask the Sacred Heart of Jesus to reward them each befittingly; this
is my prayer. Please extend my regards and thanks to all. Make a saint of our
dear Francis. The good reports I receive about him make me rejoice.
I have written to the most reverend bishop of Padua. I have received his kind
permission to hold our meeting on January 20 and his promise to attend. I
have also written to Father [John] Tamietti, director of our boarding school at
Este. He will stop in and discuss things with you and Mrs. Mainardi.
An appropriate letter will be drawn up and mailed to all our cooperators in
Padua and its environs; you will receive a packet of them. For this purpose

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Father Pozzan will go to Padua several days before. I hope that all will
promote God's greater glory. May Mary shield and help us save our souls.
I shall write again soon. As regards Mrs. Mainardi, all goes well. Pray for me.
Yours affectionately in Jesus Christ,
Fr. John Bosco
The name "Countess Bonmartini" is inscribed on the base of the
first column which one sees on the right on entering the Sacred Heart
Church.
Though the countess felt rather embarrassed by the way the first
Padua conference turned out, Don Bosco's outlook was, as usual,
optimistic.
Dear Countess:
Turin, February 4, 1884
I feel I must thank you for all the kindness you have shown us on many
occasions, most especially at our recent first conference held in Padua.
It is your impression that the city did not turn out as expected. However, the
bishop is the religious representative of the whole city; furthermore, several of
Padua's finest citizens were there. Be at ease; this was a good, profitable
beginning for God's greater glory. I shall not omit to pray and have our boys
pray for Marchioness Robustalla's son, whom you have so often recom-
mended to us. I do not judge it wise to enroll Mr. Bamboni as a cooperator just
yet; I shall however gladly send a diploma to Count Camerini, who, I am told,
is a practicing Catholic.
I am glad that our dear Francis is eager to get involved in doing good. I
know it's true especially from what I heard from Father Pozzan about our
cooperators' conference. No, I do not forget to remember Francis in my daily
Mass and pray that he will persevere in goodness, and that he will help save
many souls and thereby save himself.
My health is neither bad nor really good. I am always exhausted. Do not
worry about keeping your pledge of three thousand lire for the construction of
the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Rome. Give what you can, always
without personal inconvenience.
We all cherish your stay with us in Turin; the entire Salesian family is
praying for you.
God bless you, and may Mary make another St. Aloysius of Francis.
My respects to all, including Father Tullio. Please pray for me.
Yours gratefully in Jesus Christ,
Fr. John Bosco

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While in Rome for the laying of the cornerstone, Don Bosco sent
this note to Mrs. Bonmartini:
Dear Countess:
Rome, April 23, 1882
For your peace of mind let me assure you that I have just received your bank
note of one thousand lire which you kindly sent for the Sacred Heart Church.
May God amply reward you for your deeds of charity. I shall continue to offer
my humble prayers for you, our dear Francis and Father Tullio.
I shall not omit to say special prayers for all the people you recommended.
In fact, I shall entrust them to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Mary, that God
may grant them all those favors which He judges beneficial to their souls.
Should they wish to do something practical, ask them to unite with me as I
remember them in my daily Mass and to make any offering they can afford for
the construction of the Sacred Heart Church.
Please pray for me. Always in Jesus Christ,
Yours most gratefully,
Fr. John Bosco
Some time later the countess sent another offering to Rome. On May
10 Don Bosco asked Father Lemoyne to respond for him: "A thousand
thanks in Don Bosco's name for the money and gifts; they arrived
safely. By Saturday we expect to be back in Turin, dear countess,
where Don Bosco hopes to see you again with Francis and Father
Tullio. He requested and has obtained a special papal blessing for you
and your family. Thank God, his health is much better." The gifts were
prizes for Don Bosco's lottery.
The Anticos, loyal Salesian cooperators in Padua, who had promised
him a donation, later stated that they could not meet their commitment.
Don Bosco, however, was not quick to excuse such promises unless he
saw good reasons to do so.
Dearest Father Tullio:
Turin, May 24, 1884
If the Antico brothers cannot honor their commitment, they do not have to,
but they will do well to inform their mother and abide by her decision.
I shall remember the Antico family today and pray for Mrs. Mainardi,
Francis and you.
Yours affectionately in Jesus Christ,
Fr. John Bosco

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Three months later he wrote again to Father Tullio:
My dear Father Tullio:
Turin, September 2, 1884
I received Mrs. Mainardi's letter and will carefully save it for proper use at
the right time.
I am here at San Benigno Canavese, quite exhausted, but I pray unceasingly
for our good Mamma, for you and for our dear Francis.
The more often you write, the happier you make me. How gladly I would
welcome you all to our retreat here, and how much the countess would enjoy
it! But God, who created us, wills us all to be with Him in paradise; there we
shall have time to talk at length over our doings.
May Our Lord's grace accompany us and may Mary lead us to paradise!
God bless us all. Please pray for me,
Your sincere friend,
Fr. John Bosco
In September Mrs. Bonmartini sent Don Bosco her final offering for
the column, for which he sent his thanks from Valsalice.
Dear Countess Bonmartini-Mainardi:
Turin, September 1884
I believe you have already received my note of thanks, dated August 19, for
your generous donation of one thousand and fifty-three lire to complete your
commitment to the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. May God reward you
generously!
In my daily Mass I particularly remember Mrs. Antico and pray for her
family's spiritual and temporal welfare. Let her rest assured that God will
most certainly and abundantly grant all that does not conflict with their eternal
salvation.
I have just received your letter of August 29. All goes well. Let's try to save
souls. God will bless our efforts and give us strength, willpower and grace.
I am here at Valsalice for the spiritual retreat. Thank God, my health is
steadily on the mend.
Fond regards to my two dear friends, Father Tullio and Francis.
Cholera is all about us but so far God has shielded us from it. May the
Blessed Virgin continue to assist and protect us.
May God's blessing be with us always!
Yours most gratefully,
Fr. John Bosco

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As Don Bosco had Father Pozzan inform the countess, he was ex-
pecting Francis and Father Tullio in November. However, it was too late
because Francis, then in his fifth year of secondary school at the Padua
seminary, had to resume classes. His mother, almost certain of a re-
fusal, did not dare ask the bishop for an exception. One time, on
hearing her speak of Don Bosco, the bishop had remarked: "I ask your
ladyship to have high regard not only for Don Bosco, but for all
priests." Her response was, "Yes, Your Excellency, I hold all priests in
high esteem, but you will admit that one does not very readily find
priests like Don Bosco. And, Your Excellency, do you know what I
think? One never errs in doing what Don Bosco says because I am
convinced that he often sees the Madonna. That's why no one will ever
persuade me to pay no heed to Don Bosco's advice to me or to my
son. " 28
The above letter was the last Don Bosco wrote to Mrs. Bonmartini.
Two other letters remain, addressed to her son. The first was written in
1885, when the boy's mother was dying. Don Bosco wrote:
My dear Francis:
Turin, December 15, 1885
You tell me that Mamma is very seriously ill. This news grieves me. In all
our churches, our boys are unceasingly praying for her.
Whatever happens, you know that Don Bosco has promised you, your
Mamma and Father Tullio that he will be a father to you, especially a spiritual
father. In any event we are never too far away.
If Mamma is conscious, tell her that we shall together talk over our affairs
in eternal blissfulness.
I have rooms ready for you and Father Tullio. May Mary lead us in all things
to paradise.
Your most affectionately,
Fr. John Bosco
There are no other letters until January 1887, when Don Bosco wrote
to Father Tullio to acknowledge some votive offerings which he sent for
a favor received.
28Letter from Mrs. Bonmartini to Father Pozzan, November 8, 1882. [Author]

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My dear Father De Agostini:
Turin, January 7, 1887
Many thanks for your greetings. With all my heart, I shall pray that the
Lord will shower upon you all the favors you asked for me: that He grant you
health, contentment, and peace and bless your ministry. May He render your
soul very pleasing to His eyes by ever more strengthening its good will and
purity so that, when the time comes, you may be worthy of that great God to
whose service we priests and religious are most especially consecrated.
As you asked, the votive pictures and hearts will be hung up in the Church
of Mary, Help of Christians. We rejoice that our good Mother has shielded and
preserved the donors from such a tragedy.
We shall thank Our Lady and continue to pray for you, for Francis and his
relatives, for all your intentions, and particularly for your brother.
Yours most affectionately in Jesus and Mary,
Fr. John Bosco
The next day Don Bosco answered Francis' greetings and gave him
some precious counsels.
Turin, January 8, 1887
My dear Francis:
I was very happy to receive your best wishes, and I thank you with all my
heart.
You tell me that you have already studied Italian, but now you must deepen
your knowledge: correct spelling, vocabulary, self-expression, essays. These
are things you must still give much thought to.
Choose your friends well. Shun like the plague those who do not go often to
Holy Communion. Faithfully follow Father Tullio's advice, and you may be
sure that all will go well with you. Pray for your mother; I hope to see her
before long. May Mary lead us to heaven. Amen.
My regards to Father Tullio.
Your friend,
Fr. John Bosco
Don Bosco was longing to see again Francis' mother before long, of
course, in paradise. Poor Francis! We have every right to believe that
Don Bosco had seen in him all the requirements of a good priest and
maybe a good Salesian. He never told him openly, but, as it were, he
took him by the hand and led him to the very threshold, but never

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forced him to enter. We might say that our good father had a hidden
presentiment of the ill fate awaiting his young friend were he to remain
in the world.
12. ROMAN AFFAIRS
Don Bosco's letters to Father Dalmazzo, his procurator [in Rome],
generally dealt with business matters. We have quoted from them
either in their entirety or selected passages. We will now consider only
two.
The first one, very important, concerns several matters: a priest
being assigned as Father Dalmazzo's assistant, books written by Don
Bosco or Father Lemoyne to be presented to the Holy Father as tokens
of Don Bosco's devotion to the Vicar of Christ, the hope that the
tabling "to a future date" of the request for privileges29 might not close
the door upon any privilege, and finally a revelation of Don Bosco's
extraordinary spiritual greatness. A fatherly note begins and ends the
letter.
Turin, November 26, 1882
My dear Father Dalmazzo:
This time our mailman is our confrere Father [Joseph] Manfredi, formerly a
parish priest. He has all the good will in the world and is not afraid of work.
However, he is still new to the job, and so try to be his teacher in word and
deed and in Roman practices. If an examination is needed, he will take it. He
did excellently at San Benigno.
Now to other matters. Let me know whether my books and those of Father
Lemoyne were given to the Holy Father and whether he had anything to say as
guidelines for us.
You will do well to talk to Archbishop Masotti and seek his counsel arid
have him tell us if we have a chance for the privileges either by concession of
the Holy Father or by a postponement-but something definitive. Then report
fully to Cardinal Nina, and we shall readily comply.
Let others gab about our affairs in Rome. I pay them no mind because we
are sure of what we are doing. Nevertheless, you will do me a great favor if
confidentially you will tell me how we stand in regard to the Holy Father, the
cardinal vicar, the Sacred Heart Church, and so forth.
29See p. 362. [Editor]

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
Enclosed is a letter about La Spezia for you to read, seal and deliver. I
realize it is poorly written; the cardinaP0 must forgive me, for I could do no
better. My sight is weakening ever more day by day. My dear Father
Dalmazzo, work always, but with the gentleness of St. Francis de Sales and
the patience of Job. My regards to Father Savio and all our confreres. Always
in Jesus Christ,
Yours most affectionately,
Fr. John Bosco
Father Dalmazzo's full reply to all the points came necessarily late,
and it is essential that we read just about all of it. 31
Rome, December 18~ 1882
My most revered Father:
I am finally able to answer your letter and give you some news. Yesterday
evening, thanks to Cardinal Nina's kind intervention, I was at last able to have
my long awaited private audience with the Holy Father. He received me with
customary kindness, possibly even more obvious than usual. He took the
letter and unsealed it but did not read it. He may have found the writing too
hard to make out.
Then, seated at his desk, he asked me to remain standing and looked
through almost every book, praising Don Bosco for having written so much.
He had particular words of praise for the Storia d' Italia [History of Italy],
which he said he already knew. Your Storia Ecclesiastica [History of the
Church] was missing, but it can be sent later on. Then he asked me how you
ever found time to write so much. I replied that for many years you labored
unstintingly to benefit young people. "But how does he manage now when he
can no longer see?" he asked. "Holy Father," I answered, "now that his eyes
have been so overstrained and weakened, he dictates." He told me to thank
you and assure you that he was most pleased with your gift and he would go
through it all at leisure. Then he asked me about the archbishop [of Turin], and
I replied that, though he had come to consecrate our church, his attitude
remains hostile. He deeply regretted this and told me to pray. Then he asked
me about the parish, urging me to go forward in spite of all rising problems.
At my request, he also said that he was giving his blessing to Don Bosco, to
30Cardinal Jacobini, secretary of state. [Author]
31A previous but undated letter from Father Dalmazzo must certainly have some connection
with Don Bosco's above letter. [Author]

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the Congregation, and to all who asked for it. Finally, he most graciously
walked me to the door of the antechamber.
This adequately answers your question of how we stand with the Holy
Father. Save for the usual sole exception, our relations with the cardinals are
better than they have ever been. Cardinal Jacobini, whom I called upon last
evening to give him Don Bosco's greetings and those of the Congregation,
although he was very busy and knew why I had come, received me with
fatherly gentleness and asked in detail about you, the missions and the arch-
bishop. He regrets the present situation and tells us to hope and pray. I
ventured to ask him to consider our privileges, and he assured me that it is
only a question of time and that the Holy Father's favorable attitude is a
positive guarantee for us. Then he asked about Passaglia, who had called on
him, promising great things, but getting nothing done. On taking leave of me,
he said he would again mention our privileges to the Pope as soon as he could
and insisted that I write and tell you that he requests a Hail Mary to Our Lady
for himself, but that it be said by Don Bosco himself.
Cardinal Nina likes us so much that, since my last visit, he has called on us
twice, and he stayed an hour on Sunday. He told me of some nasty remarks
made by some adversaries of ours in an attempt to overthrow us, and he let me
understand that they originated with Cardinal Ferrieri, who described us to the
Pope in the darkest colors. On my last visit, when I handed him the last letter I
was bringing, he introduced the topic and began to talk against it, even
passing some caustic remarks about Ferrieri. The Pope said [to Cardinal
Nina]: "Of course! They have many enemies and must tread on thin ice
because in Rome even shadows look real!" He then talked about La Spezia.
He nodded when I asked him to aid us with a subsidy for that holy undertak-
ing, and now I will keep after the cardinal to make sure he collects it. In
talking with him, the Pope highly praised Don Bosco and his works and
showed he was greatly pleased with everything and everyone. Since the ques-
tion of our privileges was again brought up at this time, and very emphatically,
the Holy Father stated: "But this is a new Congregation, and we must proceed
slowly and grant the privileges one by one." The cardinal immediately re-
plied, "But it's high time we began at least with 'that one' if we are to catch up
to the others. "
So now please try to appeal again for the one most needed in our missions,
and with Cardinal Simeoni's support we'll get them. In one week's time I must
have spoken some three hours with Cardinal Nina, who with incredible trust
let me in on many things, many intrigues, many abuses, which I pass on only
to you....
I'll be able to tell you many more things in person better than in writing. All
goes well here. Everyone sends you through me regards and best wishes for
happy festivities, a happy ending of one year and the beginning of another. I

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
send their wishes gladly, knowing that they will be accepted by that fatherly
heart which so rejoices and calms the hearts of your most loving sons, of
whom I proudly claim to be the naughtiest!
Father Francis Dalmazzo
P.S. Bishop Manacorda arrives today; we will give him the best welcome
we can.
Bishop Manacorda of Fossano went to Rome in December. Don
Bosco's friend in every meaning of the word, he was richly experienced
in dealing with the Roman Congregations, where he had made his
career, and he succeeded considerably in furthering Don Bosco's inter-
est during his stay, even though that was not the purpose of his trip.
Don Bosco wrote to Father Dalmazzo of this, enhancing his news with
some precious advice. The lottery we shall discuss later.
My dear Father Dalmazzo:
Turin, December 18, 1882
Our good friend Bishop Manacorda will be spending some time in Rome to
dodge our frigid weather. He will give you detailed news of us.
I wish you and all the confreres with you all spiritual and temporal joys.
Make sure you pass on to them my best wishes and my recommendations:
exact observance of poverty, chastity and obedience, which have consecrated
us to God. It will be a perfect day for us when full charity reigns among you,
when our problems with the contractor are all settled, and when we can
resume our work for the [Church of the] Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Is the lottery asleep? Get it going from your end and we'll help out from
ours.
God bless you all. Tell each of our benefactors that Don Bosco prays and
has others pray for them.
May the grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ be with us always! Amen.
Your most affectionate friend,
Fr. John Bosco
13. THE STRENNA
Before the end of the year Don Bosco sent the directors of each
house his strenna for the New Year in a circular letter addressed to each
one. To the letter sent to Father Lemoyne, director of the Daughters of
Mary, Help of Christians at Nizza Monferrato, he added a personal

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573
note, as if in special token of appreciation for his recently completed
biography on St. John the Evangelist. 32
My dear Father Lemoyne:
Turin, December 28, 1882
I am sending a general strenna to all, but to the renowned author of St. John
the Evangelist I send a separate greeting: take good care of your health and
your holiness, as well as that of all in your community. Love me in Our Lord.
Always yours most affectionately,
Fr. John Bosco
The letter [addressed to the director of each house] read:
We have come to the end of the old year and the beginning of a new one.
Please thank very cordially all who wrote and prayed for me in these days.
In tum, I ask of God health and the grace of a happy life for all of you.
This is my strenna:
1. To the director: kindness and gentleness to all.
2. To the confreres: strict observance of the vows which have consecrated us
to God.
3. To all our boys: frequent confession and devout Communion.
4. In my name tell all that I am anxious to know what they individually and
as a group mean to do to aid me in saving their souls. This has been and will
always be the main object of my concern to the very end of my days.
May the grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ be with us always!
Your most affectionate friend,
Fr. John Bosco
P. S. Send me their response to my fourth point.
A sample of those replies we will give in a few words from Father
[Nicholas] Cibrario, director of the house at Vallecrosia.33 "The answer
is the same for us all," he wrote. "Our soul's salvation is intimately
linked to and depends upon the observance of the vows we have taken.
As a result, we are all ready to observe them until death. This we hope
to do with God's grace. And this is the aid, the cooperation which we
all desire and want to give you, that you may save our souls."
32See pp. 329f. [Editor]
33Letter to Don Bosco, January 23, 1883. [Author]

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APPENDICES

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Appendix 1
SALESIAN BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY
ALBERA, PAUL (1845-1921) Fr., Rector Major
Paul Albera was born at None (Turin) on June 6, 1845 and entered the Oratory
in the fall of 1858. He made his profession on May 14, 1862. After his ordina-
tion to the priesthood on August 2, 1868, he was appointed prefect of the Or-
atory, a post he held until 1871, when he was sent to Marassi (Genoa) as director
of the Salesian Hospice, and later transferred to Sampierdarena. There he had
the responsibility of the Sons of Mary and helped Don Bosco in preparing for
the first missionary expedition. The printshop which he initiated in 1877 printed
the Bollettino Salesiano. In 1881 Fr. Albera was appointed provincial of the
Salesian houses in France, with headquarters at Marseille. He remained in that
position ten years, and, despite the harassment of the times, the houses in
France grew from three to thirteen.
Fr. Albera was called "the little Don Bosco." A man of action-above all,
interior action-his main concern was spiritual formation. He became spiritual
director of the Salesian Society and a member of the superior council.
In 1896 Don Rua asked him to compile the Director's Manual. In 1898 he
visited France, Spain, and Belgium. In 1900 he traveled through the South
American Salesian missions-a journey of three years. He returned to Turin on
April 11, 1903, in time to head preparations for the crowning of the picture of
Mary, Help of Christians in the basilica.
In fulfillment of a prophecy of Don Bosco, known only to Fr. Philip Rinaldi,
Fr. Albera was elected superior general on August 16, 1910, Don Bosco's birth-
day. He headed the Congregation during the trying years of World War I.
The depth of his personal piety and asceticism imbued the numerous cir-
culars which he wrote to the Salesians, as well as the Director's Manual, pub-
lished in 1915.
In 1918 Fr. Albera celebrated his golden jubilee of ordination. He inaugurated
the monument of Don Bosco which dominates the square of Mary, Help of
Christians and presided over the Congress of Alumni and Cooperators in 1920.
Exhausted by his many journeys as rector major in visiting the houses and
strengthening the confreres and Salesian cooperators, Fr. Albera passed the last
years of his life in precarious health. He died on October 29, 1921. He was inter-
red at Valsalice, alongside Don Bosco and Fr. Rua, whose sterling virtues he so
faithfully reflected.
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
BARBERIS, JULIUS (1847-1927), Fr.
Fr. Barberis had the distinction of being the first novice master of the Salesian
Congregation, a post assigned to him by Don Bosco himself. "We will always
be friends," the saint told fourteen-year-old Julius on his entrance into the Or-
atory in 1861. "One day you will be my helper," he added. Fr. Barberis was a
quiet, gentle person, very much attuned to Don Bosco's spirit, prudent and kind
with his young charges, demanding yet patient and understanding.
He was born at Mathi (Turin) on June 7, 1847. He made his first vows in 1865.
Ordained in 1870, he attended the University of Turin and earned his doctoral
degree in theology in 1873. The following year Don Bosco personally ap-
pointed him novice master, a position he held for twenty-five years. As master
he formed a veritable host of young men into zealous, hard-working Salesians
who looked up to him for inspiration and guidance, among them the servants of
God Andrew Beltrami and August Czartoryski. Don Bosco utilized his experi-
ence in setting up novitiates throughout Europe. From 1892 to 1900 he was a
member of the superior chapter. From 1902 to 1911 he was provincial of the
central province and in 1910 was named spiritual director ofthe Congregation, a
position he held to his death on November 24, 1927. 'Iiuly a man of God, gifted
with enviable simplicity and extraordinary goodness, he mirrored the fa-
therliness of Don Bosco to all his novices. His Vade Mecum, the first textbook
on Salesian spirituality, is still a valuable introduction to religious life.
BELLAMY, CHARLES (1852-1911), Fr.
Born in Chartres, France on December 19, 1852, Charles Bellamy was or-
dained to the priesthood there on June 11, 1881.
Since his fond desire was to minister to young workers, he consulted his pas-
tor, who retrieved from his trash basket a brochure he had recently received and
gave it to him. Father Bellamy read it and pursued his calling. Later, he used to
quip that he found his vocation in a wastepaper basket! In 1882 he first met Don
Bosco in Paris. The following year he made his novitiate and was perpetually
professed on October 4, 1884.
Father Bellamy founded the Salesian oratory, secondary school and trade
school at Menilmontant in Paris. In 1891 he opened the first Salesian house in
Algiers, Africa, at Oran-Eckmiihl. Some years later, ill health forced him to
retire to the Salesian house at Charlemont, near Geneva.
A man of keen intelligence and an excellent speaker, he wrote several books
about Don Bosco. On May 29, 1911 he died at a nursing home run by sisters at
Lausanne, Switzerland.
BELMONTE, DOMINIC (1843-1901), Fr.
Dominic Belmonte, born in Genoa on September 18, 1843, went to the Or-
atory in 1860 and, although seventeen, was advised by Don Bosco to begin high

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579
school. He studied music and became a proficient choir director and composer.
Professed in 1864, he was ordained in Turin in 1870. After being prefect at
Borgo San Martino, he was sent to Alassio as catechist in 1873. Four years later
he returned to Borgo San Martino as director, succeeding Fr. Rua and Fr.
Bonetti. In 1881 he was appointed director of the school at Sampierdarena,
i where he also taught theology, headed musical activities, and became first pas-
tor at the Church of St. Cajetan. In 1886 Fr. Belmonte was chosen prefect gen-
eral of the Salesian Society. In 1891, on the death of Fr. Bonetti, he was named
postulator of Don Bosco's cause. Though he gave up his active musical career,
he sponsored the musical training of the Congregation's most noted musician,
Fr. John Pagella.
Don Bosco had told Fr. Belmonte that, if he took care of himself, he would
live beyond sixty. However, he felt that he could not spare himself any work. He
died in Turin on February 17, 1901 at the age of fifty-eight.
BERTELI.D, JOSEPH (1848-1910), Fr.
Joseph Bertella entered the Oratory in 1862, donned the clerical habit in
1865, made his perpetual vows in 1868 and was ordained a priest in 1871. He
earned his theology doctorate at the University of Turin in 1873, and on
November 27 of that year he became a member of the Arcadia. In 1879 he
earned doctorates in literature and philosophy. From 1881 to 1894 he was direc-
tor of the junior seminary of Borgo San Martino, and from 1894 to 1898 he was
provincial in Sicily. In 1898, at the Eighth Salesian General Chapter, he was
elected Councilor General of the Salesian Technical Schools. Finally in 1909 he
was appointed Economer General of the Salesian Society. He died in Turin on
November 20, 1910.
BERTO, JOACHIM (1847-1914), Fr.
Joachim Berto entered the Oratory in 1862. He was one of the privileged few
who witnessed many of Don Bosco's wonderful deeds. He joined the Salesian
Congregation in 1865. Even before his ordination in 1871, he was chosen by
Don Bosco to be his secretary-a post he retained for the next twenty years
until ill health forced him to retire. During these years he accompanied Don
Bosco on his most important trips to Rome on the Congregation's affairs and to
Rome and Florence in delicate negotiations between the Italian government and
the Holy See. He was a great help to Don Bosco in carrying out his voluminous
correspondence and in safeguarding confidential documents concerning the
above negotiations. His accounts of these journeys constitute some of the most
precious archives of the Salesian Society. While carrying out his secretarial du-
ties, Fr. Berto also carefully kept a diary and authored several devotional and
ascetical booklets. As catechist for the Oratory students, he cultivated the

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
sodalities of the Blessed Sacrament and the Altar Boys. To his last days he was a
skilled and well-loved confessor. He died at the Oratory on February 21, 1914.
BODRATO, FRANCIS (1823-1880), Fr.
Francis Bodrato was born at Mornese on October 18, 1823. He first met Don
Bosco in 1864 on one of the latter's fall picnics to Fr. Pestarino's parish at Mor-
nese. Francis, a teacher, was anxious to learn Don Bosco's secret of winning the
hearts of boys. His own heart was won and, though a widower with two chil-
dren, he came to Don Bosco, who, wise judge of character, immediately ac-
cepted him. He received the cassock and was sent to teach at Lanzo. He made
his perpetual profession in 1865. Ordained a priest in 1869, he held various of-
fices at Alassio, Borgo San Martino and the Oratory. In 1875 Don Bosco re-
called him to the Oratory to be economer of the Congregation. In November of
the following year he was appointed to head the second missionary expedition
of twenty-two Salesians to Argentina. He was named pastor of Our Lady of
Mercy Parish in Buenos Aires for immigrant Italians; within its limits was the
infamous "Boca del Diablo" quarter, where even the police trod warily. Under
Fr. Bodrato's leadership the neighborhood changed marvelously. In 1877 Don
Bosco appointed him provincial of the Salesians in South America. In 1880
civil war broke out in Argentina. After an extended period of unknown and
painful illness, Fr. Bodrato died in Buenos Aires on August 4, 1880, mourned by
the entire city.
BOWGNA, JOSEPH (1847-1907), Fr.
Joseph Bologna was born at Garessio (Cuneo) on May 15, 1847, and entered
the Oratory in 1863. He was a companion of the saintly lad, Francis Besucco,
whose virtues he made his own. He joined the Salesian Congregation in 1868
and was ordained a priest in 1872. In 1878 Don Bosco sent him to Marseille to
open the St. Leo's Festive Oratory, which he directed until 1892, when he was
appointed provincial ofthe houses in southern France with headquarters at Mar-
seille. Six years later he was sent to Paris and named provincial of northern
France and Belgium. His last days were saddened by the government's anti-
religious legislation closing even Salesian houses. He died in Turin on January
4, 1907 while on a visit to the Oratory.
BONETTI, JOHN (1838-1891), Fr.
John Bonetti was born at Caramagna (Cuneo) on November 5, 1838. He
came to the Oratory in 1855 at the age of seventeen. Fr. Matthew Picco, who
taught him in his senior year, called him "a priceless youth." John was one of
the young men who in December 1859 banded with Don Bosco to found the
Salesian Congregation. He was elected a member of the first superior council.
(See Vol. VI, pp. 181f) He won high honors in philosophy and theology and

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581
soon became a well-known writer. His book, Cinque lustri di storia dell'Or-
atorio di San Francesco di Sales [The First Twenty-Five Years of the Oratory of
St. Francis de Sales], merits special mention. Its wealth of detail constitutes a
small library of Salesiana.
Fr. Bonetti was a capable public relations man. Gifted with a fine intellect
and a brilliant imagination, he was also a great story teller. Like Don Bosco, he
defended the Catholic Church against attacks of vociferous Protestant leaders.
A man of balanced zeal, warm piety, and deep spirituality, he was elected spir-
itual director of the Salesian Congregation in 1886.
He died at the Oratory at the age of fifty-three on June 5, 1891, fulfilling Don
Bosco's prophecy that he would be the first member of the superior chapter to
follow him in death. Blessed Michael Rua hailed Fr. Bonetti as "a tireless apos-
tolic laborer, a valiant champion in promoting God's glory and the salvation of
souls, an amiable counselor in comfort and advice."
BRANDA, JOHN BAPTIST (1842-1927), Fr.
John Branda came to the Oratory in 1868 at the age of twenty-six after com-
pleting his studies as a surveyor. Patiently he took up Latin, donned the clerical
habit and made his first vows as a Salesian in 1869. Ordained a priest in 1873, he
was first assigned to Marassi, then to the Valsalice College in Turin and finally
in 1880 to Spain to open a Salesian·house there. On this occasion Don Bosco
told him, "Go to Utrera, but you will be there for only a short time. A lady from
Barcelona will call us and will provide the means for opening a large school
there." In fact, in 1885 Dofia Dorotea de Chopitea, as Don Bosco had pre-
dicted, wrote to him, and soon afterward work started on a technical school at
Sarria, Barcelona. In 1889 Father Rua called him back to Italy to direct the St.
Theresa Festive Oratory for girls in Chieri. The following year he was sent to
Zurich and in 1908 to Lorraine to assist Italian immigrants. In 1918 he was re-
called to the Oratory where he spent his last years as spiritual director to count-
less souls. Outstanding at all times was his love for Don Bosco, also because of
extraordinary events he himself had witnessed. He died at the Oratory in 1927 at
the age of eighty-five.
BRETTO, CLEMENT (1855-1919), Fr.
Born at Montanaro (Turin) in 1855, Clement Bretto received his elementary
and secondary education at the Cottolengo school. After studying theology at
the Turin diocesan seminary for two years, he transferred to the Oratory in 1874
and became a Salesian. He made his perpetual vows in March 1877 and was
ordained in December of the same year. He was then appointed spiritual director
of the Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians at Nizza Monferrato. He did so
well that, eleven years later, Fr. Rua did not hesitate to name him director gen-
eral of the Institute. After a few years as provincial in Piedmont and Lombardy,

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
the new rector major, Fr. Paul Albera, appointed him economer general, an of-
fice he held to his death in 1919. He was distinguished for his efficiency, pru-
dence, common sense and Christian wisdom.
CAGLIERO, JOHN (1838-1926), Bishop and Cardinal
John Cagliero was born in Castelnuovo d' Asti on January 11, 1838. He was
received by Don Bosco in the Oratory in 1851. (See Vol. IV, pp. 200ff) He be-
came a Salesian on May 14, 1862. A month later he was ordained a priest in
Turin and appointed spiritual director of the Oratory. He soon showed an excep-
tional talent for music, and from that talent came a steady flow of sacred and
recreational music which was the delight of the Oratory. Even such composers
as Giuseppe Verdi and Lorenzo Perosi praised his art.
Cagliero obtained his doctorate in theology at the University of Turin in 1873;
the following year Don Bosco appointed him spiritual director of the Daughters
of Mary, Help of Christians. Cagliero is best remembered as an intrepid mis-
sioner. In 1875 he led the first group of Salesian missionaries to Argentina,
where they carried out their ministry to the Italian immigrants of Buenos Aires.
Soon, however, Fr. Cagliero penetrated the interior of Patagonia and Tierra del
Fuego. Then he opened a trade school at Almagro and another at Villa Colon,
Uruguay. He was recalled to Turin in 1877 to become spiritual director of the
Congregation, an office he fulfilled until 1884, when Pope Leo XIII nominated
him vicar apostolic of northern and central Patagonia. He was the first Salesian
bishop and was consecrated in the Basilica of Mary, Help of Christians in Turin
on December 7, 1884, in the presence of Don Bosco. Immediately afterward he
returned to South America and was welcomed by Fr. Joseph Fagnano, with
whom he explored Tierra del Fuego, meeting up with the various Indian tribes.
In 1887 he crossed the Andes to inaugurate the first Salesian house in Chile, at
Concepcion. In December of that year he returned to Turin to assist Don Bosco
on his deathbed.
After Don Bosco's death Bishop Cagliero returned to Argentina. Years later,
in 1908, he founded Patagonia's first hospital at Viedma. Pope St. Pius X ap-
pointed him minister plenipotentiary of Costa Rica and apostolic delegate to the
countries of Central America. In 1915 Pope Benedict XV nominated him car-
dinal and assigned him to the Sacred Congregations of Religious, Propagation
of the Faith and Sacred Rites. In 1920 he was named bishop of Frascati.
He died in Rome in 1926. In June 1964 his remains were brought back to
Argentina and solemnly laid to rest in the cathedral of Viedma, his first episco-
pal residence. For further details see the Indexes of Volumes II through XIV.
CARTIER, WUIS (1860-1945), Fr.
Born in Colomban, France on February 7, 1860, Louis was studying at the
seminary of St. Jean de Maurienne when, attracted by Don Bosco's fame, he

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583
went to Turin and made his novitiate at San Benigno Canavese. After his ordina-
tion in 1883 he was sent to Marseille as the first master of novices and director of
the novitiate. From 1886 to 1923 he was director of the Salesian house at Nice.
By prudence and fortitude he withstood the anticlerical persecution and con-
fiscation of religious property by the French government. He was a staunch pro-
moter of religious and priestly vocations. His crowning work was building the
Church of Mary, Help of Christians in Nice. In his later years he was a familiar
figure in the city as, white cane striking the pavement, for he was practically
blind, he made his way to wealthy friends to beg funds for the Salesian works.
He died in Nice on December 29, 1945.
CERRUTI, FRANCIS (1844-1917), Fr.
Francis Cerruti, born in Vercelli on April 28, 1844, entered the Oratory in
November 1856, and immediately fell under the influence of Dominic Savio.
He completed the five-year secondary school course in three years and was
chosen by Don Bosco for teacher certification studies. He was among the first
seventeen young men who joined Don Bosco and his fledgling Salesian Con-
gregation in 1859. (See Vol. VI, pp. 181f) In 1865 his life was threatened by a
severe bout with pneumonia, but, as Don Bosco predicted, he miraculously re-
covered. In 1866 he made his perpetual profession, received a Ph.D. in liter-
ature, and was ordained a priest. A scholar by talent and training, he compiled
an Italian dictionary for school use at Don Bosco's request. In 1870 he became
the first director of the Salesian school in Alassio and in 1879 he became the first
provincial of the Liguria province. In 1885 Don Bosco personally chose him to
be prefect general of studies, a position which enabled him to put his educa-
tional and administrative expertise to good use for the schools of both the Sale-
sians and the Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians. He was also a prolific
writer. He died at Alassio on March 25, 1917, just shy of his seventy-third
birthday.
COSTAMAGNA, JAMES (1846-1921), Bishop
James Costamagna was born at Caramagna (Cuneo) on March 23, 1846. At
the age of twelve he began his studies at the Oratory. On September 27, 1867 he
made his first profession, and less than a year later was ordained a priest. In
1874 Don Bosco sent him to Momese as spiritual director of the Daughters of
Mary, Help of Christians, a post he held for three years. In 1877 he headed the
third missionary expedition. In Argentina he accompanied General Julio Roca
as chaplain on a military expedition calculated to subdue the uprising tribes of
the Pampas. He saved many Indians from the vengeful attacks of the soldiers
and brought them to the faith.
In 1880, on the death of Fr. Bodrato, he was named director of San Carlos
School in Buenos Aires and provincial of South America. He was a stem per-

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
son. "I want sterling Salesians" was his motto. He himself set the example in
promoting the genuine spirit of Don Bosco, correcting all deviations and weak-
nesses. He brought in the Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians for the care of
the girls of Almagro. In 1882 he began publishing the Argentine edition of the
Bollettino Salesiano and, two years later, that of Letture Cattoliche. To coun-
teract the anticlerical spirit of the public schools of Buenos Aires, he opened
more festive oratories for the teaching of catechism. He was also in demand as
spiritual director of religious communities. In 1887 he began the Salesian work
in Chile with a school at Talca, and the following year he toured neighboring
countries for future Salesian foundations.
Appointed apostolic vicar of Mendez and Gualaquiza, Ecuador, he was con-
secrated bishop in the Basilica of Mary, Help of Christians on May 23, 1895.
Since his return to Ecuador was blocked by its government, he went to Buenos
Aires, where he was appointed by Fr. Rua to be visitator to the Salesian houses
of South America, with residence in Santiago, Chile. In 1902 he was granted
permission to visit his vicariate for three months, a visit he repeated the follow-
ing year. Eventually he obtained permission to enter Ecuador and set up his
residence among the Jivaros.
In 1918, suffering from a heart condition, he ceded his post to Salesian
Bishop Dominic Comin and retired to the novitiate house at Bernal, Argentina,
where he died on September 9, 1921.
DALMAZZO, FRANCIS (1845-1895), Fr.
Francis Dalmazzo entered the Oratory in 1860. After a few days, unable to
adjust to the frugal meals, he wanted to return home. On the morning of his
departure, after going to confession to Don Bosco, he saw him perform a mira-
cle by multiplying a few buns into hundreds for the boys' breakfast. (See Vol.
VI, pp. 453ft)
Astounded, he decided to remain at the Oratory, became a Salesian and was
ordained a priest in 1868. From 1872 to 1880 he was director of the Valsalice
College; subsequently he was appointed director and pastor of the school and
Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Rome and procurator general of the
Salesian Society at the Vatican. Toward the end of 1887 he was sent to London to
open a Salesian house; afterward, from 1888 to 1894, he was rector of the
Church of St. John the Evangelist in Turin. In all these undertakings he won the
adr.niration and good will of all who came in contact with him. Finally, in 1894,
in deference to the wishes of the bishop of Catanzaro, he assumed the direction
of that diocesan seminary staffed by Salesians and within a short time opened
also a small secondary school. A tragic death, however, awaited him at the hand
of a murderer; a victim of duty, he died on March 10, 1895, forgiving his
assailant.

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DURANDO, CELESTINE (1840-1907), Fr.
Celestine Durando, born at Farigliano di Mondovi on April 29, 1840, entered
the Oratory in 1856, and on his very first day met Dominic Savio, with whom he
later founded the Immaculate Conception Sodality. On December 18, 1859,
with other young clerics, he joined Don Bosco in forming the Salesian Con-
gregation. (See Vol. VI, pp. 181f) He was ordained a priest in Mondovi in 1864.
The following year he became a member of the superior chapter and held that
office for nearly forty years.
Fr. Durando was well known for his several, greatly praised school publica-
tions. In 1869 Don Bosco directed him to compile La Biblioteca della gioventu
italiana [Italian Classics for the Young]. (See Vol. IX, pp. 51, 196f, 391) From
1869 to 1885 two hundred and four volumes were published, nineteen of them
edited by Fr. Durando. He also authored an excellent Latin grammar and
dictionary.
From 1886 to 1903 he served as provincial to a wide range of Salesian houses
in Europe, Africa and Asia, loosely linked into one unit. A zealous priest, he
distinguished himself in the ministry of the confessional. He died at the Oratory
on March 27, 1907. "A silent man," wrote Fr. Rua, "Fr. Durando lived a career
of good works, rich in merit. Wherever he passed he left the image of a truly
priestly Salesian spirit."
FAGNANO, JOSEPH (1844-1916), Fr., Prefect Apostolic
Joseph Fagnano was born in Rocchetta Tanaro (Asti) on March 9, 1844. At
twelve he enrolled in the diocesan seminary of Asti. When the seminary closed
in 1859, due to a shortage of students, the seminarians were encouraged to
transfer to the Oratory in Turin, but Joseph returned home. After serving as an
orderly in the army hospital at Asti, he decided to resume his priestly studies
under Don Bosco's care. He was soon won over by the happy family life he
found at the Oratory and by Don Bosco's serene fatherliness. What most im-
pressed him, however, was Don Bosco's telling him his sins, circumstances and
all, during his general confession. That convinced him that he was talking to a
saint, and he decided to stay with him.
Joseph made his first vows in 1864 and was ordained on September 19, 1868.
On November 14, 1875, since one of the ten Salesian missionaries who were
assigned to the first missionary expedition was unable to go, Don Bosco asked
Fr. Fagnano to replace him, and he gladly did.
From Buenos Aires he went to San Nicolas de los Arroyos and converted an
old home to a boarding school. The following March it was ready for occupancy
by a hundred and forty-four boarders and as many day students. In April 1879,
while director at the school, Fr. Fagnano contracted typhoid. After his recovery
six months later, he was made pastor at Patag6nes, in northern Patagonia, where

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
he built a church and two schools, one for boys, one for girls. He formed a
school band and set up a meteorological station, soon given official status by
Argentina. When a military expedition was sent out against the Indians, Fr. Fag-
nano zealously volunteered his services as a chaplain so as to extend his pastoral
care to the hunted natives, of whom he baptized thirty.
Appointed prefect apostolic of southern Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego, he
sailed to Punta Arenas in 1887 and then to Dawson Island, where he established
St. Raphael Mission, which the Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians staffed
in 1890. At Punta Arenas he set up a weather station and a church. In Tierra del
Fuego, where a lake has been named after him, he founded a mission which
became an Indian settlement. It burned down three years later, and Fr. Fagnano
rebuilt it, but, when the government withdrew funds, he had to abandon the
project.
Fr. Fagnano died in Santiago, Chile on September 18, 1916.
FRANCESIA, JOHN BAPTIST (1838-1930), Fr.
John Baptist Francesia, who was born in San Giorgio Canavese (Turin) on
October 3, 1838, began attending the Valdocco Festive Oratory when about
twelve; two years later he became a resident student at the Oratory. In 1859 he
was one of the sixteen young men who joined Don Bosco in forming the Sale-
sian Society. (See Vol. VI, pp. 1811) He was also the first Salesian to earn aca-
demic degrees at the University of Turin. Ordained a priest in 1862, he soon
filled critical administrative positions, distinguishing himself by his fatherly
kindliness. In 1865 Don Bosco named him spiritual director of the Congrega-
tion. From 1878 to 1902 he was provincial of the Piedmont-Lombard province.
Characterized by a gentle fatherliness which he had acquired from Don Bosco
and by a heartwarming smile, Fr. Francesia was a prolific writer and a dis-
tinguished Latin and Italian scholar. A man of letters he also wrote plays and
poems which Don Bosco had the boys perform on the Oratory stage. His last
forty years were spent at the Oratory, and over those years hardly a feast or
commemoration was observed without a celebration of Salesian annals in fluent
Latin or Italian by Fr. Francesia. The long list of his writings is a very im-
pressive one, ranging from Latin and Italian literature to biography and devo-
tional works.
Besides being a witness of the first years of Don Bosco's work for youth,
which he recorded in a biography of our founder, Fr. Francesia was an historian
and a poet, writing fluently in Latin and Italian. He also wrote brief accounts of
the lives of deceased Salesians. Fr. Francesia was very much the oral historian
of the Salesian Congregation's beginnings, recalling events in detail and hold-
ing his audience spellbound in the many "Good Nights" he gave to the Oratory's
large communities over the years. He died at the Oratory on January 17, 1930.
For further details see also the Indexes of Volumes IV through XIV.

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GARBELLONE, JOHN (1859-1928), Br.
Born in Crottas, France in 1859, John Garbellone was one of the best known
and loved characters of the Oratory, which he began to attend in 1873. He be-
came a Salesian in 1877, and for more than thirty years, until 1920, was en-
trusted with gathering supplies for Salesian missionary expeditions. He also
organized a brass band in 1884, remaining its conductor to the very end of his
life.
However, his most loved mission, assigned him by Don Bosco himself, was
the festive oratory. At this school of Don Bosco he learned to love souls. To him
was reserved the preparation ofFirst Communion, and through the years he pre-
pared over six thousand children for First Communion. In 1925 he set up and
directed the Salesian exhibit for the Holy Year's Missionary Exposition in
Rome. It was his swan song. He died in Turin on May 6, 1928.
Br. John Garbellone was a character from the pages of the "fioretti" of St.
Francis: deeds and words dressed in simplicity and holy shrewdness, yet always
imbued with uprightness and goodness of heart.
GROSSO, JOHN BAPTIST (1858-1944), Fr.
Born in San Pietro in Val Lemina (Turin) on February 8, 1858, John was ten
when he was received into the Oratory by Don Bosco himself. He was gifted
with an exceptional talent for music and, as a cleric, he was sent to Marseille to
study music. He made his first profession in 1876 and was ordained in 1881. He
began a brilliant musical career by founding the famed St. Joseph Choir School
in Nice. When religious were banned from France in 1900 he was first sent to
Lombriasco, and then to Foglizzo as director of the theology students, and fi-
nally to the Oratory.
In 1923 he became director of music at the Salesian International Theologate
in Turin, where he trained numberless confreres in sacred polyphony and Gre-
gorian chant. A man of unquestioning fidelity to his vocation as a Salesian,
musician and liturgist, Fr. Grosso was truly the founder of the liturgical music
movement in the Salesian Congregation. He had the gift of uniting prayer with
song. He died at Bagnolo (Cuneo) on November 21, 1944.
GUIDAZIO, PETER (1841-1902), Fr.
Born in Turin on April 23, 1841, Peter Guidazio entered the Oratory at the age
of twenty-two. In 1864 Don Bosco sent him to the newly opened school at
Lanzo where he remained six years and proved his ability as a good teacher. In
the meantime, in 1867 he took his vows and seven years later was ordained a
priest and appointed director of studies at the Oratory. In 1878 Don Bosco sent
him to direct the high school department of the diocesan seminary at Mon-
tefiascone (Viterbo). A year later he opened the first Salesian school in Sicily at
Randazzo and was its director from 1879 to 1885. He was also director at Lanzo

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
from 1885 to 1901. His expertise, prudence, and determination gave the Sale-
sian schools in Sicily particular eminence. He died at Randazzo on July 12,
1902.
LASAGNA, WUIS (1850-1895), Bishop
Louis Lasagna first met Don Bosco in the summer of 1862 during one of the
latter's outings with the Oratory boys. (See Vol. VII, pp. 164, 166, 179f) He
received the clerical garb in 1866, made his first vows in 1868, was ordained a
priest in 1873, and joined the second missionary expedition to South America in
1876. As director and provincial, he achieved marked success in the fields of
education, social action, agriculture, priestly vocations, and church construc-
tion or renovation. In 1893 he was consecrated bishop and entrusted with the
evangelization of the Indians of Mato Grosso (Brazil). He died in a train wreck
at Juiz de Fora (Brazil) on November 6, 1895.
LAZZERO, JOSEPH (1837-1910), Fr.
Joseph Lazzero was born in Turin on May 10, 1837 and entered the Oratory at
the age of twenty. In 1859 he was one of the first young clerics to join Don Bosco
in forming the Salesian Congregation. (See Vol. VI, pp. 181t) He made his first
vows in 1862 and was ordained to the priesthood in 1865. In 1870 he made his
perpetual profession. In 1874 Don Bosco appointed him to the superior chapter
and put him in charge of technical schools, a post he held until 1898. In 1877
Don Bosco chose him and Fr. Barberis to represent the Salesian Congregation at
Pius IX's golden jubilee as bishop. Stricken in 1897, he retired and died after a
long illness at Mathi (Turin) on March 7, 1910.
LEMOYNE, JOHN BAPTIST (1839-1916), Fr.
Fr. John Baptist Lemoyne was the first great chronicler of the life of St. John
Bosco and of the first decades of the Salesian Congregation.
From their first providential meeting in 1864, Fr. Lemoyne esteemed Don
Bosco as a person of outstanding character and holiness. He not only strove to
understand and acquire his spirit, but also took upon himself the task of com-
mitting to writing anything of significance that Don Bosco did or said. Informa-
tion concerning earlier events he painstakingly gathered from eyewitnesses
and other sources.
In 1883 he came to the motherhouse as editor of the Bollettino Salesiano and
secretary of the superior chapter. The five years that followed he spent in cordial
intimacy with Don Bosco and heard from the saint himself the story of the ar-
duous road he had to climb in his youth to arrive at the priesthood, and of the
wonderful manner in which Providence guided the Salesian work.
After Don Bosco's death in 1888, he was formally charged with the compila-
tion of available materials for the life of the saint. Forty-five large volumes of

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galley proofs bear witness to his dedicated research and provide the material for
the nineteen volumes of The Biographical Memoirs ofSt. John Bosco, the first
nine of which he authored. Noteworthy among his other works are the Life of
Don Bosco in two volumes and the Life ofMammaMargaret, Don Bosco's
mother. He died in Turin on September 14, 1916 at the age of seventy-seven.
MARENCO, JOHN (1853-1921), Bishop
John Marenco was born in Ovada (Turin) on April 27, 1853. He applied to
Don Bosco to become a Salesian in 1873, while he was a third-year theology
student. Discerning his fine personal qualities, Don Bosco accepted him as a
novice without further discussion and admitted him to his religious vows the
following year. He was ordained a priest in 1875. Five years later Don Bosco
sent him to Lucca to open a new house. The talents he showed as a director
induced Don Bosco to recall him to Turin and entrust to him the construction of
the Church of St. John the Evangelist. In 1888 Fr. Rua sent him to Sampier-
darena as director; in 1890 he appointed him provincial of the Salesian houses in
Liguria and Tuscany, in 1892 he made him vicar general of the Daughters of
Mary, Help of Christians, and finally in 1899 he sent him to Rome as procurator
of the Salesian Society with the Holy See. He filled that office until 1909, when
Pope Benedict XV named him bishop of Massa Carrara and eight years later
titular bishop of Edessa and apostolic intemuncio to the republics of Central
America. Within four years he established an archdiocese and a vicariate apos-
tolic in Costa Rica, reopened diplomatic relations between El Salvador and
Honduras, founded two interdiocesan seminaries in Nicaragua and San Sal-
vador, and strengthened ecclesiastical discipline. In 1921 Bishop Marenco re-
turned to Turin because of failing health, and there he died a few months later on
October 22.
MONATERI, JOSEPH (1847-1914), Fr.
Joseph Monateri was born in Crescentino (Vercelli) on March 3, 1847. Don
Bosco personally accepted him into the Oratory in 1860. Seven years later he
made his first profession at 'Irofarello. After teaching at Mirabello and Borgo
San Martino, he was ordained a priest in 1869. Don Bosco then sent him as
director to the new house of Albano (Rome) in 1877. He was among the twenty-
three confreres who formed the First General Chapter at Lanzo in 1877. In 1898
he was appointed provincial of the Salesians in Sicily and director of the house
at Catania. For reasons of health he left Sicily in 1903 and became director of
Lanzo. He died at Colle Salvetti (Leghorn) on September 22, 1914, at the age of
sixty-seven.
OBERTI, ERNEST (1854-1904), Fr.
Born at Racconigi, Italy, Ernest Oberti was professed as a Salesian at the Or-
atory on September 20, 1872, and was ordained a priest at Casale on June 23,

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
1876. In 1881 Don Bosco sent him to Spain. From 1883 to 1899 he served as the
director of the house of Utrera. In 1900 he moved to Madrid as director. In
1902 he was named provincial of the Celtic province of St. James (1902-1904).
Soon after, due to serious illness, he was advised to return to Italy. After a life
characterized by an exemplary religious spirit and spent in untiring activity, he
died in Rome on October 28, 1904.
PANE, CHARLES (1856-1923), Fr.
Born at Grana (Asti) in 1856, Charles Pane came to the Oratory as a young
adult, donned the clerical habit and took his first vows in 1874. Upon comple-
tion of his theological studies, he was ordained a priest in 1879. Two years later
he was sent to Spain and, with youthful enthusiasm, worked for ten years in our
school at Utrera. His particular field of apostolate, however, was to be South
America. In 1891 he and two other Salesians were sent to Peru to start a Salesian
foundation, From 1909 to 1915 Fr. Pane was director of our school at Callao. He
then spent the rest of his life in Lima where he launched a fund-raising cam-
paign for the construction of the monumental church of Mary, Help of Chris-
tians. He died in Lima on March 20, 1923.
PERROT, PETER (1853-1928), Fr.
Peter Perrot, born at Laux-Usseaux (Turin) on October 23, 1853, made his
first vows as a Salesian on September 27, 1872, and was ordained a priest in
Turin on June 10, 1876. Two years later Don Bosco sent him as director to La
Navarre in the township of Hyeres in southeast France, where the young priest
overcame serious difficulties and earned everybody's esteem and confidence.
With the help of generous benefactors he built a chapel and part of a new school
building, which he completed in 1884. He wrote a manual on farming for the
agricultural department of the school. In 1898 he was appointed provincial of
the Salesian houses in southern France with headquarters in Marseille. During
the government's persecution of religious he sought refuge in Italy, but even-
tually returned to La Navarre where he died on February 24, 1928.
PICCONO, ANGEl.D (1848-1913), Fr.
Born at Albiano (Turin) in 1848, Angelo Piccono came to know Don
Bosco later in life when at the age of twenty-nine he was a police captain in the
precinct of Borgo Dora quite near the Oratory. In 1877, through acquaintances
there, he heard that Don Bosco had predicted the deaths of eight Oratory resi-
dents within that year. Deeply impressed by that, he kept careful count through-
out 1877 to test the prediction's truthfulness. As narrated in Volume XII of The
Biographical Memoirs of St. John Bosco (p. 442), when the eighth death oc-
curred on the last day of 1877, "he abandoned the world and became a Sale-
sian." On May 30, 1878 he took his vows and was ordained a priest on

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November 22 of the same year. In 1881 he joined our missionaries in Argentina
where he worked for ten years until Father Rua sent him with four other Sale-
sians to Mexico to start a Salesian foundation. In 1896 he was also entrusted
with negotiations for the opening of a Salesian school in San Salvador.
After returning to Italy a few years later, he was appointed director at Naples
(1901-1905) and then at Castellamare di Stabia (1905-1910). Among other things
he also wrote several articles about Patagonia and Mexico for the Bollettino
Salesiano. He died at Caserta on January 1, 1913.
RONCHAIL, JOSEPH (1850-1898), Fr.
Joseph Ronchail, born in Laux-Usseaux (Turin) on May 21, 1850, first met
Don Bosco in 1868. (See Vol. IX, pp. 148ft) Convinced that Don Bosco was
inspired by God, he entered the Oratory and joined the Salesian Congregation
in 1869. Ordained in 1872, he distinguished himself as a hard worker and zeal-
ous priest. He was director of the Salesian school at Nice from 1876 to 1887 and
at Paris in 1888. He was also acting provincial of northern France and Belgium
until his death in Paris in 1898.
ROSSI, JOSEPH (1835-1908), Br.
Joseph Rossi was born in Mezzanabigli (Pavia) in 1835. His reading of Don
Bosco's prayerbook, Il Giovane Provveduto [The Companion ofYouth], led him
to Don Bosco himself at the age of twenty-four.
He was among the first to seek admission into the Salesian Congregation and
made his profession as a lay religious on September 29, 1864. Noting that the
young man had the qualities of a good administrator, Don Bosco carefully culti-
vated him and entrusted more and more of the Congregation's business matters
to him. He also called him to attend the First and Fourth General Chapters as
consultor. Even after Don Bosco's death Br. Rossi had the full trust of Fr. Rua
He died in Turin on October 28, 1908.
RUA, MICHAEL (1837-1910), Fr., Rector Major, Blessed
Michael Rua was born in Turin on June 9, 1837. As a pupil of the Christian
Brothers' school he first met Don Bosco at the age of seven, and an unbreakable
bond was forged between the two. In 1852 he donned the cassock, and from
then on his life was so closely intertwined with that of the founder that he has
often been dubbed "Don Bosco's double." On January 26, 1854 he and three
other boys of the Oratory gathered in Don Bosco's room to band themselves into
what was to become the Salesian Congregation. (See Vol. V, p. 8) The follow-
ing year he took his first vows. While studying theology he took charge of the
St. Aloysius Festive Oratory in Turin. In 1859 he accompanied Don Bosco on
his first visit to Rome, and that year, when the Congregation was approved by
Pius IX, Michael Rua, though a subdeacon, was elected by his peers to be spir-

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
itual director of the new-born Society of St. Francis de Sales. (See Vol. VI, pp.
181f)
He was ordained a priest on July 29, 1860 and three years later became the
first Salesian director, assuming charge of the junior seminary at Mirabello. On
the death of Fr. Victor Alasonatti in 1865, Don Bosco recalled Fr. Rua to the
Oratory in Turin to assume financial responsibility for the Salesian Society. He
was Don Bosco's right-hand man. As Fr. Eugene Ceria states: "Don Bosco
could not have asked for a more devoted son, a more loyal interpreter of his
every wish, a more tireless and intelligent worker, a more enlightened mind and
a superior of more unchallenged authority . . . fully dedicated to his mission,
totally imbued with his ideas and amply qualified . . . to be the founder's
worthy spokesman at all levels." (See Vol. XIV, p. 1)
In 1884, at Don Bosco's request, he was appointed his vicar by Pope Leo
XIII, and four years later, at the founder's death, he became rector major, a posi-
tion he held for twenty-two years. During that time the Congregation grew from
sixty-four houses to three hundred and forty-one, reaching out to Europe,
North, South and Central America, Africa and Asia.
Fr. Rua was often defined as "the living rule" because of his fidelity to Don
Bosco's concept of Salesian life and mission. Though he may have externally
given an impression of strictness, he was a gentle, warm, and thoughtful supe-
rior, so much so that he seems to have rivaled Don Bosco in gentleness and
fatherliness.
Fr. Rua died on April 6, 1910 at the Oratory. In 1922 the diocesan process for
his beatification and canonization was begun, and in 1926 the cause was taken
up in Rome. He was declared Venerable in 1953 and was beatified on October
29, 1972 by Pope Paul VI. His feast day is observed on October 29.
SALA, ANTHONY (1836-1895), Fr.
Anthony Sala, born near Como on January 28, 1836, entered the Oratory in
1863 at the age of twenty-seven after giving up the management of his family's
silk mill. He was God's gift to Don Bosco. Entrusting himself to Don Bosco's
guidance, he made his profession on December 29, 1865 and in little more than
six _years became a priest. Showing special administrative talent, he was as-
ssigned to help Fr. Alasonatti, who was then in poor health.
In 1875, Fr. Sala was appointed counselor of the superior chapter, replacing
Fr. Ghivarello. Recognizing his particular ability, Don Bosco put Fr. Sala in
charge of remodeling the motherhouse of the Daughters ofMary, Help of Chris-
tians in Nizza Monferrato and in constructing the new houses at Este, Cremona,
Chieri, and Randazzo. In 1880 Don Bosco appointed him economer general, a
post to which he was re-elected almost unamimously in both 1886 and 1892. He
supervised the construction of St. John the Evangelist Church and school and
directed the planning of the Salesian exhibit in the National Exposition of 1884

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in Turin. He also lightened Don Bosco's burden in building the Church of the
Sacred Heart in Rome. During Don Bosco's final illness he offered the lowliest
of services in the sick room.
Fr. Sala worked restlessly to his dying day. He went to his eternal reward on
May 21, 1895 after a brief illness.
TOMATIS, DOMINIC (1849-1912), Fr.
Born at Trinita (Cuneo) in 1849, Dominic Tomatis entered the Oratory at the
age of thirteen. In 1864 he witnessed the fulfillment of two predictions by Don
Bosco (see Vol. VII, pp. 386-389) and also had a dream about his future Sale-
sian vocation-a dream which Don Bosco confirmed a few days later when
Tomatis went to him for confession (see Vol. VIII, pp. 212t). Two years later,
however, during the summer vacation, Tomatis decided to become a Jesuit like
two of his uncles. Before leaving for the novitiate, he went to Turin to make his
confession to Don Bosco and bid him farewell. Don Bosco reminded him of the
dream Tomatis had had and suddenly the young man decided to stay with Don
Bosco (ibid., pp. 213ft).
In 1867 he took his first vows and in 1870 he made his perpetual profession.
Ordained a priest in 1872, he was assigned to our school in Varazze as teacher
and principal.
In 1875 Don Bosco chose him as a member of the first missionary expedition
to South America. There he distinguished himself for his zeal and fearlessness.
After Don Bosco's death, Father Rua sent him to Chile to open a school at Talca;
later on he was appointed director at Santiago. In 1894 he returned to Italy to
seek and obtain more personnel. Two years later, however, he suffered a stroke.
It was the beginning of his calvary which lasted until his death in Santiago on
October 8, 1912.
UBALDI, PAUL (1872-1934), Fr.
Born in Parma, Italy, on August 30, 1872, Paul Ubaldi entered the Oratory in
1882 as a resident student. There he studied, taught, and was ordained to the
priesthood in 1895. Having earned doctorates in literature, philosophy, and the-
ology, he taught the Greek classics at Liceo Valsalice and then at the University
of Turin (1909-1913) and Catania (1919-1924). He was later professor of Latin
and Greek Christian literature in the Catholic University of Milan (1924-1934)
and in the seminary of Venegono (1932-1934).
To promote in Italy an appreciation of ancient Christian literature as a disci-
pline in its own right and not as a dispensable appendage to the classics, to-
gether with Father Sisto Colombo, S.D.B., Father Ubaldi founded in 1912 the
review Didaskaleion and the Biblioteca del Didaskaleion. With courage, com-
petence, and sacrifice both founders edited the review until 1931. The publica-
tion of Didaskaleion and Father Ubaldi 's tenure as professor in the Catholic

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594
THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
University of Milan resulted in the establishment of departments of ancient
Christian literature in many universities of Italy.
Father Ubaldi also published critical editions, commentaries, and transla-
tions of the ancient classics, as well as many learned studies in various reviews.
Above all, Father Ubaldi was a true priest among the university students. He
brought to the halls of the university the educational method of Don Bosco,
which seeks to make of each student a friend to be brought to Christ. He died in
Milan, Italy on July 22, 1934.
VACCHINA, BERNARD (1859-1935), Fr.
Born in Revignano d'Asti on March 19, 1859, Bernard Vacchina entered the
Oratory in 1871 and grew under Don Bosco's eye. In 1876 he donned the clerical
habit during his spiritual retreat in Lanzo. While his fellow novices remained
there for a while, Don Bosco called Bernard to the Oratory to assist the newly
entered pupils. Volume XIII of these Memoirs (pp. 639-645) has a charming
description of his vicissitudes as a teacher under Don Bosco's fatherly guid-
ance. In 1877 he made his perpetual vows and, volunteering for the missions,
was two years later sent to Uruguay. After a brief stint at Villa Col6n, he became
secretary of the internuncio at Buenos Aires, where he was ordained on May 5,
1882 and exercised his priestly ministry in the difficult parish of "La Boca."
Five years later, the vicar apostolic of Central Patagonia appointed him director
at Viedma. After some thirty years of zealous missionary work, he retired to St.
John the Evangelist school in Buenos Aires, where he continued his priestly
work, which was made ever more fruitful by his physical sufferings, until his
death in 1935.
VESPIGNANI, JOSEPH (1854-1932), Fr.
Born at Lugo, Italy in 1854, Joseph started his secondary schooling with the
Benedictines at Cesena and then entered the seminary ofFaenza for his philoso-
phy courses. While there, a virulent pneumonia nearly took his life. After an
uncertain recovery, he continued his theological studies and, though still sickly,
was ordained a priest in 1876. He barely hoped to live long enough to say at least
three Masses, and yet, three months later, he felt strong enough to go to Turin to
see Don Bosco. So impressed was he by the fact that Don Bosco could read his
conscience that he stayed with him for a whole year. He made his religious pro-
fession on Christmas Day 1876, and the following year Don Bosco sent him to
Argentina with the third missionary expedition to be novice master. After
spending seventeen years with Bishop James Costamagna, he succeeded him in
1894 as director of Pius IX School in Buenos Aires and, later, as provincial.
In 1922 he was recalled to Turin as a member of the superior chapter and
remained in office until his saintly death on January 15, 1932. In 1948 his re-
mains were brought to Buenos Aires and entombed in San Carlos Church. As

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Appendix 1
595
novice master, confessor, writer, and founder of nineteen Salesian houses, he
earned the admiration of all. Outstanding is his book Un Anno alla Scuola del
Beato Don Bosco.
VIGLIETTI, CHARLES (1864-1915), Fr.
Charles Viglietti was born at Susa (Turin) on May 28, 1864. He received the
clerical habit from Don Bosco himself in 1882 and made his perpetual vows on
October 6, 1883 at San Benigno Canavese.
On various occasions Don Bosco entrusted him with special tasks that of-
fered the young cleric opportunities to assimilate Don Bosco's spirit. Soon
enough, Viglietti became Don Bosco's secretary in our founder's last years and,
as such, accompanied him to Spain in 1886. On December of that same year,
Viglietti was ordained a priest and from then on he took filial care of Don Bosco
as his health gradually took a tum for the worse in 1887. He lovingly assisted
him until his death on January 31, 1888.
In 1896 Father Rua sent him to Bologna to open the first Salesian house,
which he directed until 1904. During those years he also erected a monumental
shrine to the Sacred Heart of Jesus next to our large school. From 1904 to 1906
he was director at Savona and from 1906 to 1912 at Varazze. In 1907 he undaunt-
edly faced vicious lies and attacks from the freemasons against the Salesians,
but in the end truth triumphed.
He was also a talented and prolific writer. He spent his last years at the Or-
atory and, after a painful illness, went to his eternal reward on November 8,
1915.

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Appendix 2
SALESIAN HOUSES AND MISSIONS IN SOUTH AMERICA
(See page 3, footnote 8)
On January 15, L' Unita Cattolica published the following list, an offical
copy of which had just been sent to His Holiness Leo XIII, in order to acquaint
people with the Salesians' accomplishments in South America within a brief
period of five years:
SALESIAN HOUSES AND MISSIONS IN SOUTH AMERICA: 1875-1881
BUENOS AIRES. San Nicolas: boarding school for boys; parish at Ramallo;
ranch mission; parish of San Carlos. Almagro: boarding school and hospice;
provincial house ofthe Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians. In midtown: Ital-
ian parish of Our Lady of Mercy; parish of La Boca at Rachuelos. South Side:
boys' school; girls' school (Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians). San Isidro:
girls' school, festive oratory.
URUGUAY. Montevideo: Italian parish of Our Lady of Charity; St. Vincent
school. Las Piedras: parish; boys' school; girls' school (Daughters of Mary,
Help of Christians); mission; apostolic work in outlying localities. Villa Colon:
boys' boarding school; girls' school (Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians).
Entre Rios. Libertad Colony, 1877-78.
PARAGUAY. Mission, 1878.
PAMPAS. Mission; catechetical instruction and baptism of Indians.
PATAGONIA. Colonies at Fiscomenoco, Choele-Choel, Catriel tribe, Con-
esa, Guardia Mitre, Linares Indians, San [Francisco] Javier. Carmen de Pa-
tagones; parish, boys' school; boarding school for girls at Santa Maria de las
lndias. Mercedes: parish. Viedma: boys' school.
The following letter, published in French by the Societe Anonyme de la
Maison Beaujour, was sent by General [Julio] Roca, president of Argentina, to
Don Bosco. This translation arrived at the Oratory in January.
596

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Appendix 2
597
Reverend Father:
Buenos Aires, December 10, 1880
I received your letter of November 10, and deeply appreciate your fine senti-
ments. Be assured that your missions in the Pampas and in Patagonia will always
be worthy to be ranked with the lofty endeavors of civilization and that your
religious will everywhere merit the respect they have won so far in the eyes of
this nation's civic and political authorities. Please pray for me that I may more
graciously bear the heavy load of government. I remain in greatest esteem,
General [Julio] Roca
President ofthe Republic
The original, known to be missent by General Roca to Milan and for-
warded to Don Bosco in Marseille in February [1881], has been lost.

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Appendix 3*
LETTER FROM FATHER LOUIS FIORE TO POPE LEO XIII
(See page 173, footnote 22)
Most Holy Father:
Turin, November 12, 1881
I am a diocesan priest of the archdiocese of Turin. Since my boyhood I have
known the Oratory and the works of Don Bosco, a most charitable and zealous
priest of Turin. I cannot help but voice the intense grief which I shared with so
very many other diocesan priests while attending the diocesan synod sum-
moned by our most reverend archbishop on November 10.
Aware of what had happened on several other occasions, I went to the meet-
ing fearing that I might again be distressed to hear the archbishop deliver regret-
table remarks; unfortunately, I was right.
He addressed the clergy twice that day, once in the morning and again in the
afternoon; both times the archbishop made it clear how firmly he had shut his
mind to genuine merit. For example, he stressed the importance offestive orato-
ries or youth centers for boys. He might very well have cited the example of the
festive oratories founded by Don Bosco forty years ago in the main area ofTurin
and still maintained by his Salesians at their own expense. But, no, with hardly
concealed deliberation, he singled out the oratories of the city of Brescia, as
though Don Bosco and his Salesians did not even exist in Turin. Most Holy
Father, the clergy, which has known Don Bosco's work for the diocese over the
past forty years, received a very bad impression at seeing their leader so crassly
ignore a priest who is so well deserving not only in Turin, but in Piedmont, Italy
and elsewhere. This is the best way to destroy the clergy's morale and cause it to
lose its wholesome esteem for its archbishop.
More upsetting was his evening address. In strident tones he attacked those
who flaunt extreme reverence for the Pope at their bishop's expense, who vow
their allegiance to the See of Peter but not to that of St. Maximus. He then vio-
lently inveighed against the Catholic press, charging that it interfered in matters
*MemorieBiografichedelBeato Giovanni Bosco, Vol. XV, Document 21, pp. 716f. [Editor]
598

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Appendix 3
599
outside its field, and, barring none, he branded as "insolent rags" those journals
which call themselves Catholic and do more harm than irreligious and evil
newspapers. In a word, we thought that we were hearing poor Father Curci1
declaim certain passages of his regrettable defamatory booklet The Old Zealots.
Some of his remarks were downright cruel and shocking. God help us if the
laity had heard that address! Woe indeed had the faithful heard it! But still, is it
not already a very sad situation that so many of the clergy did hear it and know
about it?
I will say nothing of the way he defends in both speaking and writing the
philosophical system of Father Rosmini, as he most recently did in his pastoral
letter of last October 24, and this even though he is aware that the Holy See
frowns upon it. I close by assuring Your Holiness ~hat this archbishop is doing
vast harm to this unfortunate archdiocese. Most Holy Father, unless you take
action, the damage will be beyond repair, for God help us if the minds, es-
pecially of the younger clergy, become tainted.
Most Holy Father, forgive me, a simple priest, for baring my soul. I would
never have hazarded such a letter if I did not realize I was entrusting it to the
Vicar of Jesus Christ, who will use it only for God's greater glory and the
Church's good.
In spirit I kneel in honor to Your Holiness and ask for your apostolic blessing.
In deepest veneration,
Your most humble and obedient son,
Fr. Louis Fiore
1See Vol. XIII, p. 390. [Editor]

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Appendix 4*
EPISODES IN DON BOSCO'S LIFE
AS NARRATED BY HIM TO FATHER JULIUS BARBERIS
(See page xiv, footnote 1)
"For a full twenty years I assiduously visited Turin's city prisons. I continued
my visits later, though not as regularly. One day a sick convict sent for me to
hear his confession. I went, and while he was pulling his bed clothes over him-
self, I spotted a long sharp-pointed jackknife at his side. Quietly I snatched it,
closed it and slipped it into my pocket. The prisoner then turned toward me and
began rummaging under his blankets and pillow.
"'What are you looking for?' I asked.
"'Something that I had here a few moments ago,' he replied. And he kept
searching. Not finding his knife, he called for the orderly.
"'Did you take anything from here?'
"'Nothing! What are you looking for?'
" 'Something I had here.'
"Ill and in his nightshirt, he got up and began hunting everywhere with no
success. Returning to bed, he let loose a stream of blasphemies and curses, with
no regard to my protests.
"'Tell me what you are looking for,' I said.
"'A knife.'
" 'What for?'
" 'To plunge it into your heart.'
"'Did I ever do you any harm?'
"'No, but I have been rotting away here too long. They refuse to execute me.
If I were to kill you, they'd sentence me to death immediately, and I wouldn't
have to suffer any longer.'
"I calmed him down and finally got him to make his confession.
"On another occasion, I was returning from Capriglio to Becchi shortly be-
fore dark, reading my breviary as I walked. At a spot called 'La Serra' where the
path turns and slopes downward, a man suddenly stepped in front of me. 'Give
me money!' he growled, and drew a weapon from under his left armpit.
*For the original Italian see Memorie Biogra.fiche del Beato Giovanni Bosco, Vol. XV, Docu-
ment 14, pp. 705ff. [Editor]
600

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Appendix 4
601
"I took a close look at him and, recognizing him, said: 'Cortese, have you
forgotten all the promises you made me?' He was dumbfounded.
"'Oh, Don Bosco! Please, forgive me. I did not know it was you.'
"'Are you back to your evil ways again?' I continued. 'When you were in
prison in Turin, you told me many times that if you ever got out, you would
never return to such a life.'
"Without moving away from the spot, I induced him to make his confession.
He briefly prepared himself as I finished my prayers, and then, kneeling on the
ground while I sat on a stone, he made his confession. Then he went his way in
peace with God, and I trust he never again returned to his former way of life."
***
One day, after a rather long and very friendly after-dinner conversation, we
[Don Bosco and Father Barberis] got to talking about how smoothly the house
was running and I said I had high hopes that Don Bosco wouldfind everything
to his liking. We went onfrom one thing to another, and Don Bosco commented,
"Going like this from house to house I never find things as they should be. It's a
blessing if matters are not worse. I recall that in the early days of the Oratory-
it's some thirty years ago-I thought I had won all the boys' hearts, and indeed
they really did love me in a special way. One day Father Anthony Belasio [a
missionary] came to preach the annual spiritual retreat. At its end, I asked him
how he had found things in general and whether he had come across any disor-
dered consciences.... He replied: 'I have never yet preached a mission or
given a retreat without coming across some. The difference only lies in the
number.'
"This shocked me; I felt it couldn't be true. However, with the passage of
time, I realized he was right. The difference was merely in the number of such
cases. Some always stubbornly keep their silence. This condition goes on for
months and even years, also among adults and priests as well."
I remarked that I was the only confessor in the house and that, although I
believed I was much liked and enjoyed everyone's trust, I was nevertheless
afraid. . . . His reply was: "Never flatter yourself that you have everyone's
trust. There will always be the few who put on a false front. Neither do you have
to go searching for other priests as ordinary confessors. Those who have de-
cided to clam up or are inclined to do so will say nothing to other confessors as
well. Nevertheless, see to it that extraordinary confessors come in often."
When I replied that I was doing so, insisting in fact that a superior should
comefrequently from Turin, he made it clear to me that this was the only remedy
and that unfamiliar diocesan priests would not do.

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INDEX
Compiled by
Rev. Michael Mend[, S.D.B.

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64.9 Page 639

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ABBREVIATIONS
abp.
bp.
BS
Card.
CBR
cl.
coad.
coc
Cong.
CSH
CSJE
DB
dir.
Dtrs.
FMA
MHC
pref.
Sal.
SC
SH
SS
archbishop
bishop
Bollettino Salesiano
Cardinal
Congregation of Bishops and Regulars
clerical brother (seminarian)
coadjutor (lay) brother
Congregation of the Council
Congregation
Church of the Sacred Heart
Church of St. John the Evangelist
Don Bosco
director
Daughters
Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians
(Figlie di Maria Ausiliatrice)
Mary, Help of Christians
prefect
Salesian
Salesian cooperators
Sacred Heart
Salesian Society
A
Acquarona, Mrs. Mary (SC), 112-13,
123-24, 528-29
Africa, 70, 144
Agnozzi, Abp. (sec'y of CBR), 193,
356
Alassio: charges of immorality,
110-11, 286; DB at, 106-11, 114-15,
161, 331, 341, 355n, 505, 536,
540-41, 555; FMA at, 505-06;
provincial house, 426; retreats,
541; SS at, 390, 505; school, 124,
284, 531
Albera, Fr. Paul: advises following
DB's advice, 116; apost. delegate
for FMA, 295n; Bonetti complains
to, 232; dir. at Sampierdarena, 116,
146-47, 378-80, 397; DB's second
successor, 379, 508; excess funds,
605

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606
INDEX
Albera, Fr. Paul (continued)
546; letters, 397, 418, 546-47; pas-
toral ministry, 146-47; provincial
in France, 378-80, 397, 426-27,
489, 546; reputation, 379, 397;
testimony about DB, 39, 214, 233,
408, 415, 418
Alimonda, Card. Cajetan, 126-27,
443-44, 448-49
Alumni, Salesian: apostolate of, 516;
doctor, 18; DB's expectations of,
145; government official, 443;
meetings, 429n; priests, 144, 183,
191, 201, 237-38, 310, 316,
335-36, 436; scholar, 429n; semi-
narians, 180, 324; tradesmen, 142,
195, 238, 303, 309
American women call on DB, 443
Andolfi (contractor for CSH), 345,
347, 400-01, 552-53, 572
Anfossi, Fr. John Baptist (alumnus),
199n, 237-38, 310
Anointing of the sick, 177, 261, 298,
543
Anticlericalism: in France, 26, 36,
40, 52, 285, 381-82, 395, 429,
470; in Italy, 262, 288, 304, 313,
318, 321, 325-28, 372, 429, 449,
479-83, 553
Antico family (SC), 559-60, 562,
565-66
Apollonio, Fr. Joseph (SC), 541
Apparitions: Louis Colle, 61-71; pas-
tor of Castelnuovo, 65-66
Aquinas, St. Thomas, 412-13
Argentina: FMA in, 296, 304, 513;
government, 19, 22, 24, 510-11,
513; pilgrims from, 22, 24; SS in,
2, 23-24, 296, 399, 509-15; vicari-
ates apostolic, 400. See also Pa-
tagonia; individual cities
Assistants in Sal. schools, 115, 136
Asylum: attempt to commit DB,
404n
Aubagne, France, 38, 41, 43-44, 47,
387
Audisio, coad. Charles (missionary),
15-16
Augustine, St.: quoted, 73, 129
Authorities, civil, 115. See also
Government
B
Babini, Fr. (pastor at Urbecco),
284-85
Baccelli, Guido (minister of educa-
tion), 124, 262, 480-81
Ballesio, Canon Hyacinth (alumnus),
335-36
Baptism, 22, 93, 400, 402, 492n,
499-500
Barberis, Fr. Julius: character, 384;
and DB, 76, 84, 93, 153; journeys,
283; letters from, 57n, 59n; letters
to, 103, 105-06, 267, 385, 392-93;
master of novices, 84, 384-85,
392; testimony about DB, 54, 422
Barcelona, 8-9, 274, 460, 505
Bari: request for Sal. school, 251-52
Bassignana, coad. Paul, 287
Beatification of DB: celebration of,
412n, 414; hoped for, 457; testi-
mony, 113-16, 184, 196, 206, 211,
214, 233, 235-37, 293, 316, 350,
422, 426, 476
Beaujour Society, 122, 406
Beauvoir, Fr. Joseph (missionary),
510
Belmonte, Fr. Dominic: care for
Chicco, 391; dir. at Sampier-
darena, 378-80, 419-20, 433-34,
535; letters, 391, 419-20, 435-36
Benedict XV, Pope, 295n

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INDEX
607
Bertello, Fr. Joseph (dir. at Borgo
San Martino), 19, 251, 303,
368-69
Berto, Fr. Joachim: archivist of SS,
173, 353-54; character, 549;
coauthor of defense of SS, 173-74;
DB's companion, 430, 436,
442-45, 447, 450, 456-57; DB's
sec'y, 173-74, 192n, 209n, 217,
340, 382n, 392-94, 427-28, 487,
549; health, 548-49; letters, 28,
109, 302-03, 312n, 315, 427-28,
509, 548-49; testimony about DB,
115-16, 293, 340
Besson, Chevalier (teacher at Val-
salice), 216
Biblical allusions: heavenly Jerusa-
lem, 71; New Testament, 110, 132,
256,309,311,330,371,384,439,
449, 468, 502, 559-60; Old Testa-
ment, 35, 137, 149, 333
Biblical citations: New Testament,
35, 128, 145, 148-50, 231, 238,
311, 330, 387, 430-32, 437, 440,
464, 486, 506, 539; Old Testa-
ment, 101-02, 149, 151, 322, 402
Biblical persons: Aaron, 136-37;
apostles, 95, 309, 412-13; Job, 28,
219, 570; Michael the Archangel,
406; Moses, 136, 380; patriarchs,
50, 432; Simon Magus, 135. See
also John the Apostle, St.; John
the Baptist, St.; Joseph, St.; Mary,
Blessed Virgin; Peter, St.
Bielli, Fr. Albert, 552
Bilio, Card. Louis (bp. of Sabina),
242, 356-57, 450-51
Bishops, relations of DB and SS
with: China, 521-22; France, 34,
44, 81-82, 353, 378, 382, 409-11,
413n, 421; Geneva, 443; Italy, 21,
96, 139-40, 199, 202, 208-09, 216,
251-56, 274, 283-84, 287-88, 325,
337-38, 343, 353, 362-64,
367-69, 391, 420, 431-33, 446,
448, 453-54, 459-60, 467-68;
Oporto, 271, 273; Sicily, 245-46,
249-50; South America, 17, 19, 21,
24-25, 310, 510-11, 515-18,
520-23; Spain, 265-71, 459. See
also names of individual bishops
Blessed Sacrament: Benediction,
117, 134, 138, 140,288, 324,333,
370, 425, 441, 454, 556-57; feast
of Corpus Christi, 332, 497; mira-
cles, 453; presence of, 264; public
adoration, 169, 325, 395; as ser-
mon topic, 35; Turin the city of,
322; visits to, 148, 401, 504. See
also Communion, Holy
Boccali, Msgr. Gabriel (papal cham-
berlain), 180-82, 184, 207, 323,
360, 362-63, 443-44, 448
Bodrato, Fr. Francis (missionary), 11
Bollettino Salesiano: accident at
Mathi reported, 539-40; almsgiv-
ing discussed, 43 t:-32, 437-39;
Bonetti writes in, 269, 431-32,
439-40; CSH covered, 331, 338,
342-43; CSJE covered, 317,
319-20, 325-26; conferences by
DB reported, 367, 431-32, 437-38;
Confort6la writes in, 127-28,
441-42; Convitto Ecclesiastico
mentioned, 187; cures by DB re-
ported, 139, 423, 426; defamatory
pamphlets disowned, 162-63; DB
in France reported, 423, 426, 429;
DB called the worker's friend,
303; DB writes in, 2, 118-20, 122,
299, 439-40, 463n; DB's name day
celebrated, 465; Fava's death re-
ported, 374-75; Gastaldi men-
tioned, 223, 225; history of the

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608
INDEX
Bollettino Salesiano (continued)
Oratory published, 269; Marengo
and Murialdo praised, 456;
Mazzarello praised, 299; missions
covered, 22, 29, 510, 518n; papal
audience reported, 304; Ricagni's
fallacies exposed, 483n; staff of,
29, 50, 118n, 127, 337, 375, 560;
Vallecrosia mentioned, 169; sub-
scriptions to, 375, 380
Bologna, cl. Angelo: DB's prophecy
to, 478
Bologna, Fr. Joseph: character, 7; dir.
at Marseille, 27, 38-39, 47, 382,
397, 407, 409, 545; letters, 8n,
28, 35n, 43-44, 122, 378-79, 409,
426-27, 545-46; relations with
DB, 28, 33, 41, 407-08
Bonetti, Fr. John: author, 173-74,
232-34, 269; character, 210, 223,
232; and CSJE, 312, 325; and DB,
223n, 430-31; editor of BS, 29,
50, 118n, 127, 368, 431; journeys,
161-62, 284; letters from, 93, 161,
168, 185, 201, 209, 219, 233-34,
284, 312n, 315; letters to, 28-29,
50-51, 161-64, 168, 176, 180n, 185,
190, 199n, 208, 233-34, 315,
435-36, 483, 509; preacher, 19,
161
Bonetti case: B. alleged to be pam-
phleteer, 155, 159, 189-90, 193,
203, 206, 221, 224, 228-30, 235,
238; B. apologizes to Gastaldi,
182-83; B. challenges legality of
diocesan court, 208; B. sus-
pended, 108, 117, 153-85, 193,
218-39; B. 's draft letter to Leo
XIII, 204n; B. 's remarks about
Gastaldi, 223; B. 's reports to
Rome, 184, 211, 214; and B. 's rep-
utation, 157, 159-62, 225, 227; DB
pleads for resolution, 202; DB's
reports to Rome, 174-75, 199-203,
214-15, 224, 444; Gastaldi claims
victory, 180-81; subpoenas from
archdiocesan court, 203-04, 208,
235; suspension revoked, 157,
163-65, 179, 221-22, 224, 230;
trial at Rome, 166-67, 177-79, 185,
194, 197-200, 295, 358, 430. See
also Bonetti, Fr. John: letters; Leo
XIII, Pope: and Bonetti case
Bonetti case settlement: B. 's reaction
to s., 227-28, 232-35; DB's accep-
tance of s., 228-29; effect of Gas-
taldi 's death, 234-35; effect on
public opinion, 231-32; Gastaldi
rejects proposals, 182, 184-85; hu-
miliation to DB and SS, 228,
231-33; ordered by Holy See, 176,
178-79, 181-82; simultaneous
problems, 318, 323, 347; various
proposals made, 157-71, 176-77,
201-02, 209-15, 219-28
Bonmartini family (SC), 557-69
Bonola Mattei, Mrs. Sophia (SC),
524-25
Bonzanino, Joseph (professor), 263
Books: about DB or SS, 2n, 34-36,
51-53, 173, 274, 381-82, 394n,
410, 454, 463, 468, 482; by DB:
120-21, 141, 174-75, 189, 254,
302-03, 327, 353-55, 537-38,
544, 553, 569-70; ecclesiastical
approval of, 133, 234; printed at
the Oratory, 366
Bordighera: SS at, 118
Borgo San Martino: SS at, 92, 366,
368, 377n, 385, 391, 476
Borio, Fr. Herminius (teacher at
Lanzo), 398
Bosco, Sr. Eulalia (DB's grandniece),
302

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INDEX
609
Bosco, Fr. John: adversities facing,
142, 153, 160, 178, 186, 189, 202,
204, 217, 239, 263n, 331, 351-53,
478, 552; advice on choosing
friends, 568; apostle of the press,
134, 366, 416 [See also Books by
DB]; assists dying confreres, 391,
543-44; attempts on his life, 329;
audiences in France, 33, 48, 51,
253-54, 399, 403, 409-10, 416; au-
diences in Italy, 433, 442-43,
453-54; audiences with Leo XIII,
82, 95-96, 118-20, 122-23, 137,
356, 360, 382, 440, 442, 445-48,
509; biographies, 51-55, 274,
381-82, 401, 404, 407-08, 410-14,
428, 463, 470; birthday, 131, 141,
514; business sense, 257; concern
for health of boys and confreres,
20, 383-84, 390-91, 426, 428,
542, 548-49, 552, 573; con-
ferences, 30-32, 289-90, 300,
303, 370, 399, 402-04, 410-11,
414, 421-23, 429 [See also Cooper-
ators, Salesian: DB's conferences];
criticized for moving Albera, 380;
customs, 10, 17; and death of
Mazzarello, 298-300; description,
45, 315, 417, 428-29; effects of his
absences, 245; encourages co-
workers, 142; ends a quarrel,
115-16; exaggerates number of
boys, 527-28; fame, 33, 41, 48,
274, 326, 366-67, 369-70, 399,
403-05, 410-13, 415, 417-25, 428,
435-36, 453-55, 487 [See also
Opinions about DB]; founder, 295,
297-98, 302, 368-69, 396, 406-
07, 514-15; Gastaldi, relations
with, 155, 262, 316-19; gifts from,
87-88, 375-76, 386, 501, 525-26;
godfather for Villeneuve, 341;
golden jubilee Mass anticipated,
374; good nights, 302, 392, 412;
harassed by chancery and police,
195-96, 201, 204; holiness, 104,
118, 161,246,370, 395,407,409,
413, 436, 457, 465-66, 478, 483,
503 [See also Opinions about DB:
holiness]; influence on public char-
ity, 263, 434; insistence on inde-
pendence of operation, 243,
245-47, 252, 258-59, 277-78,
294, 351, 359, 414; itinerary in
France, 387, 419; legacy to SS,
368-69, 406, 468; mail, 33, 374,
418, 489, 505, 540, 563; method
of revenge, 120-21; name day, 83,
131, 255n, 376, 464-65, 487-88,
497-98, 561; opinion about
France, 413; opinion of himself,
302; and politics, 329, 429n; pro-
poses new parish church at Turin,
259-60, 263; publicist, 29, 85,
314, 366; psychological insights
into, 524; reader of hearts, 422,
471-72, 474-76, 485; and St.
Maurice Hospital, 258-64, 530;
schooling, 357; sense of mortality,
352; sermons, 7, 45, 325, 404,
408, 417, 425, 430-32, 437-38,
441; spiritual direction, 384-85,
503-06, 559-60, 568; spirituality,
524, 569; table talk, 371; thoughts
on letter writing, 12-13; threatened
with suspension, 158, 179, 202,
210, 222, 224, 230-31; "to each
his own, and no unnecessary pub-
licity," 263; use of French, 29,
34-35,43,45,57n,58n,370,384,
410, 412, 417, 420, 427-28,
463-64, 471-72, 487, 542, 547n;
use of Latin, 96, 271, 333, 357,
361, 537; visitors received at

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610
INDEX
Bosco, Fr. John (continued)
Turin,251,262,283,338,369-70,
375-76, 389, 401, 459, 462-63,
470-73, 484, 540, 559; workload,
105, 333
Bosco, Margaret (DB's mother), 545
Bosco, Mary (DB's grandniece), 302
Bosio Saladino, Mrs. Joan (SC),
186-87, 525
Branda, Fr. John Baptist (dir. at
Utrera), 9, 107, 269, 274
Brazil: geography, 518-21; govern-
ment, 517-18; missionaries bound
for, 367, 494; need of priests, 518,
521; novitiate suggested, 521;
opening of Sal. work, 19, 23,
516-21; papal internuncio, 515,
517; social problems, 517, 519-20
Bretto, Fr. Clement, 284
Brigatti, coad. John, 476
Bruna, Fr. Dominic, 548
Buenos Aires: archdiocese, 510;
churches, 13-14; FMA at, 24, 296;
pilgrims from, 22, 24; SS at, 7,
14n, 146, 400, 511-13
Buffa, Albert (architect of CSJE),
328, 330
Buffa, Fr. Stephen: death of, 105-06
Bulletin Salesien: Brazilian missions,
520; CSJE, 325; cure by DB, 46;
DB's trips through France, 46, 49,
396, 403-04; DB's words to
French pilgrims, 370, 484; Rua
compared with DB, 411n; St. Leo's
Oratory, 35n
Buzzetti, coad. Joseph, 313
c
Cafasso, Fr. Joseph: DB's mentor,
188
Cagliero, Fr. Caesar, 476n, 557
Cagliero, Fr. John: bishop, 79-80,
93, 500; and the Colles, 90, 93,
102; dir. gen. of FMA, 298, 300,
304; enrolls SC, 267, 270; has
DB's spirit, 468; journeys in Eu-
rope, 107, 265-70, 272-74, 298,
331, 547; journeys in Italy, 18, 93,
284-85, 287, 241, 287, 304-05;
letters from, 7-9, 19, 241, 267-70,
272, 274, 300, 373, 499, 546; let-
ters to, 107, 241, 271, 284, 287,
331, 343; member of superior
chapter, 228, 271, 373, 393; mis-
sionary, 5, 79, 93, 97; musician,
313, 343; retreat preacher, 304;
sense of humor, 272
Cagnoli, Fr. Francis: DB's care for,
214, 452-53
Calasanctius, St. Joseph, 2n, 19ln,
388
Calcagno, cl. Peter (missionary),
16-17
Callori family (SC), 17-18, 335,
536-37
Calvi, cl. Eusebius, 304
Camogli, Italy: DB at, 435-36
Campolari (Campolini), Canon Justin
(SC), 127, 275-76
Cannes: DB at, 48-50, 422-26, 459;
FMA at, 423-24, 426; people of,
422-24; resort, 48-49, 423-24
Canon law: dispensations, 301, 552;
excommunication and reconcilia-
tion, 467; liturgy, 316-19; and re-
ligious congregations, 295n, 312,
316-17, 319; reparation according
to, 171; violated by Gastaldi, 158,
161, 170-71, 174, 185, 222
Cardinals: relations of DB and SS
with, 168, 173, 177, 248-49, 285,
356, 358, 382, 444, 450, 457,
476, 571. See also names of indi-
vidual cardinals
Carnival season, 17

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INDEX
611
Caroglio, Martin (aspirant), 28
Cartier, cl. Louis, 38, 52n
Casale, Italy: DB at, 366-69
Castellazzo Bormida: controversy
over SS, 481-83
Castelnuovo d'Asti: in DB's dreams,
65-66, 305-07
Catania, 241, 296, 304, 343
Catechisms see Religious instruction
Catechist, office of, 115
Caterini, Card. Prospero (pref. of
COC), 154, 165, 168, 172, 190
Catholic action, 371
Catholic Church: censures of, 158,
179, 185,202,204,210,222,224,
230-31, 256n, 467; corruption of
youth an affliction to, 188, 271; de-
fense of, 81; enemies, 120, 205,
335, 465 [See also Anticlerical-
ism]; faith and doctrine of, 126,
128, 198, 200, 204-05, 207, 210,
216, 223-24,256n, 310, 322,326,
330, 332, 436, 449, 518; financial
support for, 32, 72, 331, 337, 449,
502; love for, 413, 418, 448, 529;
poverty, 252; prayer for, 182, 323,
349; relations with Jews, 380; role
of SS in, 145, 184,366n,468,475,
518-19; sacraments, 256n, 280,
449, 467; schism in Italy, 467-68;
struggle against error, 119, 126; vi-
tality, 2. See also Canon law; Holy
See; Papacy
Catholic workers' organizations, 142,
270-71, 274-75, 278-79, 303, 411n
Catholic youth organizations, 142,
314, 432, 442
Cavina family (SC), 289-94
Cays, Fr. Charles (Count Cays), 52,
150, 542-45
Cecconi, Eugene (abp. of Florence),
117, 129, 274-78, 280-83, 441
Cenci, coad. Peter, 454-55
Censor, ecclesiastical, 238-39
Ceriana, Joseph (SC), 542
Cerruti, Fr. Francis: dir. at Alassio,
105-06, 110-14, 124, 532; provin-
cial in Liguria, 114; testimony
about DB, 113-14
Ceva family (SC), 551, 555
Charisms of DB: 198, 288, 302, 327,
393, 415, 422, 430, 456, 470-71,
475-77, 484-85; raising of
Charles, 476-77. See also Cures
by DB; Dreams of DB; Predictions
by DB
Charles Albert (king of Sardinia),
273, 372, 545n
Chestnuts, dream of, 305-07
Chiapello, cl. Thomas, 393-94
Chicco, Fr. Stephen: death of,
390-91, 479
Chieri: Bonetti banned from, 157-60,
171, 181; DB will not assign
Bonetti to, 201, 210, 221, 224-26,
230-31, 234; FMA at, 177, 300;
girls' oratory, 117, 136, 153,
155-56, 165, 170, 178-79, 183,
188; "libel" case, 162-63, 186-217;
parish rights at, 155, 170-71,
177-79
Chiesa, Philip (bp. of Pinerolo), 79,
90-91, 218, 490, 493
Child care centers, 136, 454
Chile, 22, 97
China, 70, 350, 521
Chiuso, Canon Thomas (chancellor
of Turin), 154, 191, 235-37, 263n,
317
Cholera, 76, 90-91, 490-91, 493,
504, 566
Chopitea de Serra, Mrs. Dorotea
(SC), 274
Christmas, 89-90, 180, 203, 205,
292, 332, 386-87, 398, 475, 479,
493, 496, 560-61

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612
INDEX
Church of MHC: buildings near, 366,
540; and Gastaldi, 132, 140; paint-
ing of MHC, 132; pilgrims, 140,
336, 369-70, 423, 459, 463, 568;
place of community prayer, 292,
381, 522; rites and ceremonies, 4,
140, 370, 543
Church of the Sacred Heart: art and
furnishings, 342, 348; building
committee, 116, 343-45, 348;
cause of worry for DB, 331,
345-50; and Colle family, 63, 72,
77-78, 80-82, 95-96; consecration,
94-96, 332, 349, 494-95, 497;
construction, 23, 74-75, 116,
118-19, 122, 133, 135, 333, 337,
342-49, 367, 442, 450, 489, 558,
563-65; contract, 116, 343-44,
348; Dalmazzo pastor, 220, 453;
debts, 118, 291, 334-35, 337,
339-40, 345, 400-01, 406, 443,
489; funds for, 18, 28-29, 50,
107-10, 116, 118-19, 126-27, 207,
252, 271, 273, 289, 291, 331-43,
345-50, 388, 400-01, 404, 406,
410, 413, 418-19, 421, 436, 443,
458-60, 464-65, 488, 502, 547,
554, 558, 563-66; gossip about,
552; hospice, 74, 95, 116, 119,
207, 273, 291, 332, 335-39,
349-50, 436, 442, 458, 489, 495,
502, 554; Leo XIII's interest in, 4,
72, 119, 122, 207, 273, 289, 291,
331, 334-35, 337-40; Mass cele-
brated at, 332, 334; obstacles,
343-49, 552-53, 572; oratory, 75,
332, 495; parish church, 220, 332,
334-35, 340-41, 344-45, 442, 570;
press coverage, 331, 338, 342-43;
school, 75, 332; staff, 552, 569;
workers, 119, 337, 344, 348
Church of St. Francis de Sales, 76,
135
Church of St. John the Evangelist:
artwork, 132, 308-12, 322-23,
330, 482; bells, 308, 311, 325;
consecration, 216, 232, 315-26,
329-30, 484, 528-29, 570; con-
struction, 23, 124, 132, 135, 316,
329; controversies about, 316-20,
329; SCs' interest in, 23, 135, 308;
description, 308-12, 317, 328,
330; funds for, 72-73, 80, 124,
309-12, 315, 321-23, 528, 540,
551; and Gastaldi, 132, 216,
311-12, 315-21, 323-24, 419, 570;
history, 328, 330; hospice, 72, 80,
135, 311; monument to Pius IX,
308, 310, 312-15, 325-26, 328;
music, 308, 311, 313-15, 323, 325;
press coverage, 317, 319-20,
325-26, 328, 330; Sons of Mary
at, 73; visitors, 459, 484, 542, 551
Cibrario, Fr. Nicholas (dir. at Val-
lecrosia), 50, 573
Cicero: cited, 196
Circulars, promotional, 28-29, 109,
113, 127, 135, 260, 271-72, 281,
321-23, 331-35, 337, 340
Clergy: of Aosta, 539; of Chieri,
155-56, 170-71, 177-79; coolness
to DB or SS, 234, 483; cooper-
ators, 285, 287; education, 144,
199, 242, 368, 412, 445; of Emi-
lia-Romagna, 284-85, 287-89,
438-39, 452-55; of France,
409-12, 414-16, 521-22, 547; fund-
raising for CSH, 332-:-33, 335,
342, 547; of Liguria, 379, 420,
433, 541; of Mantua, 362, 467-68;
opinion of DB, 457; of Piedmont,
303, 334, 339, 367, 369, 483;
popular election of, 467; of Rome,
127, 168, 173, 177, 193,237,304,
342, 354, 457; scarcity of, 266,
362, 518, 521-23; of Seville,

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INDEX
613
270-71; of Sicily, 240, 242-43;
support for Sal. work, 416; trained
by DB, 367 [See also Alumni,
Salesian: priests]; of Turin, 5, 173,
234, 260, 263n, 311, 325, 342,
404n, 456, 553; of Tuscany, 127,
281, 448, 451-52
Clerics, Salesian: authors, 58, 396,
404; episodes involving indi-
viduals, 26, 48, 103, 106, 377,
392-94, 469, 477; as a group, 100,
321, 356, 378, 456; letters from,
35n, 57, 105-06, 286-87; letters of
DB to, 14-17, 105
Coadjutor brothers, Salesian: epi-
sodes involving individuals, 261,
265-66, 287, 313, 408, 454-55,
469, 476; letters of DB to, 15-16
Colle, Louis (son of Count Louis):
apparitions, 61-64, 66-69, 71; bi-
ography, 57-59; death, 56-57; de-
scription, 63-64, 70; in paradise,
89, 100; rebukes DB, 64; virtues,
58, 60-61, 68
Colle, Count Louis Anthony: death,
100-02; devotion, 81-82; health,
92-100, 506-07; papal honors,
80-87, 93
Colle, Baroness Marie Sophie (wife
of Count Louis): health, 97-98;
notes, 57n, 71; saved by Louis, 71
Colle family: and CSH, 63, 72,
77-78, 80-82, 95-96; generosity,
56, 63, 71-80, 82, 85-87, 92-93,
96, 100-02; interest in missions,
97, 99, 101; letters, 56-63, 68-69,
72-100, 465, 507; meetings with
DB, 56-57, 74, 80, 416; memori-
als to, 73, 95-96; names given to
Indian converts, 97; papal bless-
ing, 93, 96; prayers of, 71, 87, 91,
97; Salesians' love for, 80, 86-102;
virtues, 56-57, 73, 75, 78-79,
81-82, 84, 94; visits to Turin, 56,
60, 69-70, 74, 86-87, 90, 92-94,
97, 459
Colombia, 475, 522-23
Colomiatti, Canon Emanuel: au-
diences with Leo XIII, 214, 223,
225-27; and Bonetti settlement,
108, 157-59, 161-68, 220-27, 231;
character, 165-68, 171, 197, 201,
212; and CSJE, 317-18; and contro-
versial pamphlets, 157-59, 162-63,
190-91, 196-97, 206, 212, 215,
235; and DB, 164-65, 167, 171,
184, 190, 235-37, 318; and Gas-
taldi, 183, 201, 217; judge in
Bonetti case, 203-04, 208; letters
from, 160-61, 163, 165, 196-97,
218, 317-18; letters to, 161-63,
166-68, 320; trips to Rome,
156-58, 171, 193-95, 212, 214-15,
220, 223
Communion, Holy: for children,
66-67, 416; frequent, 14, 66-67,
273, 503-05, 568; indulgences,
323, 339, 402; key to salvation,
14, 43, 67; preparation for, 43, 67,
416; rarely received, 272-73; re-
ceived for cooperators, 71, 86-89,
91, 99-100, 375, 377, 460, 462,
496-501, 525-26; received for DB
or SS, 109, 395, 398, 514; re-
ceived for other intentions, 182,
203, 554; reception of, 9, 12, 34,
67, 288-89, 325, 370, 392, 408,
433, 437, 441, 459, 544, 573;
Viaticum, 298, 543. See also
Blessed Sacrament
Communism, 439
Concupiscence, 149-50
Conferences of St. Francis de Sales,
6, 290, 492
Confession: benefits, 43, 472, 476;
Bonetti's faculties, 158-60, 163,

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614
INDEX
Confession (continued)
170-71, 176-79, 182-83, 185, 210,
221-25, 230; DB as confessor, 302,
437, 441, 471-72, 474, 543; exam-
ination of conscience, 392; Gastaldi
violates canon law on faculties, 160,
171, 174, 177; Salesians harassed
about faculties, 134, 174; frequent,
504, 573; and indulgences, 323,
402;penances,474-75,480;priestly
ministry, 391, 433-34, 437-38, 441,
456, 468, 471, 543; reception, 261,
280, 302, 325, 426, 471-72, 474,
485, 529, 544; spiritual direction,
471, 504
Confirmation, sacrament of, 134,
167n
Confort6la, Fr. Faustinus: apostolate,
107, 117, 282; author, 127-28,
441-42; dir. at Florence, 127-28,
277, 280-82, 441, 548; letters
from, 104, 129, 279-80, 441-42;
letters to, 127, 278, 282-83, 548
Cong. for the Prop. of the Faith, 11,
31, 443, 446, 450n, 509, 552
Cong. of Bishops and Regulars: ca-
nonical privileges, 243, 318-19,
351-58, 360-62; decrees, 158,
295n, 318-19; DB's reputation
with, 193; Gastaldi's suits against
SS, 171-72, 193-94, 199. See also
Agnozzi; Ferrieri; Masotti
Cong. of Rites, 189, 235-36, 238-39,
317, 457
Cong. of the Council: DB's report to,
199-203, 214-15, 222, 224; excom-
munications of clergy, 467; Gas-
taldi suit against SS, 154-57, 162,
164-66, 170-171, 175, 190, 199,
206, 208; letter to Gastaldi, 154;
Nina appointed prefect, 172; Sale-
sian appeal to, 154, 156, 158, 166,
168-170, 176, 184-85, 194, 201,
208; trial of Bonetti case, 176-183,
185, 197, 199-200, 202, 204, 214,
221, 226, 234-35, 444n; works for
settlement of Bonetti case,
202-203, 206, 209, 211
Convitto Ecclesiastico, 187-88
Cooperators, Salesian: in Argentina,
339; DB's conferences, 6, 34, 44,
46, 48, 57, 118, 125-29, 135-38,
255, 288, 367-68, 409, 415-16,
419, 422, 430-32, 435-38, 441,
448-49, 451, 458-59; DB's letters
to, 308, 311, 321-23, 329, 334 [See
also Letters of DB to cooperators];
enrollments, 8, 25, 34, 118, 138,
141,267,270,370,380,386,453,
457; at Este and Padua, 390, 444,
550-51, 557-65; at Faenza,
284-87, 289-90, 294; in France,
44, 50-51, 334-35, 415-16, 419-20,
457, 486-508, 545; funds for
CSH, 118-20, 331-35, 337; funds
for CSJE, 23, 135, 308, 321-23;
funds for Sal. works, 2, 365, 367,
494; in Italy, 251, 453, 457, 486;
Leo XIII's interest in, 122, 353-54,
448; in Liguria, 103-04, 111-12,
123, 379-80, 414n, 419, 430-37,
528, 534-35, 538-39; in Lom-
bardy, 479; at Lyons, 398-99, 402-
03, 444n; at Marseille, 34-35, 44,
138-39, 382, 395-97, 404-09,
545-47; at Nice, 44, 48, 198-99,
340, 380, 382, 386-87, 421-22,
461, 547; objectives, 416, 435,
457; in Piedmont, 186-87, 257,
366-69, 525; promoted by DB,
370, 402, 411, 416, 429n, 453,
457; regulations, 380, 458; at
Rome, 125-27, 186, 243, 363,
427, 442-44, 448-49; in Sicily,

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INDEX
615
240-42, 248; in Spain, 107,
265-70, 272; at Toulon, 34, 44,
46, 57, 416, 470-73; at Toulouse,
411, 414, 428; at Turin, 135-37,
374-78, 458-59; in Tuscany,
127-29, 255-56, 275-76, 437-38,
441, 529-30; virtues of, 119, 187.
See also Prayer, DB's
Correnti, Commendatore Caesar
(royal counselor), 258-64, 341,
381, 530
Corsi, Countess Gabrielle (SC), 485,
536
Cosson, Fr. Emil (dir. at Ruitz), 508
Costamagna, Fr. James: dir. of FMA,
513; letters, 17, 24, 509, 511-12;
provincial in Argentina, 10-11, 13,
511-14
Cottolengo, St. Joseph, 161, 236
Courtesy recommended, 178
Cremona: SS at, 365, 391, 478-81
Crocetta (Turin), 259-60
Cures by DB: angina, 461; bedridden
women, 45-46, 112-13, 123-24,
407, 424-25, 459-60; cripples, 51,
130, 476; DB denies he has this
charism, 417, 422; dying people,
27-28, 41-43, 104, 408n, 423,
459-60; eye problem, 407; fainting
spells, 416-17; fever, 461; paral-
ysis, 436, 461-62; pneumonia,
139, 452-53; Protestants cured,
130, 422-23; toothache, 423, 425;
tuberculosis cases, 39-40, 436,
462-63; unspecified illnesses,
38-39, 129-30, 461
Curia, Roman: and Bonetti case, 168,
175, 199, 204, 295; and Gastaldi,
144-45, 192-93, 204, 211, 216,
232, 316, 481; Manacorda helps
SS with, 572; property matters,
244, 285; and Sal. missions, 400;
SS's relationship with FMA, 295,
299; teaching authority, 200
D
Daghero, Sr. Catherine, 296-97, 300-
05
Daghero, Fr. Joseph, 450
Dallera, cl. Charles, 377
Dalmazzo, Fr. Francis: audiences in
Rome, 4'"'.5, 362, 364, 570-71; and
Bonetti case, 168n, 170, 176n,
177n, 208, 215, 219-20, 223,
225-27, 229; and CSH, 4, 75, 220,
332-34, 339-50, 419, 443, 453,
569; illness, 442; journeys, 215,
218, 275, 347; lack of faith, 130;
and leaflet attacking DB, 146; let-
ters from, 168n, 213, 218, 233 [See
also Letters to DB from Sale-
sians]; letters to, 213, 216, 219-20,
358 [See also Letters of DB to
Salesians]; and papal honors for
Count Colle, 85-87; procurator
gen., 315-16, 343, 358-60, 569-72;
testimony about DB, 129-30
Damascus, five candidates from,
384-85, 392
Dante: cited, 182, 329
Daprotis, Mrs. (SC), 104-05, 382,
387, 547
Daughters of Mary, Help of Chris-
tians: canonical status, 171, 295,
299; care for a poor woman, 147;
Chicco their director, 391; con-
stitutions, 295-96, 299, 301, 306;
DB's dealings with, 295, 299-302;
in dream of DB, 305-07; elections,
297, 299-301; founding and forma-
tion, 295-98, 302; gen. chapter,
300-02; gen. directory, 295-96;

65.10 Page 650

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616
INDEX
Daughters of Mary (continued)
growth, 136, 240, 244, 256,
296-97, 301, 305, 328, 366-67;
houses, 136, 296, 304-05; and
Louvet, 487-89, 491-92, 496, 505-
08; missionaries, 2, 5-6, 8, 135;
novices, 296; obituaries, 296, 299;
papal audience, 304-05; public re-
lations, 303; religious habit, 296;
requests for foundations, 250; SS 's
care for, 9, 11, 30, 248, 295, 426;
spirit, 296; students, 300. See also
individual cities and countries
De Agostini, Fr. Tullio (SC), 558-68
Death: allegory about, 297-98; com-
fort of Mary at, 499, 544; prepara-
tion for, 142, 261, 386, 388,
391-92, 432, 437, 440, 504,
543-44
De Barruel, cl. Camillus, 57-58, 90,
396, 404, 427, 489
Debella, Fr. Anthony (missionary),
512
De Combaud family (SC), 470-73
Delicati, Msgr. Pio (consultor to the
Holy Office), 120-21
De Maistre family (SC), 122-23,
137-38, 371n, 387-88, 411, 428,
457, 535-36, 538
De Paolini, Joseph (SC), 551-52
De Paul, St. Vincent, 295, 327
De Sales, St. Francis: feast of, 29,
34-35, 44, 90, 208-09, 266-67,
383, 397, 409, 492, 497; as
model, 559-60, 570; patronage of,
286; portraits of, 309, 497; prayer
to, 497; virtues of, 533, 570
D'Espiney, Dr. Charles (biographer),
49, 51-53, 381-82, 407-08, 463,
470
Devil: activity attributed to, 54-55,
174, 239, 304, 313, 325-26, 346;
DB at war with, 43, 293, 397, 420;
snares of, 149, 289, 438, 519, 534;
souls to be saved from, 126, 128,
280
Directors, Salesian: canonical priv-
ileges, 352; DB's letters to, 392,
447-48, 572-73; effect of Gastaldi
quarrel upon, 232; meetings, 79,
290; regulations, 114-15, 426-27;
training, 136
Doctors, 18, 76, 90, 422, 462, 531,
543
Domestics in Salesian houses, 115
Dominican Republic, 373
Dreams of DB: FMA, 305-07; fulfill-
ment of, 39; house at Marseille,
37-39; interpreted by Lemoyne,
306; Louis Colle and the missions,
69-70; Louis Colle and South
America, 68; ten diamonds,
147-52
Dupanloup, Felix (bp. of Orleans):
cited on youth, 126
Durando, Fr. Celestine (pref. gen. of
studies): and bishop of Mantua,
364; and the Colles, 84, 90; and
Cremona case, 480-81; DB's com-
panion, 103, 106; in dream of dia-
monds, 149; journeys, 26, 33, 47,
241, 243, 249-50, 284-86, 480-81;
letters, 209, 243, 249-50, 254-55,
284, 286; tries to mediate between
DB and Gastaldi, 209
E
Earthquakes, 80, 242, 494
Easter, 117, 163, 234, 272, 426, 441,
497
Ecuador, 16, 478n
Education: benefits to Church and

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66.1 Page 651

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INDEX
617
State, 129, 402-04, 442, 469; cler-
ical, 144, 199, 242; preventive sys-
tem, 105, 402-03, 469, 518;
repressive system, 248; of Sale-
sians, 144-45, 393-94, 426-27; of
the will, 59
England: Catholics, 106, 465-66;
Eng. benefactors, 48-49, 106, 423,
443; hope for Sal. work in, 106,
240
Engrand, Fr. (SC), 491-92, 496, 503,
506-07
Este, Italy: FMA at, 551; SS at, 99,
365, 390, 444, 533, 550-51, 563
Examination of conscience, 392, 504
Excommunication, 256n, 467
Exemption, canonical, 171, 174, 352.
See also Privileges, canonical
Exercise for a Happy Death, 13-14,
16, 153, 504
F
Faenza, Italy: DB at, 288-91, 454;
misunderstandings about SS, 293;
origins of Sal. work, 283-94, 367;
Rinaldi shot at, 293; seminary,
283-84, 286-90
Fagnano, Fr. Joseph (missionary),
12, 16, 22-23, 149, 510-11
Falkland Islands, 509
Fantini, Msgr. Melchior (SC), 534-35
Fassati family (SC), 122-23, 537-38
Fasting, 342
Faults, dealing with, 7
Fava family (SC), 374-75, 456
Febbraro, Fr. Stephen: raises funds
for CSH, 337-38
Fenoglio, Fr. Nicholas (Francis):
DB's care for, 533-34
Ferrieri, Card. Innocent (pref. of
CBR): and Bonetti case, 171,
193-94; and canonical privileges,
352-53, 355-56, 445-46, 450; and
Cremona case, 481; hostility to-
ward DB, 362, 571
Festive oratories: general, 135,
251-53, 257, 274, 277, 279,
281-83, 287, 293, 365, 409, 431,
454, 456, 515-16, 518, 528; enroll-
ments, 18, 136, 182, 184, 205,
254,279,281,287,328,361,380,
388, 499, 516, 525, 527-28, 539,
552; games, 277, 280; music, 41,
58n; operation, 136; purpose, 30
Floods, 338, 347, 550-51, 559
Florence: DB at, 108, 117-18, 127-29,
274-75, 278-79, 299, 440-42;
FMA at, 256; opening of Sal.
work, 107, 117, 169-70, 274-83,
299; people of, 280-81, 388; Sal.
church, 280, 442; Sal. fund-rais-
ing, 127-29, 281-82, 442; Sal. or-
atory, 117, 129, 135, 274, 277,
279-83, 409, 441-42, 548; Sal.
public relations problems, 144,
278-79; Sal. school and hospice,
117, 126, 129, 277, 280-83,
441-42; seminary, 129, 282
Foglino incident resurrected, 10
Foglizzo: novitiate at, 79-80, 100
Foschini, cl. Henry, 286-87
France: DB in, 26-55, 66-68, 74, 76,
107, 157, 185, 207, 387, 395-430,
457, 468, 489, 494, 505, 532;
FMA in, 136, 296-97, 417; fund-
raising, 341, 487; language, 379,
387, 461 [See also Bosco, Fr.
John: use of French]; national
pride, 125, 413; national shrine to
SH, 342, 413; nobility, 83-84,
336, 340, 387, 397, 411-12, 428,
460, 463, 545 [See also Colle,

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618
INDEX
France (continued)
Count Louis Anthony]; people of,
315, 413, 418, 428-29, 443, 459,
484; pilgrims from, 125, 138,
369-70, 398, 460, 483-85; pol-
itics, 381, 395-96, 429, 490-92,
496, 506, 508; requests for DB's
writings, 538; requests for Sal.
foundations, 240; SS in, 7-8,
36-39, 54, 78, 109, 119, 173, 204,
340, 370, 378-79, 383, 397, 408,
427, 490, 508. See also Govern-
ment, French; individual cities
Francesia, Fr. John Baptist: author,
439; dir. at Valsalice, 134, 208-09,
215-16; DB's companion, 373,
485; Latinist, 215, 312, 545n; let-
ter, 216; loyalty to Pope, 216; prob-
lems with Gastaldi, 134, 167n, 216
Franchino (Berto's nephew), 428,
456
Franco, Fr. Secondo (Jesuit), 196-97,
244, 280
Frassinetti, Mother Paula (found-
ress): visited by DB, 451
Freemasons, 288, 304, 313, 328,
480-81, 522, 557
Fund-raising by DB: general, 18,
71-72, 76, 78, 84, 87, 129, 133,
135-37, 207, 235, 302, 327, 331,
378, 382n, 428, 559; for CSH, 18,
29, 50, 72, 75, 7~78, 108, 110,
118-19, 135, 207, 289, 331-41,
345-46, 349-50, 400-01, 410, 413,
418-19, 421, 429, 436, 443-44,
458-59, 465, 547, 554, 563, 565;
for CSJE, 72, 321-23, 540; effect
on DB's health, 419; in France,
44-53, 108, 341, 399-404, 411,
413, 415, 421, 435-36, 487; in
Liguria, 111-14; for the missions,
3, 5-6, 72, 77-78, 84, 135-36,
235, 399-402, 494, 519, 540; for
orphans, 490, 529, 554-55, 562;
for poor boys, 253-54, 342, 402,
404, 418, 420-21, 423, 431-34,
437, 539; for the Pope, 44, 290;
for schools, 404; for Sons of Mary,
72; for works in France, 30-34,
43-45, 47-48, 50, 72, 77, 104,
405-09, 416, 418, 420-21; for
works in Liguria, 114, 135, 420,
431-33, 529, 535, 539, 571; for
works in Parma, 253-54; for works
in Piedmont, 72, 84, 136, 539-40;
for works in Turin, 72, 77, 135-36,
235, 259-60, 263, 396-97, 539-40;
for works in Tuscany, 135, 169-70,
278-79, 281, 437-38, 441-42
G
Gargallo, Marchioness Mary Car-
mela, 244-48
Gastaldi, Lawrence (abp. of Turin):
attacks Catholic press, 173; attacks
Valsalice College, 215-16, 219; at-
titude toward DB, 189, 198-99,
206, 211, 236-38, 324, 333; and
Church doctrine, 223, 237; con-
cern for his authority, 132-33, 312,
237n, 260; and confirmation, 134,
167n; death, 216n, 234-35; and di-
ocesan catechism, 446-47; discus-
sions about, 192, 231-32, 571;
DB's consideration for, 169,
174-75, 178, 182-84, 200, 217,
262; DB's relations with after
Bonetti case, 209, 218, 232, 445;
downplays religious life, 188; and
feast of MHC, 132-34, 140; former
friendship with DB, 154-55, 164,
176, 188, 221, 224, 228; former

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INDEX
619
liberal ideas, 187; a hindrance to
pastoral work, 174, 176-78, 203-
05, 207, 210, 412n; hostility to-
ward SS, 132-33, 144-45, 154-55,
165, 172-77, 200-04, 216-17, 220,
321, 347, 353, 355, 412n, 445,
450, 481, 570; inconsistent behav-
ior, 157, 164-66, 170-71, 176-77,
179-80, 183, 202, 237; learning,
237n, 412n; letters from, 144,
165-66, 182, 184-85, 190, 193,
206, 210, 212-13, 216-17, 229-31,
311-12, 317-18, 320, 323, 445,
481; letters to, 179, 193-97, 212,
218, 228-30, 316-17, 320-21,
323-24; new admonition of
Bonetti, 180-81; plan to trap
Bonetti, 203; and priestly fac-
ulties, 134, 170-71, 174, 176-77,
179; and proposals to settle the
Bonetti case, 182, 202-03, 210-11,
219-26, 233; refutes DB's report
on Bonetti case, 214; relations with
Holy See, 185, 199-202, 204, 211,
316; relations with other bishops,
140, 208-09; reputation of, 160,
175, 206, 223, 237-38; and
Rosmini, 133-34, 173, 188-89,
198; and St. Maurice Hospital,
260, 262-63; trips to Rome, 171,
175-76, 180, 196-97, 199. See also
Bonetti case; Church of St. John
the Evangelist; Pamphlets,
controversial
Gazzelli, Mother Christine (Sister of
SH), 553-57
Genoa: diocesan charities, 432; DB
at, 26, 419, 430-33; FMA at, 296;
people of, 379-80, 433-34
Germany, 78, 216, 447
Ghiglini, Mrs. Frances (SC), 379-80,
420, 430
Ghigliotto, cl. Francis (teacher at
Varazze), 477
Ghione, Mrs. Catherine (SC), 385-86
Ghivarello, Fr. Charles (dir. at Saint-
Cyr), 43, 149
Giordano, Fr. Lawrence (mission-
ary), 515
Giordano, Fr. Peter, 110
Glory of God: DB's objective, 210,
230, 291, 390, 399, 403-05, 428,
460, 464, 495, 503, 522, 564;
equivalent of heaven, 529, 550;
objective of Catholic Church, 210,
354; objective of SC, 405, 523;
objective of SS, 11, 231, 533. See
also Salvation of souls
Gonzaga, St. Aloysius: feast of, 97,
131, 141, 375-76, 461, 476, 512;
model for youth, 57, 456, 564; pa-
tron and helper, 62, 73
Government, French: appealed to,
36, 54-55; attacks religious, 26,
381-82, 395-96, 470, 508; police
shadow DB, 429; regulation of
charities, 503
Government, Italian: DB's secret ne-
gotiations with, 258-62; eccle-
siastical matters, 144, 242, 371;
ministers, 2, 108, 124, 153, 173,
190-91, 194, 196, 262, 336n,
341-42, 372n, 478, 480, 530-31;
regulation of charities, 247, 467;
regulation of schools, 10, 124-25,
153, 243, 248, 250, 258, 282,
285, 467, 469, 481-82; relations
with SS, 2-3, 124-25, 256, 327,
341, 371
Greek language, 255, 311
Gregory XVI, Pope: favors granted
to SS, 353
Grosso, cl. John Baptist (choirmaster
at Marseille), 29

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620
INDEX
Guanella, Fr. Louis (former Sale-
sian), 373
Guardian Angel Oratory, 456
Guardian angels, 504
Guarino, Joseph (abp. of Messina),
239, 242-44, 340, 352, 355-56
Guidazio, Fr. Peter (dir. at Ran-
dazzo), 150, 242-43, 336
Guiol, Canon Clement: cooperator,
29, 31-35, 37-40, 139, 378, 382,
395-97, 404, 406-07; letters to,
47, 122, 398-99; pastor at Mar-
seille, 33, 35, 37, 382, 404,
546-47
Guiol, Msgr. Louis (SC), 382,
398-99
H
Harmel family (SC), 26, 49, 532-33
Health, DB's: confreres' concern
about, 418, 514; and doctors, 76,
90; effects of age, 53, 77, 403; ef-
fects of weather, 77, 90, 492, 495;
effects on his travel, 76-78, 95,
213-14, 218-20, 336; eye prob-
lems, 78, 320, 346, 361, 570; leg
problems, 98, 213-14, 350, 557;
hemorrhoids, 213-14; improvement
in h., 69, 74, 91, 98, 100, 106,
378, 493, 505, 507, 565-66; last
illness, 100, 336; spiritual h., 378;
stomach pains, 563; worn out, 33,
69, 74, 77, 79, 95-96, 114, 218,
226, 350, 418-19, 430, 484, 493,
495, 506, 564, 566
Heaven, 13, 76, 293, 432, 437, 451,
460, 471, 473, 478, 493, 526,
528, 533, 536, 542, 548, 566-68.
See also Salvation of souls
Hell, 432-34, 438
Heraud family (SC), 198-99, 382,
387, 547
Historiography, 351-52, 365, 524;
DB's concern for history, 59, 75,
83, 85
Holiness: for seminarians, 289; for
youth, 188; of the Gospel, 326
Holy See: DB's appeal for protection
from Gastaldi, 174-75; Holy Of-
fice, 121, 144n, 189; honors be-
stowed, 143; Index of Forbidden
Books, 121, 144n, 189, 480n; and
Italian government, 263, 371; Pa-
pal States, 262, 284, 371; Vatican
grounds, 146, 304, 450; and
vicariate apostolic in Patagonia,
509-11, 552. See also Curia, Ro-
man; Papacy; individual
Congregations
Holy Spirit, 1, 248, 300, 449
Homsi, Anthony (aspirant), 384-85
Humbert I (king of Italy), 258-63,
341
Hyeres, France: DB at, 47, 64, 417,
463
I
Idolatry, 136
Imitation of Christ: cited, 524
Immigrants, Italian, 2-3, 6, 339, 531
Indians: of Brazil, 518-20; of Chile,
22, 97; conversion of, 22, 79, 97,
492n, 494, 499-500; of Patagonia,
3-4, 6, 16, 22-23, 399-400, 489,
499, 510; of Tierra del Fuego, 6;
violence among, 22-23
Indulgences, 289, 323, 327, 339,
354, 382, 402, 458
Ireland and the Irish, 450, 460-61,
513

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INDEX
621
Italy: bishops, 173, 199, 252, 333n;
Church and State, 144, 242,
262-63, 326-28, 332, 336n,
371-72, 467; economy, 252, 257,
383; FMA in, 136; future of, 126;
language, 568; modes of building
operation, 349; nationalism,
327-28; 19th-century Catholicism,
366n, 461, 519; politics, 258n,
288, 371; requests for Sal. founda-
tions, 240-64, 362-64; SS in, 204,
340, 352, 366n, 469. See also
Government, Italian
J
Jacobini, Card. Ludwig (sec'y of
state): and Bonetti case, 193-94,
212, 220, 227; and canonical priv-
ileges, 364, 521, 571; and CSJE,
317; letters to, 521, 552, 570; and
the missions, 520, 571; and papal
honors, 82, 85-86, 382, 459
Jacques, Mrs. (SC), 43, 138-39, 379,
382, 405, 545, 547
Jews enrolled as SC, 380
John the Apostle, St.: biography,
329-30, 573; patron of CSJE, 551;
portrayed in art of CSJE, 308-09,
311
John the Baptist, St.: feast, 86-87,
90, 92, 97, 141, 246, 416 [See also
Bosco, Fr. John: name day]; invo-
cation of, 98
Joseph, St., 49, 112, 309-10, 342,
407, 426, 474
Journals (magazines), 22, 188, 455
Judgment, divine, 431-32, 439-40
Jurisdiction, episcopal, 171, 260,
299, 318, 353-54
Justice of God, 147
K
Kingdom of God, 352, 437, 451
Knighthoods, 80-87, 93, 143, 263,
309-10, 382, 387, 461, 530-31
L
Ladies' Committees, 26n, 29-33, 40,
47, 122, 138-39, 382, 395-97,
404-07
La Navarre: Colles' generosity, 72,
76-77, 81-82; DB at, 46, 76,
418-20, 473; FMA at, 71, 296;
people of, 419; SS at, 45-47, 81,
83, 418, 420-21, 472; Sons of
Mary at, 32
Lanzo: DB at, 99, 506-07; Sal.
pupils, 18, 398, 551; Sal. retreats,
377n, 474. See also St. Ignatius
Shrine
Lasagna, Fr. Louis: character, 340,
518; illness, 17-21, 340; leader of
missionaries, 79; letters, 517-20;
opening of work in Brazil, 516-21;
provincial in Uruguay, 23-24, 340,
515-16
La Spezia: DB at, 107, 434-35, 437;
SS at, 118-19, 126, 135, 169, 282,
365, 409, 570
Law, respect for, 195
Lawsuits against DB, 143, 171. See
also Bonetti case; Colomiatti; Gas-
taldi; Pamphlets, controversial
Lawyers, 72, 193-94, 248, 275,
461-62, 547. See also Leonori;
Menghini
Lazzero, Fr. Joseph: journeys, 283,
430; letters, 117-18, 129, 274,
450n; preache~ 377n; respon-
sibilities at the Oratory, 383, 450n,
455

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622
INDEX
Lazzoni, Guido (count of Carrara),
529-30
Lemoyne, Fr. John Baptist: author,
75-76, 132-33, 139, 141, 329-30,
452n,476-77,512,541,553,569,
573; dir. of FMA, 300, 572; DB's
companion, 69, 90, 218, 325, 565;
eyewitness to events, 54, 56, 477,
485; letters, 27, 48n, 68, 572-73;
missionaries' companion, 23;
notes, 258, 422, 436, 445; records
dream of DB, 305-07, 565
Leo XIII, Pope: advice sought by
DB, 175, 205, 569; appointments
by, 18, 21, 93, 172; and Argentina,
11, 19, 24, 31, 93, 509; audiences
(general), 4, 22, 304-05, 355-57,
364, 450, 570; audiences with
Colomiatti, 156, 193, 223, 225-26;
audiences with DB, 82, 95-96,
118-20, 122-23, 137, 356, 360,
382, 440, 442, 445-48, 509; and
Bonetti case, 156, 170, 172,
175-78, 181, 185, 200, 205, 211-14,
219-20, 223-33, 235, 238, 318,
323; books sent to as gifts, 233,
553, 569-70; and CSJE, 317, 320,
323; and controversial pamphlets,
192, 200, 210; distressed by Cre-
mona case, 481; DB's alms to, 44;
encyclical of, 1, 23, 25; favors
asked of, 81-82, 450, 558; honors
conferred, 80-86; interest in Sale-
sian works, 4, 26, 31-32, 119, 122,
176, 284-85, 288, 304, 360, 362,
446, 476, 570; jubilee, 119-20,
125, 520n; kindness toward SS, 5,
118, 122, 176, 290, 304-05,
362-64, 445-46, 523, 570-71; let-
ter from, 180-81; letters to, 81, 86,
196-98, 204-05, 212-13, 219-20,
323,355,357,360-61, 377n,459,
570; opinion of DB, 176-77, 181,
304, 340, 357, 450, 570-71; opin-
ion of SS, 569, 571; opinion re-
garding privileges, 355-57,
359-61, 364, 571; relations with
Gastaldi, 172-73, 175-77, 180-81,
192, 198, 223, 570; and Rosmin-
ianism, 368-69; SS 's supreme
moderator, 204; virtues, 198-99,
207, 227, 228, 230. See also
Church of the Sacred Heart
Leoncini, Fr. Louis (Piarist), 191-93,
201, 206, 211-12
Leonori, Fr. Constantine: author, 173;
lawyer for SS, 169, 176, 185, 199,
208, 295, 358; letters, 168-69,
185, 199, 234, 295, 352, 358
Lepers: Sal. work with, 475-76, 523
Letters of DB to bishops: Agnozzi,
356; Cecconi, 276-77; hp. of Cre-
mona, 479; Della Bona, 337-38;
Gastaldi, 228-30, 316-18, 320-21,
323-24; Guarino, 355; Lluch y
Garriga, 267-68, 271; Macedo
Costa, 520; Magnasco, 420; Mas-
otti, 360-61; hp. of Padua, 563;
Pianori, 286; Verga, 166, 168, 201
Letters of DB to cardinals: Caterini,
164-65; Jacobini, 521, 552; Mon-
aco La Valletta, 82, 315-16, 334,
344-46, 348-49; Nina, 3-4, 44,
157-58, 169-70, 172, 179-80,
183-84, 199-203, 207, 210-11,
213-15, 220, 226, 229, 231-32,
319-21, 359, 361, 571
Letters of DB to cooperators and ben-
efactors, 123-24, 135, 287,
290-94, 303, 308, 311, 321-23,
329, 334, 337, 374, 379-80, 386,
388-90, 395, 404, 426, 430-31,
444n,462,466,471,494,523-29,
536-38, 542, 545, 547, 551-52,

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INDEX
623
560, 563; Bonmartini, 558-62,
564-66; Callari, 17-18, 335, 537;
Colle, 56-63, 68-69, 72-100, 465,
507; De Maistre, 137-38, 388,
535-36; Fassati, 122-23, 537-38;
Harmel, 532-33; Louvet, 325,
48 7-507; Magliano-Sollier,
375-78, 440-41, 526, 540, 549-50;
Sigismondi, 50, 427; Uguccioni,
279-82; Ulloa, 267-68
Letters of DB to government offi-
cials, 124-25, 195, 310n
Letters of DB to nobility, 53, 245,
335-36, 344, 371-72, 464, 466,
529-30
Letters of DB to Pope Leo XIII, 81,
86, 196-98, 204-05, 219-20, 323,
355, 357, 360-61, 570
Letters of DB to priests and religious,
5, 192, 284, 317, 386, 438-39,
465, 492, 503, 522, 527, 530,
534-35, 539, 541, 549, 554-55;
Boccali, 181-82, 207, 363; Colo-
miatti, 161-62, 166-68; De
Agostini, 558-60, 562-66, 568;
Guiol, 47, 122, 398-99; Leonori,
169; Mendre, 36-37
Letters of DB to Salesians: Albera,
397, 546-47; Barberis, 105-06,
385, 392-93; Belmonte, 391, 420;
Berto, 28, 109, 302-03, 354-55,
427-28, 548-49; Bologna, 43-44,
378-79, 426-27, 545-46; Bonetti,
28-29, 50-51, 163; Borio, 398;
Cagliero, 107, 271, 287, 331;
Cays, 542; circulars, 353-54, 392,
447-48, 572-73; Confort6la, 127,
278, 282-83, 548; Costamagna,
11, 19-20, 511-12; Dalmazzo, 108-
09, 214-15, 226, 232, 324,
333-34, 339-41, 346-50, 352-53,
358, 360, 509-10, 520-21, 552-53,
569-70, 572; Durando, 250;
Fenoglio, 533-34; Homsi, 384-85;
Lazzero, 450n; Lemoyne, 68,
572-73; Leveratto, 383; mission-
aries, 12-17, 339-40; Perrot, 85;
Rinaldi, 287; Ronchail, 104-05,
381-82, 386-87, 396-97, 547-48;
Rua, 106-07, 158, 209, 251,
419-20; Savio, 345-46; Tamietti,
390, 444, 550-51, 563
Letters of DB to students, 531-32,
558, 561, 567-68
Letters of DB to Unita Catt., 319-20
Letters to DB from bishops: Ag-
nozzi, 356; Aneyros, 24; Berengo,
468; Capponi, 256; Cecconi,
275-76; Ferre, 367; Gastaldi, 164,
210, 229-30, 320, 323, 445;
Guarino,239,243,340,352,355;
La Vecchia, 245-46; Lluch y Gar-
riga, 268-69; Macedo Costa, 520;
Salvai, 459
Letters to DB from cardinals: De-
sprez, 410; Jacobini, 82, 520-21;
Monaco La Valletta, 348; Nina,
157, 160-61, 172, 178-79, 205-06,
225, 227-28, 231, 235, 318-20
Letters to DB from cooperators and
benefactors, 43, 186-87, 198-99,
290-93, 379-80, 397, 403-04, 414n,
426,460,462,470-71,525,527-29,
542, 545, 547, 559; Bonmartini,
558, 561, 566; Colle, 87; Ghiglini,
379; Louvet, 486-91, 493-94, 501-
02, 504-06; Magliano-Sollier, 376,
440
Letters to DB from nobility, 244,
246-47, 460-61, 466, 529
Letters to DB from Pope Leo XIII,
180-81
Letters to DB from priests and re-
ligious, 27-28, 186, 251, 257,

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624
INDEX
Letters to DB (continued)
275-76, 284, 336, 414, 438-39,
459, 465-66, 491-92, 527, 534,
541, 554-55; Boccali, 184, 207,
323, 362-63; Colomiatti, 161,
165-66; De Agostini, 562-63, 567;
Guanella, 373; Leonori, 295, 352,
358; Margotti, 372-73
Letters to DB from Salesians:
Bonetti, 93, 163-64, 185, 209, 315;
Cagliero, 267, 270, 272, 499;
Cays, 542; Cibrario, 573; Confor-
t6la, 104, 129, 280, 548; Cos-
tamagna, 511, 513; Dalmazzo,
176-77, 211, 213, 225-27, 232n,
316, 320, 345, 347-48, 358-59,
362-64, 481, 570-72; Durando,
209; Fagnano, 23; Fenoglio, 534;
Giordano, 515; Graziano, 339;
Lasagna, 517-20; Marenco, 277;
Pozzan, 338; Rabagliati, 339; Rua,
107, 159, 430; Tomatis, 514-15
Letters to DB from students: 531, 568
Letters to DB from others: friend of
Gastaldi, 168; Meteorological
Assn., 20-21; Society for Prop. of
Faith, 401; Squarcina, 344-45
Letture Cattoliche, 134, 327, 538
Leveratto, Fr. Joseph (pref. of the Or-
atory), 150, 383
Liguori, St. Alphonsus, 309, 438
Liguria: DB in, 21, 103, 354, 430-37;
SS in, 80, 103, 304n, 397, 426,
434n
Lille, France: SS at, 489
Lombardy: SS in, 99, 392
Lotteries, 259-62, 347, 565, 572
Lourdes, 465, 484, 489, 559
Louvet, Miss Claire (SC): character,
487, 503, 507; charity, 487-97,
499-502, 507-08; and CSH, 488,
490, 502; destroyed some of DB's
letters, 494; DB counsels against
joining FMA, 503; esteem for
Rua, 508; fears, 492-93, 495-97,
503-08; health, 491, 494-501, 503-
05, 507; last years, 507-08; letters
from, 486-91, 493-94, 501-02,
504-06; letters to, 325, 487-508;
name given to Indian girls,
499-500; spiritual relationship
with DB, 486-87, 497, 503-06;
visits to Turin, 460, 487-88,
494-95
Lovatelli, Fr. Peter (SC), 334, 339,
341
Lucca: DB at, 139, 255, 437-38,
440-41; SS at, 126, 169, 265,
275-77, 282, 365, 437
Lyons: DB at, 396, 398-403; hqtrs.
of Soc. for Prop. of the Faith, 11,
399-401; renowned for charity, 399
M
Magliano Sabino: SS at, 125, 284,
304, 391, 450-51
Magliano-Sollier, Mrs. Bernadine
(SC), 375-78, 440-41, 526, 540,
549-50
Mainardi, Countess see Bonmartini
family
Malan, Anthony (future missionary),
469-73
Manacorda, Emilian (bp. of Fos-
sano), 325, 572
Mantua diocese: request for Sale-
sians, 362-64
Marenco, Fr. John, 275-77, 437, 542
Marengo, Canon Francis (priest of
Turin), 456
Margotti, Fr. James (editor), 10, 114,
209, 232, 328, 372-73

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INDEX
625
Marini, Msgr. Nicholas (papal cham-
berlain), 20ln, 215, 219, 459
Marseille: DB at, 26-43, 44, 55-56,
78-79, 267, 396, 404-10, 415,
426n, 429, 530; FMA at, 5n, 30,
40, 296-97, 378, 405-06; model
Sal. community, 427; monograph
about Sal. work, 35-36; municipal
government, 5 31; new Sal.
province, 378-79, 397; oratory,
26-28, 30, 34-37, 39-41, 365,
395-97, 405, 409, 427, 531, 545;
people of, 32, 40, 122, 408, 531;
St. Joseph's Church, 33, 35, 37,
58n,382,404,409,415,546;Sal.
debts, 26, 31-32, 381, 407,
426-27, 547; Sal. school and
hospice, 30-32, 37-38, 44, 47,
58n, 122, 378, 405-06; Sal. semi-
nary, 32, 37-38, 44, 109, 122, 405,
533
Martini, Canon Edward (priest of Al-
assio), 541
Mary, Blessed Virgin: favors of,
45-46,51, 141,211,407,417,523,
544, 556; feast of the Assumption,
88, 131, 141, 498; feast of the Holy
Rosary, 543, 556-57; feast of the
Immaculate Conception, 89,
174-75, 283, 392, 452, 491, 494,
499-500, 506, 547; feast of her
Nativity, 88, 99, 498, 507, 540;
feasts: other, 148, 151, 288, 332,
499 [See also Mary, Help of Chris-
tians: feast of]; glory, 129, 495;
guidance, 78, 87-88, 96-97, 100,
490, 496, 498-500, 504-07, 540,
555, 564, 566-68; honor toward,
130, 342, 388, 392, 412; hymns,
298, 333; Immaculate Conception
doctrine, 309.,.10; invocation of, 14,
46, 48, 70, 95-96, 99, 112, 241,
254, 280-81, 291-92, 381, 403,
436, 459, 501, 540, 565, 571; in
Lemoyne's book, 330; medal, 49;
paintings, 308-09; popular devo-
tion, 453; protection, 9, 30, 86-91,
98-100, 286n, 333, 390, 392, 442,
489, 491-93, 495-96, 499, 503,
507, 543, 564, 566; shrines,
435-36, 473, 556; thanks to, 43,
98; Turin her city, 322; welcomes
faithful to heaven, 302, 528
Mary, Help of Christians: altar, 89,
99, 137, 281, 290-91, 397, 461,
491, 496, 498, 500-01, 547; bless-
ing, 129-30, 403, 452, 461-62;
favors attributed to, 78, 133, 407-
08, 422-23, 554-55; feast, 70, 82,
92-96, 131-34, 137-41, 245, 283,
285, 333, 423, 426, 440, 458-60,
487, 494, 542; invocation, 460-61,
464, 504, 508, 529; medal, 442,
492, 504; miracles attributed to,
132-33, 139, 141, 459-61, 463;
novena, 69, 96, 123, 134, 245,
458, 460, 470; pictures, 537, 553,
555-56; place in heaven, 504; pop-
ular devotion, 140, 273, 395, 402,
460-61; protection, 300, 376-78,
385, 452, 490, 514, 557, 568;
shrines, 513, 553, 556; wants
Malan to be a Salesian, 472
Masotti, Abp. Innocent (sec'y of
CBR), 356-62, 364, 446, 569
Mass: celebration of, 7, 9, 43, 79,
148,208,319,329,325,332,334,
370, 459, 556, 558-59; DB's cele-
bration of, 45, 49, 51, 79, 125,
130, 138-40, 288-91, 324-25, 390,
408, 410-12, 424, 426n, 433,
436-37, 441, 443, 448, 453-54,
470, 493 [See also Colle, Louis
(son of Count Louis): apparitions];

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626
INDEX
Mass (continued)
faculties for celebrating, 174; re-
membrance at, 13, 50, 76, 78, 86,
88-90, 94, i90-93, 499-500, 514,
550, 554; remembrance of SC, 71,
76, 78, 86, 89-90, 95, 98, 123,
137,339,375,377,388,411,420,
427, 436, 440, 462, 464, 471,
493, 495-501, 504, 525-26, 530,
534, 537, 541, 545, 547, 559-60,
562-65; stipends, 3, 5, 471, 525,
559
Mathi: SS at, 72-73, 77, 539-40
Mazzarello, Mother Mary: beatifica-
tion, 299; biography, 297-99; bit-
ter macaroons for successor, 301-
02; death, 296-300; sees mission-
aries off, Sn, 297; superior gen.,
296-99; virtues, 297-99, 301
Medolago Albani, Countess Phi-
lomena, 387-88, 535-36
Mendre, Fr. Louis (curate at Mar-
seille): anecdote about DB and
boys' music, 58n; author, 34-36,
52, 274, 410; description of DB,
34-35, 58n, 274, 410; and DB's
cure of Flandrin, 41-43; letters,
36-37; visit to Turin, 459
Menghini, Canon Charles (lawyer),
168, 170-71, 176, 194-95, 199
Men's Committees, 47, 382
Mercy of God, 151, 257
Merigi, Fr., 105-06
Milan, 255, 286, 314, 392, 401n,
521-22, 528
Milanesio, Fr. Dominic (missionary),
16, 510
Military service, 27, 54, 435, 470,
472, 478
Mirabello, Italy: SS at, 140, 366
Miracles: Piscetta and Merigi should
work, 106. See also Cures by DB
Missionaries: delay in sending, 363,
518-19; departure ceremonies, 6-7,
23, 29, 197, 199-200; DB speaks
of, 135-36, 335, 500; letters, 4,
23, 97, 271, 339, 447-48, 511;
prayers for, 84, 494, 525; sacri-
fices of, 519; training, 136, 144,
400; visit to Oratory, 492
Missionary expeditions: of Feb. 1881,
2-9; of Dec. 1881, 23-24, 197,
199-200, 205, 525; of 1883, 500,
512,561;ofl885, 77;of1886,494
Missions: counting boys and girls,
528; funds, 2, 78-80, 84, 235,
247,252,367,377,399-402,489,
494, 519, 527, 540, 561; general
interest in, 273-74, 404, 512, 571;
interest of Colles in, 72-73, 77,
97, 99, 101; matters before the
Holy See, 292, 360, 571; Sal.
work praised, 367
Moitel, Fr. (seminarian sponsored by
Louvet), 494
Monaco La Valletta, Card. Raphael:
card. vicar of Rome, 82, 146, 332,
334, 341, 345, 348, 358, 569; let-
ters, 315-16, 334, 344-46, 348-49
Monateri, Fr. Joseph (dir. at
Varazze), 21, 477
Morality: public, 128, 205, 270, 273,
281, 327, 332, 337, 416, 449;
Salesians charged with immor-
ality, 111, 480-82; in schools, 31,
115, 216; in seminaries, 381-82
Moro, cl. Charles: account of DB's
trips to France, 48, 422n
Mortara, Fr. Pius (Canon Regular),
26-28
Murialdo, Fr. Leonard (founder), 456
Murialdo, Fr. Robert (SC), 456
Musso, Fr. Heremenegild (teacher at
Cremona), 480-82
Musso Bensa, Mrs. (SC), 529
Mythology, 371-72

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67.1 Page 661

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INDEX
627
N
Nasi, coad. Louis: DB's barber at
Marseille, 408
National Italian Church, 467
Neri, St. Philip, 127n, 172, 188
Newspapers: attacks on DB or SS,
9-10, 36, 54-55, 111, 142-47, 214,
216, 222, 231-32, 286, 288, 312,
321, 326-29, 463-64, 480-83; at-
tacks on religious, 26, 36;
Cagliero's use of, 272; Catholic,
22, 29, 45, 81, 111, 126-27, 143,
173, 188-89, 269, 274n, 313-14,
333, 366n, 401, 409-13, 431, 465
[See also Journals; Unita Cat-
tolica]; comments on papal en-
cyclical, 2; coverage of mission
expedition, 5-6; DB's sensitivity
regarding, 37, 143, 263, 372; DB's
use of, 29, 85, 314, 319-20;
French, 45, 81, 401, 409-13, 426n,
428; Gastaldi's use of, 214, 222,
321; Italian secular, 9-10, 54-55,
143-46, 231-32, 234, 286, 313-15,
326-29, 429, 463-64, 480-83; Por-
tuguese, 274n; Spanish, 269;
speak of turmoil in France, 490,
492
Nice: DB at, 7, 26, 38, 47-50, 53,
78-79, 103, 161, 253-54, 267-68,
297-98, 396, 421-28, 547; FMA
at, 296-97; public health, 78; SS
at, 38, 270, 365, 386, 396, 41ln,
472; Sal. hospice, 48-49, 104, 126,
244, 365, 382, 384, 421-22, 486
Nina, Card. Lawrence: advice in
Bonetti case, 157, 160, 178, 206,
231; Bonetti sends books to, 233;
and canonical privileges, 44, 177,
355-61, 363n, 569, 571; card. pro-
tector of SS, 3, 157, 169, 177, 182,
184, 203, 219, 228-29, 234, 570;
and CSJE, 232, 316-21; contacts
with Colomiatti, 156-57, 160-61,
168, 317-20; and Cremona case,
481; and Gastaldi, 160, 176, 182,
206; letters from, 177, 219-20,
233-34 [See also Letters to DB
from cardinals]; letters to, 182,
185, 218-19, 223, 233-34, 317-18
[See also Letters of DB to car-
dinals]; love for SS, 571; pref. of
COC, 172, 178-80, 182-85,
193-94, 199-203, 209-11, 213-14,
223, 225-26; relations with DB,
177, 184, 226-28; and Sal. mis-
sions, 3-5, 520
Nizza Monferrato: alumni from, 142,
303; countess doubts DB's cha-
risms, 485; DB at, 300-03, 391;
FMA gen. chapter, 300-01; FMA
motherhouse, 296, 298, 505-06,
572; FMA school, 300; retreats,
300, 302, 376, 500
Norfolk, duke of (SC), 465-66
Novices, Salesian: admission and
training, 151, 352, 373, 382, 398n,
452; clothing, 100, 153; Damas-
cenes, 383-85; DB and n., 153,
170, 276, 376, 384-85; French
novitiate, 37-39, 109, 383; future
Salesians, 12, 19; life in the noviti-
ate, 384; numbers, 19, 79, 100,
153
0
Oddenino, Fr. Anthony (rector of
Chieri cathedral), 155-56, 170-71,
178-79
Olive family (SC), 408-09
Opinions about DB: apostle, 451, 521;
con artist, 54, 145, 211, 327, 463,
482-83; dealer in knighthood, 143;

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628
INDEX
Opinions about DB (continued)
disrespectful toward his superiors,
172-73, 189, 233, 362; enemy of
Italy, 326-27, 482-83; exceptional
man, 236, 314-15; fund-raiser, 133,
145, 258; guilty in Bonetti case,
231-32; hardworking, 176, 187;
highly esteemed, 48, 338, 367, 369,
415, 419, 459, 567; holiness, 45, 52,
143, 155, 161, 176-78, 289, 302,
304, 326-28, 370, 395, 405-07,
409,413-14,422,428,436,454-55,
457, 463-66, 469, 483, 485, 487,
556; humble, 187; ignorant, 189,
235,- 357; international idol, 145-46;
magnetic person, 55; man of God,
141, 186, 288, 328, 340, 402, 407,
411, 429, 434, 438, 453, 473, 521;
miracle worker, 45, 56-57, 146, 250,
255, 327; model priest, 141, 173,
176; oracle of Mary, 567; politician,
143, 429n; preacher, 45, 408, 438;
priestmaker, 54, 328; reliable, 259;
reserved, 372; selector of talent, 145;
serious man, 454; servant of the
Pope, 181; virtues at the Oratory re-
flect DB, 468-69; writer, 121, 570
Oratory (Valdocco): alumni, 144-45,
180, 183, 236-38, 309-10, 324,
335-36, 429n, 436; Bellezza
house, 75-76; benefactors, 72,
440, 550; bookstore, 525; boys of,
270, 290; catechism classes, 37ln;
economy, 146, 365, 375, 383,
389, 405-06, 478, 539; expansion,
75-76, 365-66; festive oratory, 15,
30, 75, 337, 375; food for boys,
235, 383, 429n, 530; Gastaldi's
praise of, 188; general headquar-
ters of SS, 28, 117, 173, 189-90,
192, 205, 232, 283, 285-86, 296,
310, 337, 373, 379, 408, 478,
494, 511; history, 218, 269, 274n,
367, 370, 375, 404, 412n, 435;
holidays, 131, 180; hospice, 36,
75, 88, 99, 253, 310, 332, 390,
456, 480, 496; invitation to Ric-
cardi, 208-09; model for imitation,
332, 405; music, 312, 321, 370,
469; repairs, 491, 539-40; retreats,
468-69; return of DB, 134-35, 333;
Sal. community, 90, 151, 393; Sal.
family, 498, 550; school, 10, 36,
75, 124, 153, 180, 255, 258, 289,
304n, 321, 392, 469; school of vir-
tue, 370, 468; seminary, 237, 367,
377, 456, 521; visitors, 24, 138,
141, 369-70, 428, 483-85, 521-22,
537, 545, 564; workshops, 75,
366, 396, 469
Order of St. Maurice, 124, 257-64,
341, 381, 530
Orders, Holy see Salesian Society:
ordinations
Orioli, Fr. Paul (priest of Mantua),
466-69
Ottonello, Fr. Matthew (teacher at the
Oratory), 428, 456
p
Pamphlets, controversial: authorship,
189-92, 201, 212, 236-38; dis-
claimer in BS, 162-63; DB's al-
leged responsibility for, 157-58,
161, 191-96, 199-201, 206-07,
210-12, 221, 224, 228-30, 232,
235; DB's opinion of, 158, 198,
200, 222-24; Gastaldi considers
civil suit, 157, 190-91; irrelevant to
Bonetti suspension, 159, 163,
199-200, 214; and matters of Cath-
olic faith, 198, 200, 207, 210,
223-24; suit against DB, 153, 157,

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INDEX
629
159, 193-99, 202, 206-07, 223-24,
230, 235, 238; titles and summa-
ries, 155, 187-89, 191, 198, 203,
237-38. See also Bonetti case
Pampirio, Dominic (bp. of Alba),
132-34, 140, 325
Panaro, cl. Bartholomew (mission-
ary), 16
Papacy: financial aid to, 502; papal
documents, 1, 23, 25, 171; papal
ministry, 120, 182, 205, 331, 368,
446-47; Peter's Pence, 119, 193,
290; public insults to, 304, 313,
334; reverence for, 22, 80-81, 125,
143, 304, 313-14. See also Holy
See; Virtues, DB's: reverence for
the Pope; Virtues, Salesian: rever-
ence for the Pope
Paraguay, 519
Pariani, Fr. Orestes (SC), 386, 527
Paris: churches, 67-68, 342, 413; DB
at, 67-68, 428-29, 488; hope for
Sal. work at, 370; newspapers,
428-29; people, 422, 460, 462,
464; symbol of France, 413
Parma: request for Sal. house,
253-55
Paseri, cl. (missionary), 14
Patag6nes, Argentina: SS at, 146,
296, 510, 513
Patagonia: allusions to, 103, 335;
Catholic Church in, 22, 31; Colles'
support for Sal. missions, 73,
79-80, 84; DB speaks of Sal. mis-
sions, 399-400, 402, 418, 509;
DB's missionary plans, 2-3, 6, 44,
509-10; FMA in, 304-05, 499; ge-
ography, 16, 22-23, 66, 400, 499,
509; enthusiasm for the missions,
512; need for missionaries, 31, 44;
Sal. expeditions bound for, 197,
199, 205, 494, 500, 561; Sal. mis-
sionary activity, 16, 22, 126,
135-36, 294, 399-402, 449, 489,
492, 510, 518, 520, 527; vicariate
apostolic, 11, 19, 24, 93, 443, 446,
509-11, 552
Patarelli, Fr. Charles (dir. at Ruitz),
508
Pavia, Fr. Joseph (dir. of Valdocco
festive oratory), 375, 540, 550
Pela, Chevalier Benedict (SC), 390,
444, 550-51
Pelazza, coad. Andrew, 261
Pellicani, Fr. Anthony, 191-92,
196-97, 200-01, 211-12
Peretto, cl. Charles (missionary), 15
Peronino, Fr. (pastor at Loranze), 539
Perosa Argentina, Italy: request for
Salesians, 256-57
Perrot, Fr. Peter: dealings with the
Colles, 57n, 77, 80, 83-85,
98-100; dir. at La Navarre, 46, 77,
85, 99, 418; letters, 85, 99-100;
visits to Turin, 46, 100
Peter, St., 95, 120-21, 135, 172, 309,
424
Philosophy: study of, 38, 368-69, 393,
412n, 445. See also Rosminianism
Pianori, Angelo (bp. of Faenza),
284-86, 288-89
Picard, Fr. Francis (Assumptionist),
138, 369-70
Piccardo, Mrs. Angela (SC), 380,
538-39
Piccono, Fr. Angelo (missionary), 9,
17
Piedmont: confiscation of religious
properties, 553; local idioms, 276,
291; nobility, 273, 303, 371, 536,
542-45, 553, 555; parliament,
372, 545n; pilgrims at Rome, 304;
regional pride, 273; SS in, 204,
287

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630
INDEX
Pinerolo, Italy: DB at, 79, 90-91,
218, 490, 493, 501
Pirro, Fr.: dispensed from vows, 28
Pisa, 96, 255-56, 437
Piscetta, Fr. Louis, 105-06
Pius IX, Pope: attacks on, 304, 313,
326-28, 334; eminent benefactor
of SS, 174-75, 189, 308, 312,
352-54, 356; holiness, 273; illness
and death, 110, 212n; monuments
to, 275, 313, 332, 418, 429 [See
also Church of St. John Evan-
gelist: monument]; and popular
election of clergy, 467; pronounce-
ments, 309-10, 413; relationship
with DB, 110, 121; and Rosmini,
134n
Pius XI, Pope, 412n
Poland, 54, 78
Porani, Fr. Alexander, 387
Portugal, 270-71, 273-74
Pozzan, Fr. Peter: dir. of Valdocco
festive oratory, 337; editor of BS,
337, 560; raises funds for CSH,
337-38, 341; work with SC, 380,
564, 567; writes for DB, 560-61
Prat-Noilly, Mrs. Ann (SC), 40-41,
379, 382, 426, 546
Prayer: for career guidance, 538; for
the dead, 234, 325, 333, 378, 434,
498; for DB, 514-15; to DB, 507-
08; for enemies, 326; for family,
568; for God's glory, 68, 123; for
God's graces, 67, 120, 234,
286-87, 300, 322; for a happy
death, 544; of Leo XIII, 448-49,
570; to Mary, 112; of Mazzarello,
298; meditation, 504, 548; for the
missions, 519, 523, 525; for the
Pope, 323; power of, 18, 67-68,
104, 252, 409, 460-61; requested
by DB for himself, 170, 229, 301,
361, 439, 454, 554 [See also Let-
ters of DB to cooperators; Letters
of DB to Salesians]; requested by
DB for SS, 29, 87, 105, 118, 203,
229, 277, 293, 302, 332, 395,
401, 409, 454, 490, 492, 494-95,
499-500,505,507,522,552,562;
requested of DB, 71, 116, 172,
247, 261, 268, 290, 292, 338,
343, 397, 402-03, 405, 413, 423,
451, 460-62, 464, 466, 477-78,
554, 556, 558-59, 571; for royal
family, 336; for Salesians, 340,
570-71; for the sick, 381-82, 388,
391, 397; for vocations, 522;
weapon against heresy, 118
Prayer, DB's: for the Bonmartinis,
558-66; for the Colles, 60, 62,
86-87; for conversion of sinners,
40-41; for the dead, 60, 71,
122-23, 279, 300; for FMA, 300-
01; for heavenly favors, 42, 47-48,
70, 104, 123, 153, 167, 290; for his
enemies, 162, 229; insufficiency
of, 40-41; for Louvet, 488-97,
499-501, 503-07; prevented by
crowd, 67; for SC, 29, 105, 120,
125, 184, 202, 229, 254, 340,
372-90, 405, 566 [See also Letters
of DB to cooperators]; for Sale-
sians, 162, 377, 406-07, 471, 493,
506-07, 515 [See also Letters of
DB to Salesians]; for Sisters of
SH, 554-55; for workingmen, 303
Preaching: at CSJE, 325; during
Lent, 252, 418, 420, 431; fac-
ulties, 174, 221, 224; style, 438.
See also Bosco, Fr. John: sermons
Predictions by DB: deaths, 408, 417;
future of individuals, 255, 478,

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lNDEX
631
569; future of Sal. works, 274,
287-89; future of Sisters of SH at
Turin, 554-57; health of indi-
viduals, 453-54, 477-78; voca-
tions, 469-73, 473-76; no war
involving France, 507-08
Prefect, office of, 115
Prefect of studies, office of, 115
Priesthood: DB's priestliness, 408,
451; DB's respect for, 415, 568;
models of priestly ministry, 141,
173, 176, 391, 456; renegade
priests, 466-68, 480. See also
Seminaries; Vocations: priestly
Privileges, canonical: customary p.
for religious congregations, 117;
DB asks help in Rome, 243,
355-56, 446, 450, 521, 569; DB
selects most useful p., 357-61, 571;
DB takes direct action on, 356-60;
DB's haste to obtain, 352, 357,
359-60, 362-63; DB's request ta-
bled by CBR, 361-62, 364, 569;
DB's use of, 174, 353-54; Holy
See's reluctance to grant, 351-53,
355, 358-60, 364, 571; temporary
grants to SS, 174, 352-54, 356
Propagation of the Faith, Society for
the, 1, 11, 399-401
Property: negotiations about, 30,
245-48; purchase, 30, 38-39,
75-76, 253-54, 280-81, 365-66,
406; rights, 326
Protestants: attacks on DB, 143-44; at
Bari, 252; converts to Catholi-
cism, 130, 216; DB's dealings
with, 48-49, 129-30, 422-24; at
Faenza, 286; false teaching of,
266, 276, 280-81, 327; favored by
an author, 2n; funds, 276, 409,
436; in Liguria, 114, 118, 126, 169,
409; mockery of Catholicism, 424;
in Portugal, 273-74; at Rome, 118,
126, 335, 409, 436; SS combats P.
errors, 114, 118, 126, 128-29, 144,
169, 266, 274, 280-81, 293, 409,
436; in Spain, 266; in Tuscany,
118, 126, 128-29, 169, 255,
274-76, 280, 409; in Uruguay,
516. See also Sects, religious;
Waldensians
Providence, Divine: and apparitions
of Louis Colle, 64; cooperation
with, 334, 340; DB's intimacy
with, 25, 34-35, 102, 198, 340,
419, 514, 552; examples of, 133,
400-01, 443, 514; gathers boys into
Sal. houses, 205, 561; gratitude to,
270, 341; helps and protects SS,
30-31, 80, 219, 225, 265, 273,
282, 287, 400, 418, 516, 523; re-
fines virtues of saints, 351-52; Rua
an agent of, 152; SC are agents of,
30, 32, 74, 78, 80-81, 102, 136,
339, 487-88; SS are agents of, 30,
81, 127, 186, 244, 268, 282; trust
in, 31-32, 46, 80, 84, 91, 129, 136,
169, 282, 300, 367, 390, 395-96,
400-02, 406-07, 418, 437, 442,
491, 550-51; wonders of, 328
Provincial, office of, 426-27
Psychology, educational, 59
Q
Quaranta, cl. Joseph Joachim (mis-
sionary), 14
Quartino, Stephen (aspirant), 531-32
Quirino, cl. Camillus (math teacher),
469

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632
INDEX
R
Rabagliati, Fr. Evasio (missionary),
339
Radice, Mrs. Louise (SC), 528-29
Railroads: half-fare for students, 283
Randazzo, Sicily: SS at, 242, 248,
251, 287, 336, 352, 365
Reformatories, 252
Reimbeau, cl. Jules, 26, 29, 35n,
103, 106, 109
Relics, 9, 412-13, 543; r. of DB, 52,
327, 370, 409, 414, 426n, 475,
487
Religious instruction: abandoned by
youth, 257, 449; bishop's authority
over, 283; DB urges a standard cat-
echism, 446-47; helpers in the Or-
atory's early days, 37ln, 456; in
the missions, 400, 516; provided
by Sal. oratories, 30, 117, 270,
283, 319, 449; SC should promote,
416, 431, 453
Religious life, 188, 277, 538, 568
Religious orders and congregations,
117, 351, 354-56, 358-60, 362,
381, 413-14, 471, 515, 518; As-
sumptionists, 138, 369-70; Bar-
nabites, 20, llOn, 126; Basilians,
248-49; Benedictines, 253; Bros.
of St. John of God, 27; Canons
Reg. of the Lateran, 26; Ca-
puchins, 244-46, 4lln, 433-34,
470, 483-84, 526, 549-50; Car-
melites, 265; Christian Bros., 155,
333n, 342-43, 470; cloistered, 171;
Conceptionists, llOn; Corpus Do-
mini priests, 236; Dtrs. of Charity,
295; Dtrs. of St. Joseph Cala-
sanctius, 388; Dtrs. of St. Mary of
Providence, 373n; Dtrs. of the Sa-
cred Heart, 387, 536; Dtrs. of
Wisdom (La Sagesse), 417; Do-
minicans, 31; Eudists, 522; Fran-
ciscans, 31, 249, 484-85; hospital
staff, 264, 455; Institute of Charity
(Rosminians), 2n, 134n, 359;
Jesuits, 12, 31, 196-97, 200,
236-37, 244, 255, 267, 280, 285,
350n, 368, 463, 519; Marists, 265;
Oblates of the Virgin Mary, 357,
359; Oblates of St. Frances of
Rome, 108, 443, 448; Oratorians,
127, 172, 248, 441, 451-52, 534;
Passionists , 358-60 , 482-83;
Piarists, 191-93, 201, 206, 211-12;
Pious Society of St. Joseph, 456;
Priests of the Most Precious
Blood, 453; Redemptorists, 357,
359-60; Servants of Charity, 373n;
Servites, 288; Srs. of the Good
Shepherd, 561; Srs. of the Sacred
Heart, 443, 553-57; Srs. of St.
Dorothy, 451; Srs. of St. Thomas
of Villanova, 51-52; Ursulines,
535-36; Vincentians, 295, 360;
Visitation Nuns, 106, 256
Remotti, Fr. Thaddeus (missionary),
13, 512
Retreats, spiritual: for clergy, 317,
468; directed by DB, 38, 302,
376-77; directed by Rua, 99, 377n;
for FMA, 300, 304, 513; in
France, 38, 77-78; for novices, 19,
170, 376-77, 561; for Salesians,
17, 24, 78-79, 99, 105, 148, 170,
287, 321, 347, 361, 373, 376-77,
434n, 507, 532-33, 538-41, 543,
548, 558, 560-61, 566; for stu-
dents, 377, 474, 513, 532; for
women, 302, 376, 500
Riccardi, David (bp. of Ivrea), 106,
208-09, 216, 353, 512

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INDEX
633
Ricchino brothers (diocesan priests),
146-47, 328
Ricci family (SC), 123, 389-90, 526
Rimini, Italy: DB at, 451-56
Rinaldi, Fr. John Baptist (dir. at
Faenza), 287, 293
Rinaldi, Fr. Philip, 267, 475
Risorgimento, 258n, 371, 553
Roberto (duke of Parma), 253-54
Rocca, Fr. Louis (Cerruti's vicar), 114
Rome: capital of Italy, 262, 371; cen-
ter of the Church, 413, 436, 558;
churches, 125, 138, 216, 304, 334,
444 [See also Church of the Sacred
Heart]; customs, 569; DB at,
74-75, 82, 95-96, 103, 106-09,
118-23, 124-27, 131, 137, 161, 164,
185, 210-12, 244, 271, 274, 278,
290, 312, 315, 340, 344-45, 347,
354, 356-58, 360-61, 382, 427,
430, 440, 442-51, 457, 490, 495,
509, 522, 531, 565; DB and
Bonetti case, 108, 161, 164, 185,
430, 444, 446; DB and canonical
privileges, 124, 354, 356-58,
360-61, 445-46; DB and CSH,
74-75, 82, 95, 444-45, 490, 495,
565; DB and curia, 103, 108,
445-46, 450n, 457, 509; DB and
government ministers, 124-25,
531; DB's meetings with SC,
74-75, 125-27; DB's papal au-
diences, 82, 95, 118-20, 122-23,
137; DB's social calls, 442-44;
eternal city, 78, 82, 509; Gastaldi
at, 171, 175-76, 180; gossip, 569,
571; municipal government, 108,
342; pagan, 126; people of, 126,
342, 345; pilgrims at, 22, 125,
369, 398, 450, 483-84; Rua DB's
guardian angel, 106-09, 118, 131,
161; SS at, 75, 97, 107, 118, 130,
199, 334, 348, 360, 393, 409-10,
418, 440 [See also Church of the
Sacred Heart]; sections of city, 4,
81, 119, 126, 304, 332, 335, 337,
350n; "even shadows are real,"
364, 571; "tough nut to crack,"
345-46, 448. See also Tor de'
Specchi
Ronchail, Fr. Alvin (dir. in France),
489, 508
Ronchail, Fr. Joseph: dir. at Nice, 48,
50, 244, 386, 396, 486-87; DB's
companion, 424-26; letters, 48-49,
104-05, 244, 381-82, 386-87,
396-97, 417, 547-48
Rosary: in DB's dream, 150; gift
from DB, 375, 386; praying the r.,
91, 150, 333, 435
Rosmini, Fr. Anthony (founder and
philosopher), 133-34, 189, 480
Rosminian philosophy: advocated by
Ferre, 367-69; advocated by Gas-
taldi, 134, 188-89, 412n, 445; at-
tacked in the press, 188-89;
disapproved by the Holy See, 204,
412n, 480n; DB follows the Holy
See, 198, 204, 207, 368-69, 445;
SS follows the Holy See, 368-69,
480
Rossi, coad. Joseph, 183, 265-66
Rua, Fr. Michael: assists at Cays'
deathbed, 544-45; and Bonetti
case, 158-59, 161-63, 190; book re-
viewer, 52-53; and CSJE, 316; and
the Colles, 90, 97-100, 102; com-
pared with DB, 4lln, 468; DB's
assistant, 84, 107-09, 115-18, 129,
162, 244, 299; has DB's authority,
105, 132, 161-62; DB's successor,
152, 249, 257; and Faenza com-
mittee, 285-86; financial admin-
istrator, 74-75, 77-78, 87, 116,

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634
INDEX
Rua, Fr. Michael (continued)
488, 491, 493, 546; health, 506-
07;joumeys, 78, 98, 118, 125, 131,
278, 280, 299, 507; letters from,
57n, 80, 95, 99, 117-18, 129, 131,
159, 162-63, 190, 213, 218, 286,
430, 508, 530; letters to, 7-9, 28,
48-49, 134, 161, 163, 208, 213,
244, 246, 250, 267, 269, 279,
311-12, 348, 418-19, 421, 461-63,
493, 533 [See also Letters of DB
to Salesians]; and Louvet, 507-08;
member of superior chapter, 115,
117, 398n; and new Sal. works,
249, 251, 257; praises Borio, 398;
preacher, 99, 151, 377n; superior
of the Oratory, 208, 375, 393; tes-
timony about DB, 350, 426; vir-
tues, 107, 125, 152, 163, 508
Russia, 78
s
Sacred Heart: devotion to, 63, 67,
332-33, 335, 342-43, 413, 418;
DB's references to, 14, 280, 291,
339-40, 378, 559; feast of, 332;
prayer to, 119, 390, 547, 563, 565
Saint-Cyr: DB at, 43, 46, 414-16;
FMA at, 296-98, 414; SS at, 45,
47, 414-16, 421, 547
St. Ignatius Shrine (Lanzo), 229,
231, 317
St. Maurice Hospital (Turin), 18,
257-62, 530
St. Vincent de Paul Society, 81, 103,
289-90, 421-22
Sala, Fr. Anthony (economer gen.),
46, 131-34, 286, 310, 349, 383
Salesian cooperators see Cooper-
ators, Salesian
Salesian family, 135, 287, 405, 498,
505, 551
Salesian Sisters see Daughters of
Mary, Help of Christians
Salesian Society: approved by God,
523; archives, 260, 353-54; aspi-
rants, 12, 109, 353, 377, 383-84,
405, 513; attacked in the press, 54,
214, 222, 286, 288, 327; attacked
physically, 293; canonical ap-
proval, 295, 312, 354; care for
members, 549; constitutions, 13,
114-15, 151, 295, 318, 382, 393,
420, 426-27, 548; enemies, 180,
186, 194, 214, 343-44, 362, 364,
445, 571 [See also Gastaldi: hostil-
ity toward SS; Newspapers: attacks
on DB or SS; Turin archdiocese];
enrollments, 8n, 19, 32, 44, 73,
79, 100, 144, 153, 377; expulsion
from, 162; founded by royal fam-
ily, 341; future of (dream of DB),
147-52; Gastaldi's opposition to or-
dinations, 174; gen. chapters, 115,
251, 350, 383, 393, 512; gen. di-
rectory, 295, 384; growth, 136,
151, 173, 240-64, 328, 351, 357,
360, 365-67, 409, 411, 476, 523;
history, 354, 367, 370, 411, 518;
hospital chaplaincy considered,
257-62; house chapter, 105, 427n;
living quarters, 75, 103, 117-18,
130, 252, 266, 276-77, 280, 348,
384, 405-06, 440, 442; morale
problems, 232, 234; non-profit or-
ganization, 37, 381-82; objectives,
270, 289, 342, 363, 370, 449; o~
dinations, 174, 352, 356, 475,
533, 552n; personnel problems, 2,
105, 241, 244, 248-50, 257, 275,
286, 334, 363-64, 511-12; promote
the physical sciences, 20-21,

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INDEX
635
515-16; provincials responsible for
well-being, 426; religious habit,
378, 384-85, 532; reputation, 144,
154, 160, 172-76, 178, 180, 186,
214-15, 228, 232-34, 267, 283-84,
286, 338, 343-45, 355, 362-63,
366-67, 369, 379, 409, 449, 475,
512, 516, 523, 569, 571; reward
promised, 148-50; rights granted
by Pius IX, 174, 352-53, 356; seal,
332; self-identity, 351; spiritual di-
rection, 426; success, 34, 151; tra-
ditions, 150-51; transfer of person-
nel, 287, 379-82, 386, 548, 569;
unity, 114, 351; war to feed boys
and pay creditors, 508
Saluzzo, cl. Lawrence: DB's sec'y,
392-93
Salvation of souls: at stake in Amer-
ica, 523; and choice of vocation,
384-85, 532; DB's objective, 53,
76, 182, 259-60, 291, 302, 334,
347,382n,384-85,434,438,440,
490, 494-99, 501-02, 504-07, 535,
538, 540, 550, 556, 560, 563-66,
568, 573; equivalent to God's
glory, 6, 200, 245, 280-81, 322,
344, 354, 381-82, 384-85, 391,
404, 479, 564; missionary objec-
tive, 6, 13-16, 79, 402; objective of
SC, 416; objective of SS, 179, 207,
215, 252, 287, 332, 449, 476,
494, 514-15, 534, 573; Salesians to
look after their own souls, 6,
13-15, 79, 354, 384-85, 534, 573.
See also Gastaldi: hindrance;
Prayer, DB's
Sampierdarena: Albera at, 146-47,
397; DB at, 7, 109, 115-17, 162,
309-10, 315, 321, 334, 341,
419-20, 430-31, 433-35, 538-40;
FMA at, 296-97; SS at, 6-7, 134,
270, 282, 321, 378-79, 391, 431,
434, 529, 535, 538, 540; Sons of
Mary at, 475
San Benigno Canavese: DB at, 19,
62, 74, 84, 281, 352n, 361,
376-77, 389, 464, 512, 527,
537-41, 548-49, 552, 554, 558,
566; SS at, 84, 106, 136, 245, 384,
475, 533, 539, 569; novitiate, 79,
153, 383-85, 392, 452, 532, 561;
retreats, 148, 170, 361, 376-77,
532, 538-39, 543, 558, 561, 566;
Sal. school, 24, 26, 72-73, 80, 84,
97
San Carlos (Almagro), Argentina: SS
at, 12, 114, 296, 510n, 513
San Nicolas de los Arroyos, Argen-
tina: SS at, 12-14, 16, 339, 513-14
San Remo, Italy: DB at, 106, 109,
113-14
Sappa, coad. (missionary), 15
Sartena, Mrs. Amelia (teacher), 527
Sartorio, Louis (SC), 528
Savio, Fr. Angelo (Superior Chapter
member), 344-48, 442, 553
Savona: scandal at, 110-11
Savoy, House of, 257, 273, 335-36,
372, 483
Schools: agricultural, 136, 415;
boarding, 118, 241, 243, 248-49,
251, 257, 469, 557; Christian
Bros., 342-43; private, 263n,
481-82, 553-57, 567; Protestant,
118, 257, 442; public, 110-11,
251-52, 256, 284, 449, 477; secu-
larization of, 449; trade, 241,
246n, 251-52, 412, 414
Schools, Salesian, 20, 204, 252,
254-55, 258, 449; admissions, 30,
115, 283, 380, 455, 526; agri-
cultural, 518 , 521; awards cere-
mony, 141, 442; curriculum, 26;

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636
INDEX
Schools, Salesian (continued)
discipline, 115, 383; donations to
CSH, 336, 339; enrollments, 18,
30, 36, 44, 121-22, 126, 136, 144,
169, 182, 184,205,254,282,328,
361, 380, 388, 418, 436-37, 441,
499, 514, 525, 527-28, 531, 539,
552; evening classes, 277, 332,
431; fees, 282, 342, 385; hospices,
129, 265, 274, 289, 336, 365-66,
377n,385,392,398,402-03,437,
456, 469, 477, 481-82, 510,
513-16, 518-19, 528, 550; illnesses
in, 90-91, 390, 513-14; morality
in, 31, 115, 216, 480-81; or-
phanages, 36, 88, 99, 253, 406,
417, 490, 529, 554-55, 561; piety
in, 15, 115; social classes of pupils,
144, 281, 332, 403; teachers, 100,
115, 136, 216, 398, 428, 456, 469,
477, 480-82; trade, 32, 75, 275,
282,332,366,411,420,435,437,
469, 511, 518. See also Semi-
naries: Salesian; individual cities
Sects, religious, 261, 280, 286, 293,
327, 372, 478-79
Seminaries: admission to, 470; Bra-
zil, 518; dismissal from, 381-82; in
Emilia-Romagna, 253, 283-84,
286-90, 453; Florence, 129, 282;
funds for, 502; in Italy, 144, 188,
199; at Magliano Sabino, 450-51;
at Padua, 567; Salesian, 32, 44,
73, 80, 84, 136, 144, 199, 204,
237, 367, 377, 400, 405, 427n,
435, 445, 450-51, 456, 475, 488;
in Sicily, 242-43, 343, 355; at
Toulouse, 412; of Turin, 144, 180,
188, 237, 324, 456, 533. See also
Theology: study of
Sermons: topics for, 128, 149-52, 430
Sexual abuse: charges of, 111
Sicily: FMA in, 240, 244, 248, 250,
296,304;SSin,240-51,287,304,
532
Sigismondi family (SC), 50, 108,
427, 442-44
Skepticism about religion, 113
Sodality of St. Aloysius, 375n
Sons of Mary, 31-32, 72-73, 475
Sorasio, Fr. Michael (sec'y of Turin
chancery), 202-03, 235-36
South America: character of the peo-
ple, 522-23; Continental Exposi-
tion, 511; difficulties of commu-
nication, 360; DB urged to
"forget" America, 243; DB's feel-
ings for SS in, 511, 514-15, 518;
FMA in, 136, 297; growth of Sal.
work, 173, 204, 360, 377, 511,
513, 522-23; need of priests, 518,
521-23; new Sal. province, 19, 23,
515; retreats, 17, 24, 513; SC's
support for Sal. work, 73, 77, 119;
Sal. missions, 2n, 4-5, 144, 173,
197,199,204,360,400,405,500,
519-20, 523. See also Cagliero, Fr.
John; Costamagna; Lasagna; Mis-
sionaries; Missions; Patagonia; in-
dividual countries
Spain: and CSH, 271-72; DB in,
78-79, 493, 505; land of saints,
267; language, 272; politics, 270,
460-61; SS in, 2, 5n, 7, 31, 119,
204, 265-71, 273-74, 340, 459;
youth of, 270
Spiritual reading, 504
Strenna for 1883, 572-73
Superior Chapter (FMA), 296, 298,
453n
Superior ·Chapter (SS): and Bonetti
settlement, 228; and Cremona,
479-80; election of provincials, 11,
13; and Louvet, 508; manner of ex-

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INDEX
637
ercising authority, 468-69; meeting
at Sampierdarena, 115; and the
missions, 475, 512-13; opening
new works, 241, 243, 245, 276,
283, 285-87, 363; praises Borio,
398n; and retreats, 373, 377n
Superiors, religious: relations with,
7, 19
Suspension: DB threatened with,
158, 179, 202, 210; Orioli sus-
pended, 467; threat removed from
DB, 222. 224, 230-31
T
Tamietti, Fr. John Baptist (dir. at
Este), 390, 444, 447, 550-51, 575
Taroni, Fr. Paul (SC), 283-84, 286-90
Teaching: weapon against heresy, 118
Teresa of Avila, St., 187, 267, 274
Testimonial letters, 352-53, 356
Theology: study of, 368-69, 393,
412n, 427n, 445, 447, 456, 475,
533
Tierra del Fuego, 6, 31, 84, 509
Tomasi, Count (government official),
124-25
Tomatis, Fr. Dominic (dir. at San
Nicolas), 12, 19, 339-40, 513-15
Torazza, Fr. Matthew (teacher at Al-
assio), 110
Tor de' Specchi (Rome), 108, 118,
126-27, 332, 427, 443, 448
Toulon: DB at, 45-47, 57, 77, 92-94,
108, 415-17
Toulouse: DB at, 409-14, 428-29
Tournier, Canon Clement (biog-
rapher), 410-14
Trabucco, Caesar (count of Casta-
gnetto), 371-73
Turchi, Fr. John (alumnus), 191,
236-38, 316
Turin: artists, 308-10, 314; churches,
140, 155, 259-60, 263, 311-13,
326, 404n, 484 [See also Church
of Mary, Help of Christians;
Church of St. Francis de Sales;
Church of St. John the Evangelist];
FMA at, 136, 405, 487-89,
491-92, 496, 560; growth, 258-59;
heavenly patrons, 322, 412-13;
municipal government, 195-96,
201, 245, 262n, 311, 314, 365-66,
530; need for new hospital,
258-64; people of, 6, 273, 310,
312, 314, 319-20, 325, 342, 371,
374-75, 412, 443, 501, 529-31,
542, 554; Sal. works in, 270
Turin, archdiocese of: claims victory
in Bonetti case, 232; and contro-
versial pamphlets, 189-90, 193,
201, 222, 224, 230; former har-
mony with DB, 224; Francesia re-
buked by, 216; hostility toward
DB, 173, 195-96, 201, 233-34,
236-38, 352, 372; lawsuit against
DB, 154, 156, 161, 194, 196, 203-
04, 206-08, 211, 223-35, 238; and
priestly faculties, 131, 156, 163,
221-22, 224, 316-17, 319, 459; li-
turgical calendar, 131-32, 187; and
publications, 164, 225, 234;
synod, 172-73
u
Ubaldi, Fr. Paul (professor), 255
Uguccioni, Countess Girolama (SC),
117, 274, 279-82, 441
Ulloa, Marquis Diego (SC), 107,
265-68, 270, 272

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638
INDEX
Unia, Fr. Michael (missionary),
473-76
Unita Cattolica, 3n, 5-6, 10, 140-41,
188, 209, 232, 261n, 262n, 319,
329n, 372, 429n, 449n, 465n
Universities and colleges: Catholic,
196n, 255, 262, 382, 398, 411;
secular, 144, 309, 321
Uruguay: bishops, 17, 21, 24-25,
310, 515; FMA in, 135, 296, 304,
516; SS in, 2-3, 7, 9, 16-17, 20-21,
23-24, 135, 271n, 515-16
Utrera, Spain: economy, 266; mu-
nicipal government, 266-67; peo-
ple of, 266, 272; SS at, 5, 265-69,
272-74, 459, 546
v
Vacation, summer, 288-89, 321,
377n, 532
Vacchina, Fr. Bernard (missionary),
2
Vallauri, Fr. Peter (friend of DB), 5
Vallecrosia: DB at, 103-06, 477-78;
FMA at, 300, 365; SS at, 80, 103,
114, 119, 124, 135, 169, 365, 573
Valsalice College (Turin): Colles
visit, 97; DB at, 54, 78-79, 97, 99,
372-73, 495-96, 507, 566; feasts,
208-09, 324; and Gastaldi, 134,
154-55, 167n, 208-09, 215-16, 219;
retreats, 78-79, 507, 566; shrine to
MHC, 553; sisters' chaplaincy,
556-57; students, 556
Varazze: SS at, 21, 106, 109, 477
Vatican Council I, 447
Ventimiglia: SS at, 119, 126, 409,
494
Verga, Abp. (sec'y of COC), 156,
166, 168, 201, 232n
Vernon Bonneuil, Marchioness (SC),
464
Veronesi, Fr. Ralph (vicar forane of
Montebudello), 438-39
Vespignani, Fr. Ernest (architect), 12
Vespignani, Count Francis (Roman
architect), 116, 333, 344-45,
348-49, 443
Vespignani, Fr. Joseph (missionary),
12, 17, 510n, 512
Viancino, Count of (SC), 52-53
Vice-director, office of, 114-15, 426
Vices: alcoholism, 22-23; avarice,
431-34, 437-40; comfort, 150; ex-
travagance, 64; fickleness, 151;
gluttony, 150; materialism, 128;
neglect of duty, 150; pleasure, 135;
pride, 468; scurrility, 150; self-
gratification, 59, 128, 149-50;
sloth, 150; tartness, 307; theft,
150; vanity, 137, 307; violence,
22-23; worldliness, 475
Victor Emmanuel II (king of Italy),
26ln, 273, 335
Viglietti, Fr. Charles (DB's sec'y),
77, 343n, 557
Villeneuve family (SC), 43, 98, 139,
341, 408
Violence among Indians, 22-23
Virtues, Christian: almsgiving en-
couraged by DB, 128-29, 135-37,
335, 367, 409, 418, 430-40, 501-
03, 539; almsgiving practiced by
benefactors, 425, 433-34, 436,
502; atonement, 413; charity, 126,
339,404-05,407,416,421,429n,
442, 464, 484, 487-97, 499-500,
507-08, 519, 523-26, 535, 538,
540, 544, 550, 561, 565; faith,
405, 413, 424, 463, 501, 524; fer-
vor, 392; fortitude, 405, 524;
frankness, 434, 524; generosity, 6,

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INDEX
639
48-49, 402, 408-09, 413, 418, 420,
436-37, 440; gratitude, 459-60,
462-63, 466, 468, 508, 522; hope,
389, 523; humility, 335, 524; in-
tegrity, 545n; joy, 524; justice,
545n; kindness, 377, 564; obe-
dience, 392; patience, 431, 506-07,
524, 551; peace, 405; performance
of duty, 392; piety, 377, 459, 484,
524, 544; poverty, 501, 503; prac-
ticed at the Oratory, 370, 468; pru-
dence, 551; purity, 392, 449, 524;
self-denial, 405, 524; wisdom,
289, 429n; work and prayer,
448-49; zeal, 405, 523. See also
Colle, Louis: virtues; Colle family:
virtues; Providence, Divine: trust
in
Virtues, DB's: candor, 71, 75, 84-85,
231, 484, 529-30; charity, 27, 37,
45-46, 239, 314, 338, 380, 399;
charm, 6, 117, 303, 372-73, 420;
cheerfulness, 111, 371; common
sense, 200, 345; confidence, 569;
consideration for others, 49-50,
79, 341, 398, 408-09, 472, 478,
491,526, 564;courage,239;cou~
tesy, 314, 344; detachment, 207;
determination, 169, 352, 380, 429;
faith, 31-32, 87, 130, 544; fa-
therliness, 105, 367, 384, 391-94,
427-28, 454-55, 468, 487, 511,
514, 548-49, 572; friendship,
534-42, 544; gentleness, 145, 454;
gratitude to confreres, 573; grati-
tude to God, 30, 43-44, 47, 51, 74,
90-91, 99, 230, 293, 322, 334,
341, 405-06, 425-26, 441, 443,
464, 488, 494, 528-29, 548, 550,
556, 566; gratitude to Mary, 91,
99, 494, 556, 568; gratitude to SC,
30, 45, 51, 73-74, 76-78, 80, 84,
86-87, 91-92. 102, 142-43, 179,
184,267,277,281,287,290,292,
303, 338, 340, 360-61, 363,
376-78, 380, 382, 385-89, 402,
405, 409, 439, 465, 479, 484,
487-501, 505-06, 524-30, 547,
549, 551, 558, 560-66, 568, 573;
holy impatience, 346; hope, 77;
hospitality) 91-92, 376, 386,
484-85, 491, 527, 529, 539,
541-42, 546, 560, 567; humility,
40-41, 53-54, 76, 86, 114, 141,
231-33, 239, 259, 403, 405, 411,
417, 422, 456, 505; kindness, 105,
429, 451, 487; liturgical spirit,
314; measured strength, 145; mod-
esty, 258, 382, 428, 446; mor-
tification, 412; obedience, 168,
175, 181, 198, 229, 231-33; opti-
mism, 360; patience, 112, 174-75,
179-80, 232-33, 321, 324, 483,
507, 552-53; piety, 45; poverty,
54, 314; prudence, 111-12, 163-64,
178, 225, 263, 326, 329, 347,
372, 483, 551; purity of intention,
76; respect for civil authority, 125,
259, 261; reverence for Church au-
thority, 169, 175, 178, 210, 222,
224, 228-30, 239, 262, 283, 321,
323-24, 353-54, 359-61, 447, 541;
reverence for the Pope, 4, 72, 81,
110, 125, 168, 172-75, 178, 182,
198, 204-05, 207, 210, 219-20,
226-29, 262-63, 354, 360, 363,
369, 418, 446, 459, 520-21, 569;
sacrifice, 181; self-confidence, 314;
sense of humor, 31n, 37, 51, 53,
109-10, 261, 350, 371-72, 374-75,
382, 385, 412, 489, 502-03, 526,
537, 541, 546, 554, 559-60, 569;
serenity, 331, 346-47, 352, 403,
412, 421; simplicity, 6, 409, 411,

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640
INDEX
Virtues, DB's (continued)
454, 484, 539; submission to God,
142; sympathy, 388-89, 551; ten-
derness, 45; trust in God, 201, 217,
268, 292, 395-96, 400-01, 506,
522; trust in men, 164, 276, 540;
zeal, 259-60, 263-64, 430
Virtues, religious: among the Chris-
tian Bros., 342-43; among the
FMA, 297-98, 300, 307; metaphor
for, 307; poverty, chastity, and
obedience, 347, 431, 572-73
Virtues, Salesian: charity, 11, 118,
148, 150,347,449,476,533,572;
chastity, 148-50, 347, 572-73;
cheerfulness, 103, 267, 384; cour-
age, 43; faith, 148, 150; fasting,
148-50; friendliness, 243; good
will, 43; gratitude, 377, 514-15;
hope, 148, 150; hospitality, 339;
humility, 469; joy, 468; kindness,
11, 243, 468, 533, 570, 573;
"light," 11, 43; manliness, 267;
obedience, 15, 17, 148-50, 347,
379, 393, 572-73; patience, 11,
358,362,364,533,552,570;pe~
severance, 43, 533-34; piety, 14,
10, 31, 384, 469, 522, 543-45;
poverty, 103, 117, 148-50, 169-70,
347, 383, 406, 572-73; prudence,
312, 354; reverence for the Pope,
3, 205, 216, 219, 226-28, 231,
233, 304; sacrifice, 16; "salt," 11;
sense of humor, 572; study, 14, 16;
temperance, 16-17, 148-50, 383;
tranquility, 550; trust in God, 390,
550-51; wisdom in speech, 43;
work, 7, 11, 15-16, 148-50,
383-84, 420, 570; zeal, 517, 519,
522
Vitelleschi family (SC), 108, 252,
342
Vocations: discernment of, 297, 299,
306, 532-33, 568-69; in France,
32, 52; missionary, 31-32, 44, 521;
perseverance, 17, 384-85; priestly,
32, 122, 199, 304n, 309, 405,
469-71, 475, 521, 526, 531-32; re-
ligious, 233-34, 297, 304n, 306,
367, 377, 384-85, 503, 545n;
Sales1an, 398, 422, 455, 472-74,
521, 532-34; in Turin, 32
Vows: consecration to God, 347,
572-73; dispensation from, 28;
perpetual, 296, 392; profession of,
19, 170; simple, 318, 358; trien-
nial, 296
w
Waldensians, 169, 256-57, 311
Will of God, 227, 291-92, 300, 379,
381, 385, 387-89, 403, 415, 428,
431, 460, 495, 523, 529, 556
Women: DB's reserve with, 299,
486; importance of their coopera-
tion, 289, 335, 486, 525
Working classes, 270-71, 274-75,
303, 332, 403-04, 473
World: danger of the, 306, 370,
384-85, 506
y
Youth, DB the father and teacher of:
examples in action, 91, 289, 310,
336, 384-85, 435, 444, 454-55,
471, 567; exhortations to SC, 71,
119,322,332,404,418,420,423,
431,435,490,492,507,529,555;
held up as public example, 34,
309, 327, 367, 370, 429n, 440;
public relations on behalf of y.,
36-37, 342, 402