02-novemberdbstudyguide2011


02-novemberdbstudyguide2011

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!
NOVEMBER$2011$
Getting$to$know$
Don$Bosco$
His$Place$in$History$
Home$&$Friends$
So!maybe!the!clipart!of!pumpkin!pie!pushes!the!envelope!a!bit,!but!at!
this!time!of!year!we!often!associate!pumpkin!pie!with!being!home!
and!being!among!friends.!!As!we!continue!to!look!at!the!young!life!of!
Don!Bosco,!we!will!look!more!closely!at!some!important!persons!
whose!presence!gave!the!young!Giovanni!Bosco!more!than!
information!or!opportunity,!but!friendship,!guidance,!and!a!sense!of!
place.!!We!might!say,!these!persons!gave!Bosco!the!home!he!craved!
his!entire!life.!!So,!cut!yourself!a!piece!of!pie,!light!a!fire!in!the!
fireplace,!and!make!yourself!at!home!in!these!snapshots.!
Memoirs$of$the$Oratory$
As!I!mentioned!in!the!October!
Don!Bosco!Study!Guide,!the!best!
resource!for!our!study!of!Don!
Bosco!is!his!own!words!enshrined!
in!The$Memoirs$of$the$Oratory.$$
There!are!a!number!of!more!
recent!editions!available.!!
Perhaps!the!easiest!to!obtain!is!
the!small!version!available!at!
Salesiana!Publishers!in!Paramus.!!
Currently,!that!edition!is!priced!at!
$12.00.!!This!is!where!you!can!
find!them:!
Salesiana Publishers
c/o SRM Distribution Services
75 West Century Road, Suite
200
Paramus, NJ 07652
phone 201-986-0503
fax 201-986-0504
e-mail: srmdist@verizon.net
!
Don$Bosco$in$History$Seminars$
3$Evenings$LA$
Jan.%17,18,19%
7PML9PM!!
each!night!at!!
St.!Joseph’s!in!
Rosemead.!
3$Evenings$SF$
Jan.%9,10,11%
7PML9PM!each!
night!at!DB!Hall!
2$Weekends$
Jan%6-8%DB%Hall%
Jan%20-22%%Young%
Adults%and%SMS%
Location%TBA$
Friday$7PM$through$
Sunday$Lunch.$$
Accommodations$by$$
reservation.$$$30$reg.$

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! TGHetEti!nLOg!RtoE!KMn!IoPwSU!DMonS!Bosco:!His!Place!in!History! !
!
!
November!2011! FALL!2016!
Don$Bosco’s$Search$
Persons'such'as'Fr.'Calosso'&'Fr.'Cafasso'became'much'
more'to'Don'Bosco'than'mentors.'They'were,'in'fact,'
father'figures'for'which'he'longed...'
$From!Don!Bosco’s!own!account,!we!see!how!much!he!
loved!Fr.!Calosso!and!turned!to!him!for!support.!!This!
man!stepped!in!as!mentor,!spiritual!director,!and!as!a!
true!father!to!the!young!Bosco,!promising!his!
inheritance!to!help!secure!his!future!plans.!!We!all!know!
how!lost!Giovanni!Bosco!was!after!the!loss!of!this!man.!!
He!was,!in!fact,!so!broken!that!he!stayed!for!a!time!with!
his!own!grandparents!to!avoid!returning!the!stress!of!
living!with!his!own!stepbrother,!Antonio.!!This!loss,!
however,!moved!something!deeply!within!the!boy!that!
would!translate!into!the!foundation!of!his!own!mission!
to!youth.!!
T! eachers$and$Friends$
We!know!that!eventually!Mamma!Margaret!found!a!
way!to!send!her!son!to!school!in!Chieri.!!She!and!her!
brother’s!family,!with!the!help!of!many!other!family!
supporters!pitched!in!their!means!to!pave!a!path!for!
the!education!of!her!son.!
While!in!these!adolescent!years,!the!young!Bosco!made!
significant!friends!and!followed!the!lead!of!
important!teachers.!!Fr.!Banaudi!would!become!
his!confessor!and!he!found!in!this!man!
someone!who!not!only!loved,!but!also!showed!
his!love!to!his!students!and!charges.!In!fact,!
Don!Bosco!describes!his!love!as!that!of!an!
!
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! TGHeEtt!LinOgR!tEoM!K!nIPoSwU!DMoSn! !Bosco:!His!Place!in!History! !
!
!
November!2011! FALL!2016!
Chieri,$Teachers,$Friends,$&$Confessors$
Chieri!truly!was!a!new!start!for!the!young!
Giovanni!Bosco.!!Not!only!did!his!studies!begin!
in!earnest,!he!made!deep!and!lasting!
friendships!that!would!shape!his!character,!
challenge!his!goals,!and!clarify!his!purpose.!!
Among!the!biographies!of!Bosco,!we!know!that!
he!detailed!a!friendship!he!shared!with!a!young!
boy!named!Luigi!Comollo.!!This!companion!was!
very!different!in!temperament!and!size!from!
the!gregarious!Bosco.!!This!boy!was!much!
smaller,!introspective,!and!pious.!!But!this!
attracted!Bosco!because!his!friend’s!interiority!
provoked!personal!examination!of!his!own!
piety!and!commitment.!!These!two!grew!very!
close!and!Bosco!recounts!that!the!inevitable!
death!of!his!weaker!friend!devastated!him.!!!
Another!curious!friendship!in!these!years!
involved!a!Jewish!boy!from!the!Jewish!ghettos!
in!Chieri—his!name!was!Jonas.!!These!!!two!
boys!found!great!delight!in!sharing!music!and!
song.!!Eventually,!this!led!the!young!Bosco!to!
invite!his!friend!into!Christianity.!!This!led!to!an!
emotional!disruption!of!their!friendship!with!
the!adamant!insistence!of!Jonas’!mother!that!he!
and!Bosco!remain!apart.!!This!was!another!loss!
for!the!young!man!and!one!that!would!inform!
his!attitude!toward!human!and!divine!
friendships.!!At!the!center!of!his!pedagogy!were!
friendships!and!relationships,!but!those!
involvements!were!always!directed!toward!a!
higher!friendship!with!Jesus!Christ.!!Without!
this,!he!felt!he!would!betray!his!young!charges!
Befriending$the$Spiritual$
The'Lesson'of'Comollo'was'Befriending'the'Spiritual'
At$first$reading,$the$friendship$between$Giovanni$Bosco$and$Luigi$
Comollo$would$seem$unlikely.$$Both$had$such$different$characters.$$
However,$this$adolescent$friendship$would$so$shape$Don$Bosco$
that$the$biography$of$his$schoolmate$would$remain$one$of$his$key$
references$and$a$tool$for$teaching$the$young$the$importance$of$
befriending$their$spiritual$lives$and$caring$for$their$souls$with$
intention$and$diligence.$
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! GTetHtiEn!gL!OtoR!KEnMo!IwP!SDUoMn!SB!osco:!His!Place!in!History! !
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!
November!2011! F!ALL!2016!
and!leave!them!without!the!means!for!their!
personal!meaning!and!true!happiness.!!He!
would!insist!that!his!students!be!true!and!
lasting!friends!but!that!at!the!center!of!those!
friendships!needed!to!be!Jesus!Christ,!their!
best!friend.!!From!the!grace!and!fire!of!the!
adolescent!friendships,!Giovanni!understood!
the!hunger!that!no!human!relationship!could!
satisfy,!without!denigrating!the!importance!of!
deep!friendship!and!love.!!!
From!his!first!adolescent!confessor,!Fr.!Maloria,!and!
one!of!his!favorite!teachers,!Fr.!Banaudi—already!
mentioned,!Don!Bosco!discovered!the!balance!
between!the!human!and!the!spiritual,!the!
importance!of!friendship!grounded!in!faith.!!!
The!following!article!explores!these!relationships!
with!some!detail.!!Let!us!consider!these!steps!
toward!the!formation!of!
our!unique!Spirituality!of!
Spiritual!Accompaniment.!
!
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! TGHetEt!iLnOg!RtoE!MKn!IoPwSU!DMoSn!!Bosco:!His!Place!in!History! !
!
!
November,!2011! FALL!2016!
Mentors$and$Spiritual$Guides$
Don Calosso as Friend and Spiritual Director
Don!Bosco!recalled!in!his!Memoirs!that!Don!
Giovanni!Calosso!took!a!sincere!and!fatherly!
interest!in!him!and!this!interest!introduced!him!
to!the!idea!of!a!spiritual!director!for!the!first!
time:!
I put myself completely into Don Calosso's hands.
He had become chaplain at Murialdo only a few
months before. I bared my soul to him. Every
word, thought, and act I revealed to him promptly.
This pleased him because it made it possible for
him to have an influence on both my spiritual and
temporal welfare…
It was then that I came to realize what it was to
have a regular spiritual director, a faithful friend
of one's soul. I had not had one up till then.1
Saint!John!Bosco!elaborated!that!before!this!
meeting,!he!lived!his!life!in!a!mechanical!way!
“not!knowing!the!reasons,”!but!after!the!
meeting!he!“began!to!savor!the!spiritual!life.”2!It!
is!an!important!detail!in!this!recounting!that!
the!young!Giovanni!did!not!make!his!savoring!a!
private!affair.!Instead,!he!was!anxious!to!share!
whatever!morsels!of!spiritual!wisdom!he!could!
with!others.!Fr.!Calosso!built!on!the!hungers!
and!enthusiasm!for!faith!implanted!by!Mamma!
Margherita.!Even!before!his!contact!with!Don!
Calosso,!Giovanni!had!displayed!enthusiasm!for!
games,!acrobatics,!and!other!attractions!to!
gather!his!friends!and!to!teach!them!about!God.!
Don Bosco's recreational activities naturally
played a significant part in his formation. His
mother encouraged his involvement in games and
outdoor pursuits. His interest in games, in looking
for bird’s nests and his attempts to be an acrobat
all prepared him for his involvement in La società
dell’allegria3
!Still,!now!his!activities!had!a!focus!and!a!dream!
attached!as!never!before!and!these!became!
some!of!his!greatest!motivations!for!gathering!
people!and!for!perfecting!his!skills!to!attract!
them.!!
Linked!to!the!spiritual!enrichment!he!received,!
the!young!Giovanni!was!schooled!in!classic!
education!diving!deeply!into!Latin!works.!As!he!
excelled!in!all!areas,!trials!began!to!appear.!The!
situation!at!home!with!his!stepbrother!had!not,!
in!fact,!improved.!Soon,!the!situation!grew!
intolerable!once!more.!The!journey!of!the!good!
priest!went!beyond!expectation,!as!his!
intervention!now!became!an!invitation!for!
Giovanni!to!move!out!once!more!and!this!time!
to!stay!in!the!chaplain’s!own!home.!Mamma!
Margherita!was!elated!and!urged!Giovanni!to!
take!up!the!offer.!In!this!new!environment,!
freed!at!last!from!the!strains!of!his!living!
situation,!Giovanni!boasted!that!he!could!learn!
more!in!one!day!than!in!a!week!of!visits.!!
At!the!age!of!fifteen,!Giovanni!lost!his!mentor!to!
a!stroke.!In!his!own!words,!Don!Bosco!would!
write,!“his!death!shattered!my!dreams.”1!
Painfully!he!recounted!Don!Calosso’s!attempt!
to!preserve!his!material!goods!for!the!boy,!only!
for!that!to!be!lost!soon!after!his!death!as!the!
living!relatives!of!the!chaplain!came!asking!for!
the!key!to!his!safe.!Not!yet!an!adult,!he!could!
only!relent.!The!impact!of!this!shared!part!of!
his!journey!is!underlined!by!Don!Bosco’s!own!
admission!that!each!day!that!dawned!brought!
his!“outstanding!benefactor”!to!mind!and!heart.!
Don!Bosco!spoke!freely!about!the!affection!
lavished!upon!him!and!the!loyalty!that!
engendered!in!him.!He!wrote!honestly!about!
the!depth!of!the!loss!he!felt!at!the!end!of!this!
relationship.4!
Searching for Models, Clinging to Dreams
The!loss!of!Don!Calosso!was!incalculable.!Now!
Giovanni!had!to!return!to!the!Becchi!house!and!
fields.!Mamma!Margherita!watched!her!
youngest!immerse!himself!in!profound!and!
inconsolable!sorrow!and!she!feared!for!his!
health.!She!made!a!decision,!temporary!as!it!
was,!that!certainly!saved!his!dreams,!if!not!his!
!
5!

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! TGHeEtt!LinOgR!tEoM!K!nIPoSwU!DMoSn! !Bosco:!His!Place!in!History! !
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November,!2011! FALL!2016!
very!life.!She!sent!him!to!stay!awhile!with!his!
maternal!grandfather.5!There!he!regained!his!
strength!and!his!vision.!He!continued!to!hunger!
for!models!to!follow!but!found!the!priests!in!his!
life!sorely!lacking!in!their!approachability.!Yet,!
instead!of!discouraging!the!youth!further,!it!
ignited!in!him!a!burning!desire!to!be!for!others!
the!kind!of!priest!Don!Calosso!had!been!for!him.!!
He!did!return!to!the!family!home!shortly!before!
Antonio!married.!During!this!time,!he!kept!
himself!out!of!mental!reach!by!clinging!to!the!
model!of!Don!Calosso.!He!began!again!to!follow!
his!dream!even!enduring!grievously!long!walks!
into!Castelnuovo!for!school.!As!his!attentions!
were!turned!back!to!study,!Antonio’s!attentions!
were!drawn!to!his!future!marriage!and!the!
division!of!the!inheritance.!Margherita!joined!
with!her!brother!Michele!to!find!the!means!for!
schooling!and!board!in!Castelnuovo.!Giovanni!
lived!with!a!tailor,!Giovanni!Roberto,1!while!
attending!class.!During!this!part!of!his!journey,!
Bosco!would!experience!ridicule!from!younger!
classmates!and!even!from!an!older!priest!who!
considered!Giovanni’s!studies!a!waste!of!time.!
!Stella!explains!that!in!this!difficult!period,!
Giovanni!Bosco!retreated!to!his!dreams,!
seeking!out!God,!“immersing!himself!in!the!
divine,!where!his!aspirations!to!the!priesthood!
could!be!assured!and!guaranteed.”6!
The!next!years!at!school!in!Chieri!granted!
young!Bosco!scholastic!and!personal!success.!
He!advanced!rapidly!through!first!level!studies!
bounding!ahead!to!his!own!level!and!beyond.!
He!demonstrated!to!students!and!instructors!
an!uncanny!intelligence!and!a!remarkable!
ability!for!recall.!Braido!refers!specifically!to!
these!years!of!formation!for!their!important!
influence!upon!the!future!pedagogy!of!Don!
Bosco!and!indicates!that!this!molding!was!
helped!by!“the!reality!of!finding!himself!deeply!
immersed!into!a!holistic,!formative!structure,!
which!is!at!the!same!time!cultural,!ethical!and!
religious.”1!In!his!studies!of!this!period,!Braido!
highlights!two!of!Giovanni!Bosco’s!teachers:!
Banaudi,!whose!students!loved!him!with!the!
affection!of!a!father!so!that!the!good!priest!
never!resorted!to!using!punishment;!and!a!
young!priest,!Maloria,!whom!Giovanni!chose!as!
his!regular!confessor!throughout!his!years!of!
study!in!theology.!The!latter!welcomed!
Giovanni!warmly.!Both!men!became!the!models!
he!sought!to!assist!him!in!attaining!his!personal!
goals.!Both!would!influence!his!own!manner!of!
being!educator!and!priest.7!This!period!would!
also!enkindle!in!the!youth!a!deep!and!lasting!
love!for!literature.!
Into!this!setting!came!his!dearest!peer,!Luigi!
Comollo.!Once!again,!the!adolescent!Bosco!is!
drawn!to!the!other!for!companionship,!surely,!
but!also!for!spiritual!guidance!and!modeling.!
The!details!of!this!passage!would!be!etched!
indelibly!upon!Giovanni!Bosco’s!experience!and!
in!the!future!influence!his!insistence!on!the!
need!for!good!companions!with!a!priority!of!
spiritual!purpose.!The!friendship!Don!Bosco!
described!flourished!in!the!larger!context!of!
Giovanni’s!efforts!to!create!a!special!club!of!
good!companions.!This!was!his!response!to!
peers!who!seemed!lost!and!unfocused.!
Giovanni!was!filled!with!a!desire!to!become!a!
positive!and!joyful!influence!for!others!creating!
a!“Society!of!Joy”!as!his!creative!response!to!the!
new!surroundings!at!Chieri.!The!intensity!of!the!
friendship!the!two!shared!and!the!firmness!of!
their!purpose!was!recognized!by!Albert!
Caviglia!and!recorded!within!the!four!
biographical!volumes!of!work!on!Saint!John!
Bosco!he!left!unfinished!at!the!time!of!his!death!
in!1943.!After!an!inLdepth!study!of!Don!Bosco’s!
biography!of!Comollo!Caviglia!wrote:!
“The spirit by which Don Bosco led to holiness
the youngsters whom he educated and then
memorialized in his writings is the same spirit that
lives in the two young men Comollo and Bosco.
The figure, the actions, and the spirit of Comollo
are an indispensable ingredient for understanding
Don Bosco's youth and the development of his
character. This is even more true for
understanding his life before his priestly
ordination.”8
We!turn!our!attention!to!the!special!and!
formative!relationship!with!Luigi!Comollo,!Don!
Bosco’s!closest!schoolLtime!friend.!
!
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! TGHeEtt!LinOgR!tEoM!K!nIPoSwU!DMoSn! !Bosco:!His!Place!in!History! !
Friendship and Befriending the Interior Life
It!is!no!small!detail!that!Saint!John!Bosco!would!
enshrine!the!friendship!he!shared!with!Luigi!
Comollo!in!one!of!his!first!biographical!works.!
It!is!a!work!he!would!refine!and!adapt!for!
various!audiences!especially!honing!the!details!
to!appeal!to!young!readers!for!emulation.!
Scholars!such!as!Stella,!Caviglia,!Braido,!and!
Giraudo,!routinely!include!the!Comollo!work!as!
the!model!for!future!studies!of!his!three!
students,!Dominic!Savio,!Michele!Magone,!and!
Francesco!Besucco.!!
It!has!been!tempting!for!biographers!to!paint!a!
picture!of!a!young!Giovanni!Bosco!dramatically!
turning!away!from!his!worldly!pursuits!in!
imitation!of!his!inspiring!and!rigidly!pious!
friend!Comollo,!but!this!is!an!inaccurate!
portrayal.!It!is!important!to!contextualize!this!
relationship!with!another.!Giovanni!Bosco!
became!the!great!hero!of!another!peer,!a!Jewish!
boy!named!Jonah.9!The!significance!of!this!
relationship!is!evident!in!the!complete!delight!
Giovanni!demonstrated!in!the!presence!of!this!
young!man’s!company.!In!his!Memoirs,$Giovanni!
Bosco!recalls!spending!countless!hours!singing!
and!playing!the!piano!with!his!handsome!young!
friend,!whose!voice!was!especially!gifted.!The!
closeness!of!this!friendship!would!lead!
eventually!to!Jonah’s!conversion!to!Catholicism,!
despite!terrible!rejection!from!his!own!family.!
Giovanni!was!on!the!verge!of!a!new!insight.!His!
joyful!friendship!did!not!deter!him!from!
!
7!
!
!
November,!2011! FALL!2016!
inviting!Jonah!to!a!deeper!level!of!faith,!to!a!
place!where!they!could!share!belief!and!
worship,!as!well!as!entertainments.!This!
motivation,!Saint!John!Bosco!would!admit!in!
retrospect,!did!not!become!conscious!for!him!
until!he!met!Luigi!Comollo.!!
!Stella!captures!this!revelation!beautifully:!
“The origin and cast of John’s friendship with
Comollo were very different [from those with
Jonah]. In this case it was Giovanni who
discovered great spiritual richness in the boy who
looked so physically frail. Giovanni instinctively
became his protector against the insults and
attacks of bullies and other superficial boys. Now
athirst for the interior life, Giovanni was really
defending the source and wellspring that he was
seeking for his own soul’s sake. He was defending
the incarnation of the very ideal that seemed to be
his own (italics, mine). Giovanni had already been
moving toward it on his own, but his encounter
with the virtuous Comollo tripped the tension wire
in his heart. Seeing in him a hero, Giovanni
wanted to be his friend.”10
At!the!same!time!that!this!friendship!flourished!
and!Giovanni!Bosco’s!hunger!deepened,!it!is!
ironic!that!the!reputation!of!his!seminary!
professors!was!anything!but!consoling.!Though!
he!respected!their!position,!he!longed!to!talk!to!
them,!to!share!with!them,!to!seek!out!their!
guidance!and!support.!And!he!was!not!the!only!
one!who!noticed!their!distance.!In!fact,!he!
described!his!fellow!students!as!fleeing!from!
the!sight!of!any!professor!as!though!fleeing!
from!a!black!cat.11!!Perhaps!this!is!the!void!
Comollo!filled.!Not!finding!a!safe!harbor!to!rest!
and!to!deepen!his!human!and!spiritual!heart,!
Giovanni!found!both!a!friend!and!an!inspiration!
in!Luigi.!!
Their!exchange!was!often!about!heavenly!
things!and!Giovanni!often!felt!less!worthy!or!
more!worldly!in!Comollo’s!presence.!In!those!
places!of!sharing!and!exploring!the!deeper!
meanings!of!things,!they!made!a!pact—which!
they!repeatedly!confirmed—that!the!first!
among!them!to!die!would!return!to!signal!
personal!eternal!salvation.!Though!this!detail!
leads!to!the!familiar!recounting!of!Giovanni!
Bosco’s!supernatural!experience!after!

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! TGHetEt!iLnOg!RtoE!MKn!IoPwSU!DMoSn!!Bosco:!His!Place!in!History! !
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November,!2011! FALL!2016!
Comollo’s!death,!what!should!be!underlined!
here!is!the!shift!in!focus!that!marks!this!part!of!
Giovanni!Bosco’s!formation.!His!quest!for!
saving!souls!has!a!strong!link!to!this!friendship!
that!became!a!symbol!of!the!pulsing!reality!of!
eternity!in!the!midst!of!the!everyday!and!
ordinary!events!of!one’s!life.!
Accompaniment and Vocational Discernment:
Don Cafasso as Mentor and Friend
Wavering!on!the!horizon!of!his!young!life,!
Giovanni!Bosco!finally!began!to!see!his!lifelong!
dream!take!form!and!substance.!Donning!the!
cassock!at!the!start!of!his!philosophical!studies!
at!the!seminary,!Don!Bosco!would!characterize!
these!years!of!study!as!a!shift!from!the!profane!
to!spiritual.12!He!notes!a!decided!turn!to!the!
interior!life!upon!the!reading!of!The$Imitation$of$
Christ!sometime!in!1837.!Though!he!remained!
an!avid!student!and!an!obedient!seminarian,!
crises!would!surface!in!these!years.!There!
existed!an!obvious!tension!between!his!fond!
relationships!with!the!priest!instructors!
and!their!methods!of!
education.!Yet!
his!later!
reflections!leave!the!
impression!that!the!overLriding!
experience!was!one!of!deep!affection!and!that!
relationships!outweighed!any!other!tension,!so!
much!so!as!to!provoke!in!his!later!years!a!fond!
nostalgia!for!this!period.!
!
Giovanni!Bosco’s!goal!to!become!a!priest!was!
indeed!coming!within!his!reach,!but!there!is!
evidence!that!what!remained!unclear!in!those!
years!were!his!sense!of!a!deeper!calling!and!the!
application!of!that!priesthood.!He!was!unclear!
about!the!path!of!his!future!priesthood!and!
considered!various!forms!of!religious!life,!
weighing!various!ministries!to!consider!as!a!
priest.!It!is!to!this!point!in!his!trip!of!the!faith!
that!Giovanni!turned!to!three!people!for!guide!
and!accompaniment:!to!Don!Joseph!Cafasso—
his!new!confessor,!a!man!molded!much!by!his!
own!relationship!with!the!thirty!year!old!Canon!
that!had!been!the!first!confessor!of!Don!Bosco,!
Don!Giuseppe!Maloria,!and!two!companions!
whom!would!remain!with!him!after!their!
ordinations,!Giovanni!Giacomelli!and!Guglielmo!
Garigliano.!!
He!brought!to!Don!Cafasso!a!dream!that!
perplexed!him.!He!saw!himself!as!a!priest!
darning!socks.13!The!stirrings!of!deeper!
questioning!caused!Giovanni!to!lean!heavily!
upon!his!confessor!and!his!friends!to!focus!his!
attentions!and!sharpen!his!resolve.!Sometimes!
this!led!him!to!extremes,!shunning!former!
pleasures!such!as!playing!the!violin!or!returning!
to!acrobatics.!He!wrapped!himself!in!the!ascetic!
environment!of!the!seminary!resolved!to!
eliminate!anything!that!would!distract!him!from!
the!goals!he!treasured!from!his!vocational!
dream!at!the!age!of!nine—a!dream!he!would!
later!explain!recurred!at!difficult!moments!
throughout!his!life.!His!friends!recall!that!
Giovanni!would!lose!his!temper!and!resolve!
to!imitate!the!gentleness!of!Saint!Francis!de!
Sales!and!the!humor!of!Saint!Philip!Neri!as!
his!remedy.!He!looked!to!his!chosen!circle!of!
companions,!to!the!priests,!and!to!his!favorite!
saints!as!role!models!for!continued!vigilance!
and!growth.!
As!mentioned!before,!into!this!part!of!his!story!
Luigi!Comollo!had!left!his!imprint!in!the!heart!of!
Don!Bosco!and!the!evidence!was!most!
dramatically!revealed!in!his!insistence!on!good!
companions,!which!would!appear!time!and!time!
again!in!Don!Bosco’s!later!work.!
Accompaniment!with!his!peers!was!
!
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complemented!most!beautifully!in!the!
relationship!and!trust!he!would!build!with!his!
confessor,!Giuseppe!Cafasso,!and!the!balance!
between!peers!and!guide!would!establish!a!
pattern!in!Don!Bosco’s!own!guidance!for!
others.!!
As!his!confessor,!Don!Cafasso!left!another!
lasting!and!formative!impression!on!Giovanni!
regarding!ministry!to!prisoners!and!a!fineL
tuning!of!his!personal!spirituality.!Braido!
captures!this!dynamic:!
Fr. Joseph Cafasso, besides being a guide in the
study of moral theology, also taught Don Bosco
spirituality and life. It was Fr. Joseph Cafasso who
encouraged Don Bosco to follow an educational
activity such as priestly ministry among prisoners
and Lenten catechism classes with particular
concern for the young who had migrated from the
countryside into Turin. Don Bosco, in later years,
would often go to Fr. Cafasso, his benefactor and
confessor, both for advice and help.
At the school of Fr. Cafasso, Don Bosco
strengthened and refined his spirituality: Christian
hope; preference given to trusting God rather than
to the fear of God; the sense of duty as a coherent
Christian lifestyle; the fundamental importance to
be given to the practice of the sacraments, an
effective pastoral ministry; loyalty towards the
Church and the Pope; the apostolic orientation
towards abandoned youth; the meditation on the'
last things' and the exercise for a happy death.14
By!the!accompaniment!of!the!gentle!and!holy!
Cafasso,!the!shape!of!Giovanni’s!ministry!
became!clearer!as!his!discernment!was!
intensified!through!personal!experience.!!In!
fact,!Don!Bosco!recalled!that!in!the!prisons!he!
saw!many!young!people!between!the!ages!of!12!
and!18!and!became!disheartened!to!discover!
the!high!incidence!of!repeated!crime!and!
incarceration.!It!was!his!observation!at!that!
time!that!their!abandoned!state!pushed!them!
into!crime!and!the!budding!plant!of!a!mission!
grew!stronger!in!his!heart.!!Don!Bosco!
described!this!moment:!
"Who knows?" I thought to myself, "if these
youngsters had a friend outside who would take
care of them, help them, teach them religion on
!
feast days ... Who knows but they could be steered
away from ruin, or at least the number of those who
return to prison could be lessened?"
I talked this idea over with Fr. Caffasso. With his
encouragement and inspiration I began to work out
in my mind how to put the idea into practice, leaving
to the Lord's grace what the outcome would be.
Without God's grace, all human effort is vain.15
After!six!years!of!direction!from!Don!Cafasso,!and!
ordained!in!1841,!Giovanni!Bosco!took!the!advice!
of!his!mentor!to!enter!the!Convitto!to!hone!his!
pastoral!skills!as!a!confessor!and!priest.!!This!
Giovanni!did!gladly,!happy!to!be!with!Don!Cafasso!
and!enriched!by!every!experience!his!confessor!
offered!him.!!The!shape!of!his!great!mission!and!
its!spiritual!underpinning!is!linked!directly!to!this!
period!of!Giovanni!Bosco’s!formation!and!the!
accompaniment!of!Don!Giuseppe!Cafasso.!
Refining the Call: Hearing the Cry for
Accompaniment from the Abandoned Youth of
Turin
From!Giovanni!Bosco’s!earliest!memories!of!his!
own!father’s!death!and!the!impression!this!loss!
left!upon!his!young!heart!through!the!search!for!
companions,!guidance,!and!a!deepening!of!the!
interior!life,!we!see!that!many!circumstances!and!
persons!rushed!to!fill!the!void!left!by!his!father.!!It!
became!an!unspoken!theme!in!his!life!to!fill!this!
void!and!this!translated!easily!into!his!quest!for!a!
deepening!of!his!relationship!with!God.!!His!
dream!at!the!age!of!nine—his!vocational!dream—
added!complexity!and!mystery!to!his!search.!!It!
ignited!within!him!a!life!goal,!but!in!the!tumbler!
of!his!life,!the!turning,!and!jostling!of!many!
experiences!worked!slowly!and!purposefully!to!
smooth!and!polish!that!dream.!!It!is!tempting!to!
create!a!list!of!those!persons!and!details!that!
would!bring!him!to!his!point!of!decision!to!reach!
out!to!poor!youth!and!to!quantify!those!
contributions!as!an!attempt!to!systematize!Don!
Bosco’s!own!personal!journey!of!faith.!!Some!of!
those!details!and!persons!have!already!been!
mentioned.!!Yet,!considering!that!Don!Bosco!
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himself!would!look!back!only!in!his!last!years!of!
life!to!marvel!at!a!coherent!whole,!to!be!moved!
by!the!clarity!of!God’s!action!throughout!his!life,!
it!seems!advisable!to!continue!on!the!path!of!
examining!his!spirituality!step!by!step,!to!walk!
with!him!in!the!evolution!and!accomplishment!
of!his!dream.!!This!will!serve!to!unfold!those!
moments!that!give!form!to!a!spirituality!of!
accompaniment!as!God’s!special!gift,!not!only!to!
and!for!Don!Bosco,!but!also!for!the!world.!
Historically,!Don!Bosco’s!progression!as!a!
newly!ordained!priest!preparing!for!ministry!at!
the!Convitto!in!Turin!to!Don!Bosco!the!Founder!
of!the!Salesians!and!a!vast!movement!of!
outreach!to!abandoned!youth!cannot!be!seen!in!
a!straight!line.!!It!was!a!winding!and!precarious!
path.!!To!examine!the!many!details!of!this!
important!juncture!would!encompass!a!study!
far!beyond!the!scope!of!this!work.!!However,!to!
examine!some!of!these!details!under!the!
microscope!of!accompaniment!and!spirituality!
will!assist!in!offering!a!glance!at!this!particular!
characteristic!of!Don!Bosco’s!charisma!at!this!
crucial!moment!of!his!life.!!Obviously,!it!will!be!
necessary!to!contextualize!this!glance!with!
some!historical!information,!but!only!as!it!aids!
this!focus.!
The Influences of Saint Francis de Sales and
Saint Alphonus Liguori
Let!it!be!underlined!that!Don!Bosco’s!
experience!was!positive!at!the!Convitto.!!It!was!
fortunate!that!Don!Cafasso!continued!to!guide!
the!young!priest.!!Don!Bosco!praised!the!
Convitto!for!its!wholesale!attack!against!the!
heresy!of!Jansenism.!!This!heresy!promoted!a!
sense!of!relationship!with!God!that!was!distant!
at!best!and!preached!vehemently!against!the!
worthiness!of!man!to!approach!God.!!So!
contrary!to!Don!Cafasso’s!counsel—and!all!the!
spiritual!guides!before!him—Jansenism!
suggested!“if!the!world!waited!four!thousand!
years!to!receive!its!Lord,!Christians!ought!to!
prepare!their!whole!lives!by!abstaining!from!
Communion.”16!However!extreme!this!may!
appear,!Stella!makes!the!point!that!in!reality!
many!priests!who!were!labelled!as!Jansenists!in!
the!Piedmont!of!those!times!were,!in!fact,!
advocates!of!frequent!approach!to!the!sacraments!
and!their!ardent!desire!to!see!the!Eucharist!highly!
respected!and!valued!was!often!mislabelled.!!The!
situation!was!not!black!and!white.!!Nevertheless,!
the!influence!was!strong!and!the!canonization!of!
Don!Cafasso,!many!years!later,!highlighted!this!
holy!man’s!desire!to!free!the!faithful!from!such!an!
oppressive!God!and!this!influence!certainly!
touched!the!core!of!Don!Bosco.!!
What!also!touched!Don!Bosco,!however,!was!the!
austerity!prevalent!inside!of!the!struggle!to!find!a!
pure!form!of!Christian!living.!!There!existed!a!
great!struggle!between!two!schools!of!thought!in!
that!time!and!region:!a!benignist!disposition!led!
largely!by!the!Jesuits,!the!Oblates!of!the!Virgin!
Mary,!the!Friendship!Association,!and!the!
Convitto,!and!a!rigorist!disposition!held!firmly!by!
those!who!feared!a!new!rise!of!religious!apathy!
such!as!that!leading!to!the!French!Revolution,!a!
position!espoused!by!the!University!of!Turin!and!
the!Seminary!there.16!The!newly!ordained!priest!
embraced!a!God!readily!available!to!all!in!the!
sacrament!of!Confession!and!approachable!in!the!
Eucharist,!but!he!also!maintained!the!necessity!
for!one!to!consciously!work!toward!salvation!by!a!
life!of!interiority,!prayer,!joyful!and!willing!
obedience!to!the!will!of!God,!and!the!brave!
suffering!that!comes!with!living!for!others!and!for!
God.!!Such!a!life!adhered!fiercely!to!the!Church!
with!affection!and!obedience!to!the!Holy!Father.!!
During!his!three!years!of!study!at!the!Convitto,!
this!attitude!pervaded!his!role!as!Confessor.!!He!
clearly!distanced!himself!from!the!rigorist!
tendency!and!chose,!instead,!a!view!of!intimacy!
with!God!more!in!line!with!the!teachings!of!Saint!
Francis!de!Sales!and!Saint!Alphonsus!Liguori.!!
This,!too,!characterized!his!practice!of!teaching!
catechism,!as!per!his!duty!in!training.!!Along!with!
this!duty!came!the!outreach!to!poor!youth!in!the!
city,!something!not!distinctly!associated!with!Don!
Bosco.!!This!would!be!the!occasion!for!Don!Bosco!
to!hone!all!the!more!his!vision!for!answering!
God’s!call.!!
The Choice for “the Abandoned”
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The!Salesian!family!of!Don!Bosco!is!wont!to!
pinpoint!the!saint’s!critical!moment!of!choice!
for!youth!to!his!encounter!with!a!sixteenLyearL
old!orphan!at!the!Church!of!St.!Francis!of!Assisi!
in!Turin!on!8!December!1841.!This!can!be!
considered!the!historical!moment!for!the!start!
of!Don!Bosco’s!personal!connection!to!his!
future!ministry,!but!he!had!been!teaching!and!
visiting!the!youth!of!Turin!prior!to!this.!!Such!
outreach!preceded!Don!Bosco’s!arrival!in!Turin,!
as!well.!!What$are$important$in$the$exchange$
with$Bartholomew$Garelli$are$the$connection$
Don$Bosco$makes$with$this$orphaned$youth$and$
the$resonance$this$has$in$his$own$heart.!Here!the!
fatherless!Don!Bosco!meets!an!orphan.!!Here!a!
teen!too!embarrassed!to!attend!school!connects!
deeply!with!Giovanni,!who!experienced!ridicule!
as!he!entered!schooling!later!than!most.!!Here,!
Don!Bosco!met!a!hunger!for!individual!care,!
and!offered!the!promise!of!friendly!
accompaniment!he!so!desperately!longed!for!at!
every!turn!in!his!own!life.!
Certainly,!he!launched!a!program!of!catechesis!
and!outreach!that!would!grow!rapidly.!!
Ironically,!his!mentor!Don!Cafasso!would!
interrupt!this!growing!ministry!at!the!end!of!
Don!Bosco’s!years!at!the!Convitto!and!force!a!
choice!upon!the!young!priest.!!He!would!be!
offered!the!chance!to!continue!catechism!as!a!
tutor!at!the!Convitto!at!the!expense!of!a!
growing!Oratory,!or!to!become!chaplain!for!a!
hospital!of!400!young!girls.!!The!choice!pushed!
Don!Bosco!to!choose!going!away!from!the!
comfortable!Convitto!to!attend!to!youth!in!
Turin!with!the!Marchioness!di!Barolo!under!the!
guidance!of!Don!Giovanni!Borel.!At!first!glance,!
this!appears!incongruous!with!the!vision!that!
would!be!associated!with!Don!Bosco,!but!in!
fact,!it!would!serve!to!confirm!his!calling!more!
specifically.!!This!was!intuited!by!Don!Cafasso!
who!told!Don!Bosco!that!God!would!show!him!
what!he!should!do!for!youth!if!he!went!to!Don!
Borel!and!continued!his!work.!
The!growing!mob!of!youth!followed!Don!Bosco!
to!the!little!hospital!of!the!Marchioness!di!
Barolo!where!Don!Bosco!assisted!the!head!
chaplain!Don!Borel.!!Here!he!felt!the!
independence!to!explore!new!possibilities!for!
these!young!people,!even!as!he!attended!to!his!
duties!at!the!Refugio!while!the!Hospital!of!St.!
Philomena!was!under!construction.!!Tensions!
would!arise!on!two!fronts:!the!collaboration!
efforts!of!other!oratories!in!the!city!with!Don!
Bosco’s!work!and!the!demands!felt!by!the!
Marchioness!for!her!work!for!the!girls.!!On!the!
first!front,!some!other!efforts!to!reach!out!to!poor!
youth!became!entangled!in!patriotic!politics!and!
protest.!!
This!Don!
Bosco!
shunned!
completely.!!
He!was!
ready!and!
willing!to!
collaborate!
with!others’!
efforts!on!
behalf!of!the!
young!but!
only!
according!to!
his!own!
judgment!in!
order!to!
avoid!such!
entangleme
nts.!!
Don!Bosco’s!growing!Oratory!moved!from!the!
Church!of!St.,!Francis!of!Assisi!to!the!unfinished!
hospital!being!built!for!girls.!!This!served!as!the!
place!of!meeting!for!Don!Bosco’s!charges!until!its!
completion.!!By!this!time,!Archbishop!Fransoni!
had!become!an!admirer!of!Don!Bosco’s!efforts!
and!even!blessed!a!chapel!there!for!the!boys’!use.!!
In!November!of!1845,!Don!Bosco!moved!the!
meetings!to!the!house!of!the!priest,!Don!Giovanni!
Moretta.!!He!rented!three!rooms!there!and!over!
200!students!would!meet!in!the!daytime!while!
night!classes!were!offered!as!well.!!It!was!during!
this!period!that!Don!Bosco!acknowledged!that!
rumors!abounded!regarding!his!intentions!
promulgating!the!idea!that!he!was!raising!a!horde!
for!revolution.1!Eventually,!the!noise!of!the!boys!
created!enough!disturbances!to!arouse!the!ire!of!
!
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the!other!tenants!in!Don!Moretta’s!building!and!
the!Oratory!was!forced!to!move!elsewhere!yet!
again.!!
Accompanied by a Shepherdess and Sheep
By!March!1846,!Don!Borel!joined!Don!Bosco!at!
a!field!rented!from!the!Filippi!brothers!only!to!
be!evicted!in!a!few!weeks.!!By!now,!the!vision!
that!may!have!been!clear!to!Don!Bosco!was!
becoming!extremely!unclear!even!to!Don!
Bosco’s!greatest!supporters!prompting!the!
notion!that!the!young!priest!was!losing!his!
mind.!!Nonetheless,!Don!Bosco!clung!to!a!dream!
he!had!had!at!the!start!of!his!work!among!the!
young!people!of!Turin.!!In!this!dream,!he!again!
retreated!to!the!spiritual!and!became!
convinced!of!the!direction!his!life!was!taking.!!
He!saw!wild!animals!again!and!he!followed!a!
shepherdess!who!helped!him!to!lead!this!
strange!flock.!!He!saw!a!new!building!with!
porticoes!and!a!huge!Church.!!Along!the!
journey,!many!of!the!animals!had!become!
sheep.!!Moreover,!when!Giovanni!became!tired,!
he!noticed!that!many!of!these!sheep!
transformed!into!shepherds!to!help!him.!!
Despite!the!surmounting!difficulties!and!
oppositions,!he!remained!steadfast!and!hopeful,!
as!is!evident!in!his!own!words:!
This dream lasted most of the night. I saw it all in
great detail. But at the time I understood little of
its meaning since I put little faith in it. But I
understood little by little as the dream began to
come true. Later, together with another dream, it
served as a blueprint for my decisions.17
Identifying the Flock
“Poor!and!abandoned”!had!been!a!term!already!
put!to!use!by!a!French!priest!working!among!
youth!in!Marseilles!in!the!18th!century,!Servant!of!
God,!Abbé!JeanLJoseph!Allemand![1772L1836],18!
and!in!institutions!set!up!by!Don!Ludovico!Pavoni!
in!Brescia.!!The!same!term!was!employed!by!Don!
Bosco!and!by!Don!Giovanni!Cocchi!and!Don!Pietro!
Ponte19,!Piedmontese!priests!also!dedicated!to!
forming!oratories.!!This!description!of!their!
outreach!helped!to!identify!the!target!of!their!
mission.!!Still,!it!deserves!more!clarification!here.!
Don!Bosco!was!a!poor!peasant,!and!he!felt!the!
sting!of!his!father’s!early!death!and!the!struggle!of!
living!in!turmoil!because!of!family!strife!and!the!
lack!of!resources!for!his!education.!!This,!
however,!would!not!be!the!description!attached!
to!his!use!of!“poor!and!abandoned”!especially!
living!in!the!new!crises!presenting!themselves!in!
the!industrial!city!of!Turin.!!The!poor!and!
abandoned!youth!there!had!very!specific!
historical,!social,!and!religious!situations!crying!
out!for!response.!!Don!Bosco!recognized!the!
difference!between!the!poverty!that!was!a!part!of!
his!experience!and!the!“new!experience”20!he!
found!in!the!streets!of!Turin.!!Don!Bosco!made!
this!description:!
Stonecutters, bricklayers, plasterers mostly attended
the oratory, cobblestone setters, squarers and others
arrived from distant places…
…from the Savoy, Switzerland, the Aosta Valley,
Biella, Novara, and Lombardy.21
It!may!appear!that!his!accompaniment!waned!
in!this!period,!but!this!was!far!from!the!reality.!!
Instead,!his!accompaniment!was!found!in!two!
very!distinctive!and!telling!places!when!the!rest!
of!the!world!seemed!to!walk!away!from!him.!!
He!found!his!closest!companions!in!the!Virgin!
Mary,!the!Help!of!Christians,!and!in!the!young!
people!themselves.!!Needless!to!say,!both!of!
these!refuges!he!considered!as!gifts!from!God.!!
Both!appeared!in!his!recurring!vocational!
dream!and!both!appeared!in!various!other!
manifestations!throughout!his!life.!!
!Arthur!Lenti!describes!the!area!as!full!of!children!
“eking!out”!a!living!by!odd!jobs!that!provided!
them!a!“meager!livelihood.”!Most!of!these!youth!
also!lived!without!protection!and!resorted!to!
gangs!for!defense.!These!were!immigrants!and!
locals!alike,!permanent!residents!and!seasonal!
workers!all!sharing!a!similar!plight.!Though!
factories!enslaved!children!as!young!as!8!years!of!
age,!most!of!those!targeted!by!Don!Bosco!and!the!
other!oratorian!efforts!were!between!the!ages!of!
12!and!20.!We!recall!that!Don!Bosco!had!been!
!
12!

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! TGHetEti!nLOg!RtoE!KMn!IoPwSU!DMonS!Bosco:!His!Place!in!History! !
!
!
November,!2011! FALL!2016!
introduced!to!many!young!people!at!the!
prisons!as!he!assisted!Don!Cafasso.!!These!boys!
of!Turin!fell!into!this!category.!!They!were!
rarely!in!prison!for!serious!crime,!but!as!a!
result!of!hunger!or!by!association!with!the!
gangs.!!
!Lenti!describes!as!many!as!thousand!of!these!
young!people!flooding!the!market!each!day!in!
Turin,!looking!for!some!kind!of!work.!There!
were!also!many!of!these!youth!and!many,!much!
younger!than!this!group,!who!were!regularly!
employed!in!the!factories,!but!their!plight!was!
no!better!as!they!were!usually!badly!exploited,!
frequently!sick!or!injured,!and!generally!
neglected.!!The!image!of!Don!Bosco!at!the!
marketplace,!the!train!station,!or!at!the!local!
factories!is!a!common!part!of!the!Salesian!story!
and!this!explains!why.!
The!wages!received!in!day!jobs!and!by!regular!
workers!made!it!nearly!impossible!to!live!in!an!
apartment.!!Such!conditions!negated!the!
possibility!of!an!education,!and!reduced!food!
staples!to!an!inadequate!diet!for!proper!
nutrition!even!among!the!traditionally!poor.!!
Obviously,!these!sad!situations!precipitated!
crime!and!delinquency.!!Crimes!ranged!from!
petty!theft!to!serious!burglary!or!prostitution.!!
Gangs!gravitated!to!the!Vanchiglia!District!of!
Turin!near!the!River!Po.!Some!of!these!gangs!
were!known!for!murder!and!others!for!
breaking!and!entry!and!theft.!!These!gangs!
were!well!known!at!the!time!of!Don!Bosco’s!
first!oratory!efforts.!!Unfortunately,!the!civil!
outreach!was!minimal!and!inadequate.!!Outside!
of!the!reforms!instituted!by!King!Charles!
Albert,!such!as!the!separation!of!children!from!
adults!in!prison,!little!was!done.!!Even!the!good!
intentions!of!the!King!were!lost!in!bureaucratic!
malaise.!!Don!Bosco!was!among!a!new!
generation!of!priests!who!tried!to!respond!in!
realistic!and!helpful!ways!seeing!that!the!older!
generation!of!priests!and!the!parish!structures!
themselves!were!at!a!loss.!
His!response!would!be!pedagogical!and!
spiritual.!!Sabino!Palumbieri!writes!of!Don!
Bosco’s!“preoccupation”!at!this!moment:!
Don Bosco era preoccupatissimo delle incidenze
sulla fragilità psicologica dei ragazzi. Egli è stato un
educatore che ha realizzato il concetto etimologico
di pedagogia. Il pedagogo è colui che conduce per
mano il bambino. Don Bosco usava una gradualità di
trattamento educativo. Agendo su adolescenti e
preadolescenti, vedeva un'incidenza negativa di certe
figure sul ragazzo, il quale avrebbe potuto portarlo a
generalizzare quella categoria: don Abbondio
pavido, ecco ogni prete pavido; la monaca di Monza
costretta in quella forma, ecco ogni religiosa forzata
a una vita non gradita.23
Don!Bosco!heard!the!collective!cry.!!Here!are!his!
own!words!for!this!dire!situation!as!he!presses!to!
reveal!the!truer!identity!of!the!young!as!anything!
but!depraved,!and!weighing!the!need!to!act!on!
their!behalf:!
The young constitute the most fragile yet most
valuable component of human society, for we base
our hopes for the future on them. They are not
themselves depraved. Were it not for parental
neglect, idleness, mixing in bad company, something
they experience especially on Sundays and holy
days, it would be so easy to inculcate in their young
hearts moral and religious principles–of order, good
behavior, respect, religious practice. For if they are
found to have been ruined at that young age, it will
have been due more to thoughtlessness than to
ingrained malice. These young people have real
need of some kind of person who will care for them,
work with them, guide them in virtue, and keep them
away from evil.24
It!should!not!be!surprising!that!the!first!boys!to!
come!to!Don!Bosco!at!the!start!of!his!oratory!were!
those!he!met!in!prison.!Lenti!points!out!the!
discrepancy!between!the!“harmonious”!incidents!
with!Bartholomew!Garelli!and!Don!Bosco’s!own!
sentence!“This!was!the!beginning!of!the!Oratory.”!
This!pronouncement!of!Don!Bosco!is!vague!in!its!
application!and!Lenti!suggests!that!perhaps!
Garelli!became!the!symbol!of!all!orphaned,!poor,!
and!abandoned!youth.25!In!fact,!it!may!well!be!
that!the!sentence!refers!to!his!awakening!in!the!
prisons!while!assisting!Don!Cafasso!at!the!
Convitto.!In!either!case,!whether!he!sensed!this!
immediately!in!prison!or!later!in!the!collective!cry!
of!a!darker!reality!overLshadowing!Turin,!Don!
Bosco!heard!their!cry!and!for!him,!it!was!the!voice!
!
13!

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09
! THGEe!LttOinRgE!tMo!KIPnSoUwM!DS!on!Bosco:!His!Place!in!History! !
!
!
November,!2011F! ALL!2016!
of!God.!
!
!
!
Endnotes:!
1 BOSCO, MO, 36.
2 STELLA, Don Bosco: Life and Work, 18.
Stella quotes directly from Don Bosco’s MO.
3 Pietro BRAIDO, Prevenire non
reprimare, Rome, LAS, 42000, 140.
4 BOSCO, MO, 42.
5 Cf. BOSCO, MO, 43.
6 Cf. STELLA, Don Bosco: Life and Work,
19.Pietro Stella underlines the trauma of this loss
on the young man referring to Don Bosco’s
account in the MO: “Things went so far that my
mother, fearing for my health, sent me away for a
while to my grandfather in Capriglio.”
7 Cf. STELLA, Don Bosco: Life and Work,
22.
8 STELLA, Don Bosco: Life and Work, 23.
9 Pietro BRAIDO, Prevenire non
reprimare, Rome, LAS, 42000, 140.
10 Cf. BRAIDO, Prevenire non reprimare,
141.
11 BOSCO, MO, 82. This reference to the
work of Don Caviglia is offered in the notes added
to the English translation of the Memoirs of the
Oratory, with the research of Michael MENDL,
and John DRURY.
12Cf. BOSCO, MO, 90-97, and STELLA,
Don Bosco: Life and Work, 30-32.
13 STELLA, Don Bosco: Life and Work,
32.
14 Cf. BRAIDO, Prevenire non reprimare,
143. Braido adds this note to his reference: MO
(1991), 91. Many impressions at the moment of
his departure, MO (1991), 110. In a book by priest
F. Falcone, Per la riforma dei seminari in Italia
(Rome: F. Pustet, 1906), Don Bosco’s preventive
system is also proposed for “seminaries, especially
for Middle and High schools”, although combined
substantially for the particular aims of
ecclesiastical formation, with the “substance of the
S. Charles educational system”. (Ibid., 56-66).
15 Cf. STELLA, Don Bosco: Life and
Work, 65.
16 Cf. BOSCO, MO of the Oratory, in
“Comment on John’s Dream 1830, 57-58.
17 BRAIDO, Prevenire non reprimare, 145.
18 BOSCO, MO, 182.
19 Cf. STELLA, Don Bosco: Life and Work,
80. This quote comes from a text Stella maintains
influenced many Piedmontese pastors,
Conversations with Jesus Christ in the Blessed
Sacrament, a text written by Gabriel Gerberon. Stella
explains that acting vicar general for Cardinal Delle
Lanze, Gaspare Nizzia, had made a gift of this book
to the Piedmontese Minister of Foreign Affairs,
Joseph Ossorio, in 1762.
20 Cf. STELLA, Don Bosco: Life and Work,
36-37.
21 Cf. BOSCO, MO, 233.
22 BOSCO, MO, 211.
23 Cf. STELLA, Don Bosco: Life and Work,
106, note 18 and 112, note 33 explains that St.
Martin’s Oratory was entrusted to the secretary of
the Barolo, Don Ponte.
24 Cf. STELLA, Don Bosco: Life and Work,
106, 110.
25 Cf. Arthur LENTI, Don Bosco and “Poor
and Abandoned” Youth, in “Journal of Salesian
Studies,” 6, 1, Berkeley, Institute of Salesian
Studies, 1996, 8.
26 LENTI, Don Bosco and “Poor and
Abandoned Youth,” 8.
27 Sabino PALUMBIERI, Passione per
l’uomo, in D. Del Rio-A. Paoluzzi, Salesiani e
Gesuiti. Viaggio inchiesta allinterno di due grandi
congregazioni religiose, Torino, SEI, 1996, 35-36.
28 Cf. S. G. BOSCO quoted in LENTI, Don
Bosco and “Poor and Abandoned” Youth, 19.
29 Cf. LENTI, Don Bosco and “Poor and
Abandoned”Youth, in the comment, 22.
%
!
14!

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! Getting!to!Know!Don!Bosco:!His!Place!in!History! !
!
!
November!2011!
Suggestions!for!Use!of!this!Guide...!
Community!Days!
Cooperators!
How!did!your!October!Community!Meetings!
go?!!Ours!were!wonderful.!!Here!are!just!a!
few!more!questions!for!this!month.!!
• Recall!a!childhood!or!adolescent!
friendship.!!Are!you!still!in!touch?!!
How!has!the!relationship!shaped!
who!you!are!today?!
• How!has!your!interior!life!grown!and!
become!more!intentional!over!the!
years?!
Discuss!these!issues!at!your!next!meeting:!
• How!might!your!private!
relationships!add!to!or!distract!from!
you!life!of!faith?!
• Do!you!have!spiritual!friends!who!
help!you!reach!your!goals!of!
holiness?!
Invite!a!lifelong!friend!to!see!your!life!as!a!
Cooperator.!!Introduce!this!person!to!Don!
Bosco!and!the!Salesian!Mission.!
With!the!Young!
Create!activities,!study!nights,!and!moments!
of!sharing!around!these!issues:!
• Ask!the!young!people!to!make!a!list!
of!qualities!that!make!a!true!friend!
• Ask!the!young!people!to!keep!a!
journal!of!their!friendships!and!to!
analyze!after!one!month!which!
friendships!cause!them!to!grow!
closer!to!God.!
• Invite!the!young!to!lead!an!evening!
of!adoration!or!devotion.!!Let!them!
lead!with!their!prayers!and!their!
sharing!of!faith.!
!
Colleagues!
Make!a!resolution!for!the!month!of!
November!to!be!a!colleague!who!never!
participates!in!gossip!or!hearsay.!!Be!the!
example!of!a!friend!to!all!by!being!
positive,!honest,!and!always!respectful!of!
others.!!Do!the!difficult!task!of!narrowing!
these!efforts!toward!a!person!with!whom!
you!work!and!minister!who!is!
particularly!grating!for!you.!!Melt!their!
hearts!with!sincere!outreaches!of!
friendship.!!Forgive!wrongs!and!ask!
forgiveness!when!necessary.!
!

2.6 Page 16

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12
!
DON!BOSCO!IN!HISTORY!
Gather!$Study!$Pray!$
Finish!off!that!pie,!call!your!staff,!your!families,!your!
colleagues,!and!the!youth!in!your!area.!!Go!forward!with!
meetings!of!your!own!design.!!Discuss!your!interior!lives!and!
make!
resolutions!
for!action!!
OCTOBER!2011!
It’s$Turn!$
Institute!of!Salesian!Spirituality!
Share$your$questions$for$Fr.$Arthur...$
Please!send!your!questions!regarding!the!History!of!Don!
Bosco!and!his!place!in!History!to!Fr.!Arthur.!!Send!these!to!
DonBoscoHallCA@gmail.com!!
1831!Arch!Street]!
Berkeley,!CA!94709!
Guidelines!for!Deeper!Study...!
From!the!Critical!Work!of!Fr.!Arthur!Lenti!
See!Don$Bosco$History$and$Spirit$volume!2:!
Birth$and$Early$Development$of$Don$Bosco’s$
Oratory$
• Read!Fr.!Arthur’s!classic!treatment!
of!the!definition!of!the!“poor!and!
abandoned”!as!found!in!Volume!2,!
Chapter!1.!This!important!chapter!
begins!on!page!1!and!concludes!on!
page!32.!
!
After!becoming!familiar!with!the!
terminology!and!reality!Don!Bosco!
understood!as!the!background!for!his!
mission!to!the!young,!return!to!his!earlier!
experiences!as!an!adolescent!and!young!
man!in!Chieri.!!The!school!at!Castelnuovo!
is!the!setting!for!Don!Bosco’s!first!meeting!
with!a!young!cleric!named!Joseph!Cafasso.!!
Even!before!Don!Bosco!would!choose!this!
!
man!as!his!confessor!and!spiritual!guide,!there!
are!details!offered!in!Don!Bosco’s!encounters!
with!this!young!man!years!before.!!Fr.!Arthur!
details!these!encounters!and!assesses!Don!
Bosco’s!interpretations!of!these!relationships!in!
don$Bosco$History$and$Spirit,$volume$1:$Don$
Bosco’s$Formative$Years$in$Historical$Context.$$
Chapters!10!and!11!(pages!227L289)offer!these!
insights!and!much!more!as!Don!Bosco!moves!
from!primary!to!secondary!school.!Fr.!Arthur!
carefully!discusses!“the!context!of!choosing!
friends”!in!these!chapters,!dealing!with!the!
formation!of!the!Societa!dell’Allegria,!and!other!
initiatives!of!the!student!Bosco.!
!
Attached!to!this!study!guide!are!seven!whole!
chapters!from!The$Memoirs$of$the$Oratory$
including!the!appended!notes!from!the!1989!
English!edition.!

2.7 Page 17

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!
!
!
!
!
!
Excerpts from
!
!
!
!
Memoirs of the
!
!
!
!
Oratory
!
!
Chapters 7-13
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!

2.8 Page 18

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School at Chieri 1
7
School at Chieri
School in Chieri Kindness of teachers
The first four grades
After the loss of so much time, it was finally decided to send me to Chieri,1 where
I could continue seriously with my schooling. That was in 11830.2 One raised in the
backwoods3 finds plenty of novelties to wonder at in even a small country village. I lodged
with a woman from my own town, Lucy Matta,' a widow with one son. She used to stay in
the city to help him and keep all eye on him.4
The first person I met was Fr Eustace Valimberti, of revered memory. He gave me a
lot of good advice on how to keep out of trouble.6 He invited me to serve his Mass and thus
lie could always advise me well. He brought me to see the headmaster in Chicri7 and
introduced me to my other teachers. Up to now, my studies had been a little of everything and
amounted almost to nothing. Accordingly, I was advised to enroll in the sixth class, which
today would correspond to the first year of ginnasio.8
My teacher was Dr Pugnetti,9 also of dear memory. He was very kind to me. He
helped me in school, invited me to his home, and was very sympathetic to me because of my
age and my goodwill. He went out of his way to help - me as much as he could.
My age and my size made me look like a pillar amongst my little companions. I was
anxious to get out of that situation, After two months of the sixth class, I was at its head. I
took an examination and moved up to the fifth class." I went gladly to my new class because
my classmates were more my size, and my teacher was the beloved Fr Valimberti.Il After
two more months, I led the class again and, by exception, was allowed to take another
examination and so was promoted to the fourth class, which is equivalent to the second year
of ginnasio.12
Here my teacher was Joseph Cima. a strict disciplinarian.13 When he saw this student
as big and stocky as himself coming into his class in midyear, lie joked in front of the whole
class, "He's either a simpleton or a genius. What do you make of him?”
Taken aback by that harsh introduction, I answered, "Something in-between. I'm just a
poor young fellow who has the goodwill to do his work and get along in his studies."
He was mollified by my reply and went on with unusual kindness, "1f you have
goodwill, you're in good hands. I'll see that you won't be idle here. Don't worry; if you have
any problems, tell me promptly and I'll sort them out for you."
I thanked him with all my heart.
After a couple of months in this class, something happened that gave rise to sonic
comment about me. One day the teacher was explaining the life of Agesilaus in Cornelius
Nepos." I did not have my book with me that day, and to cover my forgetfulness, I kept my
Donato open in front of me. My companions noticed, and first one and then another began to
laugh. Suddenly the whole classroom was in an uproar.
""That's going on here?" shouted the teacher. "What's going on?" he shot at me, this
time. Everyone was looking at me. He told me to construe the text and repeat his explanation.
I got to my feet, still holding my Donato. From memory I repeated the text, construed it, and
explained it. Instinctively my companions expressed their admiration and burst into applause.

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School at Chieri 2
The teacher was angry beyond description. It was the first time, according to him, that he had
failed to maintain discipline. He swung at me, but I saw it coming and ducked. Next lie
placed his hand on my Donato and demanded of my neighbours the reason for all the
commotion.
`Bosco had his Donato in front of him all the time," my companions explained, "but
he read and explained the lesson as if he had the Cornelius text." The teacher took the Donato
and insisted I go on for two sentences more. Then he said to me, "In tribute to your wonderful
memory, 15 I'll overlook your forgetfulness. You're blessed. Only see that your gift
is put to good use,"
At the end of that school year (1830-1831)16 as a result of my high marks, I
was
promoted
to
the
third
class,
equivalent
to
the
third
year
of
.17
ginnasio
Notes
1 . Chieri was an ancient cathedral city about nine miles southeast of Turin, separated
from the great capital city by the Turinese hills, and about nine miles west-southwest
of Castelnuovo. With about nine thousand inhabitants, it was easily the largest city in
the area of Castelnuovo, and it was the only industrial center. The principal industry
was the manufacture of cotton and silk textiles; there were some thirty factories, some
of them perhaps just domestic enterprises.
By John Bosco's time there was no longer an episcopal see at Chieri, but there were
numerous convents and monasteries-of the Dominicans, Orarorians, Jesuits,
Franciscans, and Poor Clares-and, since 1829, one of the archdiocesan seminaries.
The city was also a student center, attracting to its schools several hundred boys and
young men each year from the towns and villages of the area. Student life was

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School at Chieri 3
difficult. Schooling required tuition and books. Housing was hard to find and of poor
quality. To meet their rent, food, and school expenses, students had to work after
school in jobs like clerking, housecleaning, tutoring younger boys, or tending horses.
Chieri students dressed poorly, ate poorly, and suffered from the cold of winter. John
Bosco's situation was not at all unusual except for his age. His strong peasant con-
stitution helped him to cope with the wretched food and miserable living conditions
and even to maintain his athletic prowess-as we shall see.
2. John went to Chieri on November 3, 1831.
3. "backwoods" = boschi in Don Bosco`s text, he is punning on his name, which means
"wood" in Italian.
4. Lucy Matta's (1783-1851) husband ,Joseph had died in 1824. The Mattas were from
Morialdo. While her son John Baptist was studying at the Royal College from 1831 to
1833, Mrs. Matta rented a house in piazza San Guglielmo, off 9 via Mercanti, from
James Marchisio.
Mama Margaret sent John to staff with the good lady.
This meant she had to pay a steep board tog fee of twenty, one lire a month, which the
family could not afford. John covered part of this sum by doing jobs for Mrs. Maui,
and his mother supplied the rear in either cash or produce. The landladv soon came to
realize what a treasure she had in her house with this young man, and she began to
make ready use of him for her son's good. And she stopped asking rent from her
tenant.
5. Mrs. Matta's vigilance (assistere vegliare) foreshadows the Preventive System.
6. Here we have yet another intimation of Don Bosco's system. Frequently at the Oratory
he would ask good boys to look after new or troublesome boys in the same way. It
was part - of the strategy of having good companions.
7. The headmaster or principal was appointed by the government since the school was a
public one. At this time he was a Dominican, Father Pius Ensebius Sibilla.
8. In the educational system of the time, once elementary education was completed, the
first stage of secondary education involved five classes (or years). The first three were
sometimes known as grammar 1, 2, and 3, after which came humanities and rhetoric.
This period was followed by about two years of philosophy which, for clerical
students, would be the first years of seminary studies.
The corresponding system in modern Italy consists of five years of ginnasio followed
by three years of liceo. This prepares for entry to tertian-, or university, studies. There
is also a "middle track" (scuola media) without access to liceo
In Britain the corresponding system is forms 1 to 5 of compulsory education until one
is sixteen or older. These are followed by optional sixth-form studies of two or three
years in lower and upper sixth that can lead to entrance to university education.
The five years of the Italian ginnasio are approximately equivalent to the four years of
college-preparatory high school in the United States or, again approximately, to the
five years of Canadian high school.
By the time Don Bosco was writing his Memoirs, the old system had been reformed.
So he gives a little explanation. In the 1830s classes were numbered in reverse order.
The sixth class was the preparatory form, while the fifth, fourth, and third classes

3 Pages 21-30

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3.1 Page 21

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School at Chieri 4
(grammar 1, 2, and 3) corresponded to forms 1, 2, and 3 of the ginnasio. The
humanities and rhetoric years corresponded to forms 4 and 5 of secondary school. The
preparatory year was equivalent to the last year of primary school (eighth grade in the
American system). So its pupils were boys of twelve or thirteen, in the midst of whom
was thrown this newly-arrived sixteen-year-old country lad.
The secondary and undergraduate school systems look like this:
Piedmont
Modem Italy
United States
United Kingdom
Preparatory
Grade 8
Grammar 1
Ginnasio 1
Grade 9
Form 1
Grammar 2
Ginnasio 2
Grade 10
Form 2
Grammar 3
Ginnasio 3
Grade 11
Form 3
Humanities
Ginnasio 4
Grade 12
Form 4
Rhetoric
Ginnasio 5
Junior College
Form 5
Philosophy
Liceo
Junior College
Form 6
School
9. John's teacher in the sixth class was Father Valerian Pugnetti. "Doctor" here and
elsewhere in the Memoirs means Doctor of Theology.
10. January 1832,
11 Father Placido Valimberti.
12. It was now about March 1832, and John had reached tenth grade (form 2).
13. Cima's first name was Vincent. He was a seminarian.
14. Cornelius Nepos (100-25 s.c.) was a human historian.
15. John Bosco certainly did have a phenomenal memory, which he demonstrated
repeatedly. He used to say that for him to read something was to remember it. When
he was already well on in years, he could still entertain his secretaries by reciting long
passages from Dante. A few months before his death, he was traveling in the coach
with Father Rua. The conversation came around to some point of sacred history which
had inspired Metastasio (1698-1782). Don Bosco recited whole stanzas from the
Italian poet; it was very unlikely that he had read any of the poetry since leaving sec-
ondary school. Various examples of his extraordinary memory are cited throughout
the BM, e.g. I, 294, 315, 321-323.
16. Correct to 1831-1832.
17. In one school year John had done three years' work. No doubt his diligence and his
maturity, relative to his classmates, helped him a great deal, as did his memory. Stella
writes, "His marks were brilliant, at least by comparison with those of his fellow
students; but his surviving notebooks reveal clearly how incomplete his training in the
humanities was at that point" (LW, p. 23).

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The Society for a Good Time 6
8
The Society for
A Good Time
My companions The Society for a Good Time
Christian duties
All this time I had to use my own initiative to learn how to deal with my
companions. I put them in three groups: the good, the indifferent, and the bad. As soon as I
spotted the bad ones, I avoided them absolutely andd always. The indifferent I associated
with only when necessary, but I was always courteous with them. I made friends with the
good ones, and then only when I was sure of them.1
As I knew few people in the town, I made it a rule to keep to myself. I sometimes had
to discourage people I did not know too well. Some wanted to get me to a show, others into
some gambling, and still others to go swimming.' And there were suggestions that I should
steal fruit from the town gardens or country orchards.
One companion was so bold as to suggest that I should steal a valuable object from
my landlady so that we could buy some sweets. Gradually I got to know the undesirables and
firmly avoided their company. Usually I had a counter to these suggestions. I used to tell
them that my mother had asked my landlady to look after me, and out of love for my mother I
did not want to go anywhere nor do anything without good Lucy's consent.
This firm obedience to the good woman led to a very happy and practical conclusion.
With much pleasure, Lucy asked me to take charge of her only son,* a lively youth more
interested in games than in schoolwork. She depended on me to check his homework even
though he was in the class above me. I took him in hand as if he were my brother.' I used
little prizes as bribes to get to him. I played indoor games with him and helped him to be
faithful to his religious duties. Little by little he became more tractable, obedient, and
studious.' After six months he had become so good and diligent that his teacher was satisfied
and he won honors in class. His mother was so delighted that she refused to accept my
monthly rent.
Since the companions who tried to coax me into their escapades were the most
careless about everything, they began to come to me for help because I did them the kindness
of lending them my homework or dictating it to them. The teachers frowned on this. They said
that it was a false kindness that only encouraged laziness, and they strictly forbadee me to do
it. I then resorted to less obvious ways of helping them, such as explaining problems to them
and lending a helping hand to those who needed it. Thus I made everyone happy and won the
goodwill and affection of my companions. At first they came to play, then to listen to stories
or to do their homework, and finally for no reason at all, just as the boys at Murialdo and
Castelnuovo used to do.
That these gatherings might have a name, we called ourselves the Society for a Good
Time." There was a reason for the name, because everyone was obliged to look for such
books, discuss such subjects, or play such games as would contribute to the happiness of the
members. Whatever would induce sadness was forbidden, especially things contrary to God's
law. Those who swore, used God's name in vain, or indulged in bad talk were turned away
from the club at once.

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Society for a Good Time 7
So it was that I found myself the leader of a crowd of companions. Two basic rules
were adopted: (1) Each member of the Society for a Good Time should avoid language and
actions unbecoming a good Christian. (2) Exactness in the performance of scholastic and
religious duties.
All this helped my reputation, and in 1837 my companions respected me like the
captain of a small army. I was much in demand for entertainments, for helping pupils
privately, or for giving lessons or reviews at home.
Thus Divine Providence enabled me to supply my own clothes, school necessities,
and other things without having to disturb my family in any way.
Notes
1. Don Bosco returns to a favorite educational theme: the importance of choosing one's
companions carefully.
2. Swimming was viewed in Piedmont as a moral problem for several reasons:
Drowning in the sometimes treacherous waters of the cold, swift streams was a
serious risk (see chapter it).
"Skinny-dipping" clashed with the natural modesty of the people even though girls
were never present.
Lack of adult supervision sometimes allowed improper" behavior to occur. Note
young Dominic Savio's reasons for not going swinnuing-as lion Bosco puts those
reasons into the pre-adolescent's mouth-in chapter 4 of Savio's biography (pp. 4-5 of
the O'Brien edition or pp. 38-39 of the Aronica edition).
3. This note and similarly placed ones were added by Don Bosco during revision of
Father Berto's copy of the manuscript.
4. John Baptist Matta, who died in 1878, was six years senior to John. Yet it seems that
he was but one class ahead of John. From Don Bosco one would get the impression
that John had been looking after John Baptist as though the Matta boy were his
younger brother.
5. John did magic tricks, told stories, and even composed bits of poetry, as he will
mention later. It is not difficult to see how much of Don Bosco's Preventive System is
already at work here. And, again, we see the impact that a good companion can have
on another youth.
6. The Italian, “Societa’ dell’Allegria” is virtually untranslatable. It has been variously
rendered as the `'Glee Club," "Jovial Society," "Cheerful Company," “Good Times
Club," `'Happy Fellows Society." Stella (LW, p. 31) describes the club as a `secret'
society, like the many patriotic societies then flourishing in Italy." Thus Stella
reminds us that this was a revolutionary era. In 1830 there had been major, successful
uprisings in Belgium and France. In 1831 lesser, unsuccessful ones occurred in the
Papal States, Modena, and Parma, and there was unrest in Piedmont in spite of a
rigidly controlledd press. Theree was talk of a constitution, but King Charles Albert,
who had just come to the throne, mercilessly crushed a revolutionary conspiracy.
After the failures of these Italian ventures, Giuseppe Mazzini founded a new secret
society, Goivana Italia (Young Italy) in 1831.
Don Bosco has not yet given any indication in his Memoirs of the great national
events which were already , occurring and which would eventually touch him very
personally. As a country schoolboy, in a State that practiced censorship, he was

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Society for a Good Time 8
probably not even aware at the time of distant events. But John must have known that
there were secret societies like the Carbonari and the Freemasons and that soldiers
and the police visited Chieri in 1831 and 1834 to hunt out seditious elements.
Three of John Bosco's characteristics come through in the form taken by the Society
for a Good Time, a club in which he was effectively president, even if not so in name.
The three qualities are a lively, enterprising apostolic zeal; a real organizing ability;
and most of all. the joyful spirit that became the hallmark of all his educational work.
The rest of his autobiographical narrative will show how the germ of this apostolic
spirit developed.
7. We cannot be certain of the year when John and his friends organized the Society for
a Good Time, but it was probably soon after John arrived in Chieri.

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Life at School 9
9
Life at School
Good companions Practices of Piety
Amongst the members of our Society for a Good Time I discovered some who
were truly exemplary. Worthy of mention are William Garigliano from Poirino and Paul
Braje1 from Chieri. They were always ready for some good recreation, but only after they had
done their homework. Both were reserved and pious, and they gave me plenty of good
advice. On feast days, after the practices of piety in common at the college,2 we used to go
along to St Anthony's Church, where the Jesuits gave marvelous catechetical instructions
with plenty of stories that I still recall.
During the week, the Society for a Good Time used to meet at the home of one of the
members to talk about religious matters. Anyone was welcome to come to these gatherings.
Garigliano and Braje were amongst the most conscientious. We entertained ourselves with
some pleasant recreation, with discussions on religious topics, spiritual reading, and prayer.
We exchanged good advice, and if there were any personal corrections we felt we should
hand out to each other, whether these were our own personal observations or criticisms we
had heard others make, we did that. Without realizing it, we were putting into practice the
excellent adage, "Blessed is he who has an advisor"; and that saying of Pythagoras,3 "If you
have no friend to tell you your faults, pay an enemy to do it." Besides these friendly
activities, we went to hear sermons and often went to confession and holy communion.
Here it is good to recall that in those days religion was a basic part of the educational
system.' A teacher faced instant dismissal should he make any statement unbecoming or
irreligious. If this was the way teachers were treated; you can imagine how severely pupils
were dealt with for any unruly conduct or scandal.
We went to Holy Mass every morning; classes began with the devout praying of the
Actiones and the Aver Maria; they ended with the Agimus and an Ave Maria.5
On feast days all the pupils attended the college church. Before Mass we had spiritual
reading, followed by the chanting of the Little Office of Our Lady.6 Then came Mass and the
explanation of the gospel.7
In the evening we had a further catechetical instruction, vespers, and another sermon8
Everyone was expected to approach the holy sacraments; to prevent the neglect of this
important obligation, once a month the students had to present a card to prove that they had
gone to confession. If one fell down on this, he was barred from end-of-year examinations, no
matter how good he was at studies.9 This strict training produced marvelous results. Many
years went by without any swearing or unbecoming words being heard. The pupils were as
docile and respectful at school as they would have been at home. And it often happened that
in very large classes everyone won promotion at the end of the year. This was the case with
my own classmates in the third class, humanities, and rhetoric.
I had the great good fortune of choosing as my regular confessor Doctor Maloria,
canon of the chapter in Chieri.10 He always had a warm welcome for me. Indeed, lie encour-
aged me to go to confession and communion more often, advice not too commonly given in
those days, I do not remember that any of my teachers ever advised me along these lines.

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Life at School 10
Those who went to confession and communion more than once a month were considered very
virtuous; and many confessors would not permit it. Consequently, I have to thank my
confessor if I was not led by companions into certain unfortunate pitfalls that inexperienced
boys in large schools have to regret.11
During these two years,12 1 never forgot my friends at Murialdo. I kept in touch with
them and sometimes went to visit them on Thursdays.13 On autumn weekdays, as soon as they
got wind of my arrival they ran to meet me and always made a big fuss over me. A branch of
the Society for a Good Time was started amongst them, too. Those whose good conduct
throughout the year recommended them were enrolled. Bad conduct-especially swearing or
evil talk -warramted expulsion from the club.
Notes
1. Ceria says that the correct spelling is "Braia" (MO, p. 53); Stella spells it "Braja" (LW,
p.31) Presumably Ceria has Italianized the name, whereas Stella has kept the
Piedmontese form.
Garigliano, two years younger than John, was to be his companion at the seminary
and at the Convitto Ecclesiastico; he died in 1902. Paul Victor Braja, three years
younger than John, died on July 10, 1832. Hence the club must have been organized
during the school year 1831-1832.
2. The term "college" (collegium) designated a state-run secondary school such as the
Royal College that John attended in Chieri. Later in the nineteenth century it came to
mean a private, secondary-level boarding school. It is not to be confused with an
American college, i.e. the first level of higher education, leading to a bachelor's
degree. See Stella, LW, pp. 124-126.
The chapel was located on the ground floor off one of the two little courtyards where
the college was situated, at what is now via Vittorio Emanucle 45
3. Greek philospher and mathematician (ca. 588-ca. 500 B.c.).
4. The scholastic legislation of that period is to be found in an official publication,
Raccolta per ordine di material, dei Sovrani provvelimenti che reggono gli studi fuori
dell’Universita e gli stabilimenti dipendenti dal Matistrato dell Riforma [:A
Presentation in Topical Order of the Royal Laws for the Regulation of Studies
Outside the L'niversity] (Turin: Stamperia Reale. 1834). It also contains the royal
decrees promulgated in 1822 by king Charles Felix concerning religion, in a socio-
political context of vigorous restoration. The program is wide-ranging and detailed.
For instance, in the "Regulations for University Studies" there was article 123: "On
days preceding the other great solemnities of Holy Church, the feasts of the Blessed
Virgin, and the feasts of the patron saints of studies, after classes the students shall be
prepared to celebrate these mysteries."
Don Bosco gave similar advice for his schools and followed many of the particular
practices that he evidently learned in the public schools of the 1830s.
5. All the prayers were in Latin. The Actiones may be translated, "Lord, may everything
we do begin with your inspiration, continue with your help, and reach perfection
under your guidance, through Christ our Lord" (one of the collects for Ember
Saturday in Lent in the old liturgy; now the collect for the day after Ash Wednesday).

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Life at School 11
The Agimus is the familiar "We give you thanks, Almighty God, for all your benefits:
you who live and reign forever and ever." The Ave Maria is the Hail Marv.
Don Bosco's earliest Regulations for the Hospice Attached to the Oratory of Saint
Francis de Sales" (1852) contains this directive: "Work shall begin with the Actiones
and Ave Maria, and shall end with the Agimus and Ave Maria" (BM IV, 550; cf. IV,
553). In Salesian schools periods of work and study began and ended with these
prayers for many generations.
6. The Little Office of Our Lady was a simple, popular version of the Divine Office
(Liturgy of the Hours) in Gregorian chant. Since this version was virtually
unchanging, it was easily learned, even by nearly illiterate people (cf. chapter 40).
Before Mass the schoolboys sang only lauds (morning prayer),
7. According to the general custom in nineteenth-century Piedmont, the sermon usually
followed Mass.
8. Vespers (evening prayer) was sung from the Little Office. Such evening devotions
were the common practice at that time.
9. Modern pedagogical practice, of course, does not tolerate such infringement on the
freedom of conscience of pupils. Although Don Bosco notes the apparent good results
of the practice at Chieri, he never instituted it in his own schools. Not only was he
afraid that boys might be pressured into committing sacrilege, but he wanted an
atmosphere of freedom. For this reason, for example, he refused to have the students
go to communion row by row-a very orderly way to proceed-because it would be too
obvious who did or did not approach the Lord's table; rather, at communion time the
boys were to leave their places whenever they chose, if--they chose. Likewise,
confessors were always available when the boys were in church, and Don Bosco
himself would frequently seek out boys who lie knew had not been reconciled to the
Lord (see chapter qo); but no one was ever compelled to confess or to feign a
confession.
10. Canon Joseph Maloria (1802-1857), who had earned a doctorate in theology from the
University of Turin in 1825, was much respected for his learning. He had already
been Joseph Cafasso's confessor during the tatter's secondary school days, and he may
have helped deepen the friendship between John and Joseph that began when they met
at the Morialdo chapel (chapter 6). Father Maloria remained John's confessor from
this time through his seminary years. John seems to have visited him often at his
home.
As mentioned in chapter 7, note 2, Chieri had once been a cathedral city. It still had a
chapter of canons attached to its duomo. One of them at this time was Saint Joseph
Cottolengo, founder of the Little House of Divine Providence in Turin, a couple of
blocks away from the place where the Oratory of Saint Francis de Sales would one
day be established. In this reflection, Don Bosco not only notes in passing the danger
of bad companions but also cites a valuable experience that contributed to his
teaching that confession and communion are the pillars of a good education. In John's
youth, Jansenistic rigorism, which discouraged frequent communion, was still a
powerful influence in Piedmont. We will return to this problem in chapter 19, note 7
and comment, and chapter 27.
Don Bosco always linked an adolescent's perseverance in virtue and his growth in the
Christian life to the good advice, the encouragement and the fatherly vigilance of the
confessor. It should also be noted that he speaks of a -regular confessor," one who

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Life at School 12
comes to know the heart of his penitent and therefore can offer sound spiritual
guidance.
12. In Don Bosco's recollection, these years would probably be 1830-1832. He was in
secondary school at Chieri from 1831 to 1835.
13. There was no school on Thursday afternoons, but there was on Saturday mornings.

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Louis Comollo 13
10
Louis Comollo
Humanities and rhetoric
Louis Comollo
When we had finished the first courses of ginnasio,1 we had an inspection. The
man who came to examine us on behalf of the School Reform Board` was a lawyer of
outstanding merit, Prof. Fr Joseph Gazzani.3 He was very kind to me, and I have always
retained grateful memories of him; we have maintained a close, friendly relationship ever
since. This good priest is still living in Upper Moltedo near Oneglia,4 where he was born.
Amongst his many charitable works, he endowed a scholarship at our college in Alassio5 for
a boy desirous of studying for the priesthood.
Though the examinations were conducted strictly, all forty-five in our class were
promoted to the next class, which corresponds to our fourth year of ginnasio. I myself nearly
failed for giving a copy of my work to others. If I was let through, I am indebted to the
protection of my revered teacher Fr Giusiana, a Dominican. He set an extra paper for me, at
which I did very well, and I was passed unanimously.7
In those days there was a praiseworthy practice by which the town awarded a prize to
at least one student in each grade, remitting the twelve-franc tuition. To win this prize one
had to be approved unanimously in both studies and conduct. I was lucky enough to be
excused from this fee every year,
That year I lost one of my dearest companions. Young Paul Braje, my dear, intimate
friend, died on _________ in _________ 8 after a long illness. He was a model of piety,
resignation, and living faith. He thus went to join St Aloysius,9 whose faithful disciple he had
been all his life. He was mourned by the whole college, and all the students turned out for his
funeral. For a long time afterwards, during their holidays they would receive holy
communion and recite the Little Office of Our Lady or the rosary for the soul of their dead
friend.
To make up for this loss, however, God sent me another companion every bit as
virtuous as Paul, and even more remarkable in his deeds. This was Louis Comollo, of whom I
will have more to say in a moment.
At the end of the humanities year, I did very well. On the strength of my results, my
teachers, especially Doctor Peter Banaudi, suggested I should ask to take the exam in
philosophy,10 and, in fact, I was promoted. But as I enjoyed my study of literature, I thought it
better to continue my programme normally and take the rhetoric course, i.e. the fifth year of
ginnasio, during 183-34.11 It was during that year that I met Comollo. The life of this precious
friend has been told elsewhere,12 and those who want can read it there. Here I mention only
the incident that led to my noticing him amongst the humanities group.13
There was a rumour in the top form14 that a saintly pupil was to join us that year. He
was said to be the nephew of the provost of Cinzano,15 an elderly priest with a reputation for
sanctity. I was keen to get to know him, but I did not know his name. This is how we met: At
that time it was common practice to initiate new students through a dangerous game called
16
cavallnia.
The
giddy
and
less
studious
ones
loved
it,
and
generally
they
were
the
most
skillful at it.

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Louis Comollo 14
For several days they watched a reserved youngster of fifteen years17 who had just
registered at the college take his seat and settle down to read or study, heedless of the din
going on round him. A boorish fellow came up to him, grabbed his arm, and insisted that he
join them at cavallina.
"I don't know how," was the other's mortified and humble reply. "I don't know how:
I've never played these games before."
"You better join us," said the aggressor, "or I'll kick and beat you till you do."
"You can treat me as you please, but I don't know what the game is, nor do I care to
learn.16
His crude and ill-natured fellow student grabbed his arm, shoved him, and gave him
two slaps that were heard all over the room. That made my blood boil. But I held back for a
moment to see if the boy under attack would give the offender what he had coming. He could
easily have done so because he was older and stronger than the bully. You can imagine
everyone's astonishment when the good youth, countenance red and almost livid, looked with
pity at his malicious companion, and replied only, "Are you satisfied? Now go in peace; I've
already forgiven you.17
That heroic act made me want to know his name. It was, in fact, Louis Comollo,
nephew of the provost of Cinzano, whose praises I had heard so often. From that moment on,
he became my close friend, and I can say that from him I began to learn how to live as a
Christian.18 I trusted him completely and he trusted me. We needed each other: I needed
spiritual help; he needed a bodyguard.
The shy and retiring Comollo never even tried to stand up to the vicious insults of our
companions, whereas all of them-including those older and bigger than I-respected my mettle
and my strength.19
That became evident one day when certain boys were bent on making fun of Comollo
and another good-natured lad called Anthony Candelo. I wanted to intervene on their behalf,
but the bullies gave me no heed. Another day when the harmless pair were being abused
again, I shouted, "You'd better watch out. I'll deal with the next one who lays a finger on
them."
A considerable number of the taller and bolder spirits ganged together to threaten me
while Comollo got two smacks in the face. At that I forgot myself completely. Brute strength
moved me, not reason.20 With no chair or stick within reach, I grabbed one of my fellow
students by the shoulders and swung him round like a club to beat the others. I knocked down
four of them; the rest took to their heels yelling for mercy. Then what? At that moment the
teacher came into the room. Seeing arms and legs flying everywhere amidst an out-of-this-
world uproar, he began to shout and to strike blows left and right. The storm was about to
burst upon me when he learned the cause of the disturbance. He demanded a replay of the
action, or at least a show of my strength. The teacher laughed, and so did all the pupils.
Everyone was so amazed that I escaped the punishment I deserved.
Comollo had a different lesson to teach me. When we could speak between ourselves,
he said to me, "John my friend, I'm amazed how strong you are. But, believe me, God didn't
give you strength to massacre your companions. His will is that we should love one another,
forgive one another, and return good for evil."
I could only wonder at my companion's charity. I put myself entirely into his hands
and let him guide me where and how he wished. By agreement with our friend Garigliano, we went
together for confession, communion, meditation, spiritual reading, visits to the Blessed Sacrament,
and serving Holy Mass. Comollo knew how to organise us with such gentle courtesy and sweetness
that we could not refuse him.

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Louis Comollo 15
I remember one day when we were passing a church; I was so engaged in chattering with a
companion that I forgot to raise my cap. He corrected tile at once, but so graciously: "John my
friend," he said, "you're so lost in talking to men that you forget even the Lord's house."
Notes
1. This episode occurred at the end of the 1832-1833 school year. John had been in
Chieri for two years and done the work of four years (classes 6, 5,4, and 3).
2. The School Reform Board (Magistrato della Riforrna) was responsible for supervising
the educational reforms mandated in the Kingdom of Sardinia by the law of 1822. In
1833 the board sent an extraordinary visitor to preside at the final exams in the
college at Chieri.
3. In BM I, 207, this name is spelled "Gozzani." According to the professor's
grandnephew, the correct spelling is "Gazzano." Father Gazzano established the
scholarship on March 1,1872 (MB X, 317)
In his first draft of the Memoirs, Don Bosco wrote, "In subsequent years he was very
kind to me. In this year (1873) he is still living in Upper Moltedo near Oneglia and
does many charitable works. The exams.... " When he reviewed the manuscript, he
rewrote it, leaving the word "in" after "relationship," apparently intending to continue,
"this year (1873)," but getting a little distracted by the new, complimentary subject he
introduced, "This good priest...."
4. More precisely, near Portomaurizio, which is a mile west of Oneglia on the Ligurian
coast. The communes were united in 1923 as the city of Imperia. It is sixty miles
southwest of Genoa.
5. The Allisio became the primary Salesian apostolate from the 1860s till quite recently.
Alassio is on the Mediterranean coast about fifty miles southwest of Genoa; the
Salesians opened a school there in 1869.
6. The surviving records verity this. Father Hyacinth Giusiana (1774-1844) came from
Cuneo, furtv-five miles south of Turin. He taught grammar and was oneof John's
favorite - teachers at Chieri.
7. No doubt there was more than luck involved in John's success. But being excused
from even twelve lire's tuition was a blessing for the hard-pressed Boscos.
8. Don Bosco left the date of his friend's death blank. The family records include this
note from Paul's father: "On July 10, 1832, Paul Victor Braia, aged twelve, went to his
eternal rest. I can say without hesitation that this son of Philip and Catherine, like
Cafasso, must have gone straight to heaven."
When Don Bosco begins this paragraph 'In that year,' the year in which he was
promoted from the grammar section to the humanities year, he means the school year
1832-1833, not the calendar year 1832.
9. Saint Aloysius Gonzaga (1568-1591) was a young Jesuit of noble birth who died
while caring for the sick during a plague. Noted for piety, obedience, and especially
purity, lie is regarded as one of the patron saints of and models for young people. He
must have been particularly venerated in Chieri because his mother had been born
there (her house is still standing). See NCE I, 332-333 Butler's Lives, R, 603-606;
Maurice Meschler, Life of St. Aloysius Gonzaga, Patron of Christian Youth
(Rockford, Illinois: TAN, 1985).

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Louis Comollo 16
Don Bosco held up Saint Aloysius as a model for his oratory boys and students and
celebrated his feast (June 2t) with great pomp. In choosing Aloysius as one of his
work's patrons, Don Bosco was certainly influenced by the fact,,, mentioned above; he
may also have been influenced b} Aloysius's status as a religious and a seminarian
and possibly by such mundane touches as his own father's middle name and the first
name of his great earthly patron, Louis Fransoni, archbishop of Turin from 1832 to
1862. Finally, there was the dearest friend of his youth, Louis Comollo, to whom Don
Bosco will come in a moment. (Luigi is rendered as - either "Aloysius" or "Louis" in
English; this work uses the latter generally except for the Jesuit saint, who is almost
universally known as Aloysius.)
10. Father Peter Banaudi, from Briga Marittima, taught rhetoric and humanities and was
one of John's favorite teachers. He - died in Turin on March 29, 1885, at the age of
eighty-three. Don Bosco actually calls him Dottor, not Teologo as he does some of his
other teachers (see chapter 7, note 9).
11. Actually, it was 1834-1835; when that school year ended, John was almost twenty
years old.
12. Don Bosco published anonymously an eighty-two-page biography of Comollo in
1844. It was entitled Cenni storici sulla vita di Lnigi Comollo ... [A Brief Life of
Louis Comollo) (Turin: Speirani and Ferrero). See BM II, 152-156. Ten years later he
printed a revised version in the Catholic Readings (January 10 and 25, 1854); this
time he identified himself as the author. In 1884 he issued a third edition with various
additions.
Alberto Caviglia did an in-depth study of Comollo's biography in his edition of the
works of Don Bosco (left incomplete at four volumes by Caviglia's death in 1943,
with two more published posthumously). Caviglia made a happy discovery, becoming
convinced that this biography contains a marvelous outline of the basic principles of
Don Bosco's educational program. Caviglia wrote, "The spirit by which Don Bosco
led to holiness the youngsters whom he educated and then memorialized in his
writings is the same spirit that lives in the two young men Comollo and Bosco." He
then added, "The figure, the actions, and the spirit of Comollo are an indispensable
ingredient for understanding Don Bosco's youth and the development of his character.
This is even more true for understanding his life before his priestly ordination."
Caviglia's work, incidentally, is to be distinguished from the Opere edire e bieditc di
San Giovnnrii Bosco Complete Works of Saint John Bosco], reprinted in thirty-eight
volumes by the Center for Studies on Don Bosco at the Salesian Pontifical University
(Rome: LAS, 1976-1977, 1987).
13. The humanities and rhetoric groups met in one classroom with one teacher. Comollo
was a year behind John in school.
14. In the rhetoric class.
15. Louis's uncle-his great-uncle, actually-was Father Joseph Comollo (1757-1843). As
provost, he exercised some author ity over the other clergy of the town of Cinzano,
about five miles north-northwest of Castelnuovo.
16. Don Bosco uses his Piedmontese dialect here; in Italian the game is called cavalluccio
It is a game a little like leapfrog, but the lads see how many can pile onto one victim's
back.

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Louis Comollo 17
17. Peter Louis Comollo was born April 7, 1817, in the hamlet of Prat in the annmunc of
Cinzano. From his childhood he hoped to become a priest and was noted for his piety.
In the fall of 1834, when John first met him, Louis was seventeen.
18. From Comollo, John learned a more perfect practice of virtue. Stella (L W, p. 32),
noting Don Bosco's tendency to hyperbole, writes: John discovered great spiritual
richness in Comollo).... Now, athirst for the interior life, John was really defending
the source and wellspring that he was seeking for his own soul's sake. He was
defending the incarnation of the very ideal that seemed to be his own. John had
already been moving toward it on his own, but his encounter with the virtuous
Comollo tripped the tension wire in his heart. Seeing in him a hero, John wanted to be
his friend.
19. It seems strange that John, at nineteen-or even seventeen, according to his memory-
should have schoolmates "older and bigger" than himself. On the other hand, when he
was fully grown he was only 5'4" tall (BM IV, 120). He proved his strength many
times throughout his life: cf. BM IV, 492; VI, 116; VIII, 410; MB \\VI. 636; XVII,
205; XVIII, 479, 490
20. Don Bosco judges his youthful energy rather severely; but in that energy he reveals to
us his natural spirit and generosity.

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Various Events 18
11
Various Events
Waiter and bartender A feast day
A tragedy
We pass on from school affairs to certain events by way of diversion. I changed
lodgings during my humanities year to be nearer my teacher, Fr Banaudi, and to help John
Pianta, a friend of the family, who came to Chieri that year to open a café.1
The lodging certainly had its dangers,2 but as I was moving in with exemplary
Catholics and was continuing my friendship with good companions, I was able to make the
change without fear of moral danger.
When I finished my homework, I had a lot of spare time; I used to devote part of it to
reading the Latin and Italian classics and the rest to waking liquors and jams. Halfway
through that year I was in a position to prepare coffee and chocolate; I knew the recipes for
many kinds of sweets, drinks, ices, and various refreshments. My landlord began by giving
me free lodging. Then, gauging the boost I could give to his business, he made me an
attractive offer; he tried to induce me to give up my other concerns and work full time for
him. But I was doing that work only for fun and relaxation; I had no intention of giving up
my studies.
Professor Banaudi was a model teacher. Without having recourse to corporal
punishment, he succeeded in making all his pupils respect and love him. He loved them all as
if they were his own sons, and they loved him like an affectionate father.3
To show our appreciation, we planned a surprise for his feast day.'' We decided to
write both poetic and prose pieces for the celebration. and we had little presents which we
thought he would especially like.. The event was a splendid success. Our teacher was pleased
beyond words, and as a token of appreciation, he took us on a picnic in the country. It was a
wonderful day; both teacher and pupils were of one spirit, and each of us strove for ways to
express the joy in his heart.
As we made our way back to Chieri, our teacher met someone we did not know, and
he had to go off with the man; we were left by ourselves on the road for a little while. At that
point some of our companions from the upper classes came up to us and invited us to go
swimming with them at a place called Fontana Rossa,4 about a mile from Chieri.
I was against the idea, and so were some of my companions; but it was no use.: few
came home with me while the others wanted to go swimming. It was a regrettable decision. A
few hours after we got home, two of our picnic group ran in, breathless and frightened.
"Oh, if you only knew what a terrible thing's happened!" they gasped, "Philip N., who
insisted so much that we go swimming, is dead."
"What" we all exclaimed. "Philip was a good swimmer."
"Maybe he was," went on the excited messenger. "To encourage us to dive in with
him, he jumped in, full of confidence, but unaware of the dangerous whirlpools in the
Fontana Rossa. We waited for him to surface, but he did not appear. We raised the alarm.
When help arrived, the rescuers tried everything, even at risk to themselves. It was an hour
and a half later before they recovered the body."
The tragedy depressed all of us. There was no more talk of swimming that year nor
the following one (1834).5

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Various Events 19
Some time ago I happened to meet a few of my old friends from those days. We
recalled the drowning of our companion at the Fontana Rossa whirlpool with real regret.6
Notes
1. The two reasons Don Bosco gives for his change of lodging were really secondary.
The main reason way that ,John Baptist Matta had finished his secondary studies, and
he and his mother had returned to Castelnuovo.
Joseph - not John - Pianta was not only a friend of the Boscos from Morialdo, but a
distant kinsman of Margaret (Molineris, p.185). He was Lucy Matta's brother, which
means of course that she too was related to Margaret. In 1833 he went to Chieri to
open a coffee shop - what is called a "bar" in Italy nowadays. Margaret asked him to
board John and look after him. During the day John was to do his schoolwork, and in
the evenings he was to help Pianta manage the billiard room. The billiard room also
had a piano. Every week Margaret brought John some bread and other food for his
main meal. while Pianta was responsible for John's soup (a substantial meal in itself).
Pianta's place was in the Vergnano house at 3 via Palazzo di Citta. It is now an ice
cream shop. The cafe measured about twenty feet by twenty. What was the billiard
room, slightly larger at twenty feet by twenty-three, is now a small tailor's shop. The
house is just a few yards from the Church of Saint Anthony the Abbot, which made it
convenient for John to go to daily Mass. The church is at the corner of Chieri's main
square, the piazza d'Armi, and via Vittorio Emanuele and is staffed by the Jesuits.
Saint Anthony's was the primary meeting place of the Society for a Good Time and of
the regular school assemblies for church services.
When John came to Chieri for the opening of school, however, Pianta had not finished
setting up his cafe. So John had to seek temporary lodging with the baker Michael
Cavallo-not in his house but in his stable. (Lemoyne calls him Cavalli in BM I,
at6.)'John earned his keep by caring for the horse and by tending Cavallo's vines a
little way out of town. The youth asked only that he be free on Saturday evenings to
go to confession. What was the Cavallo stable is still extant across the street from the
Vergnano house. This arrangement did not last long, for some good people-just who,
we do not know-noticed John's plight and urged Pianta to get on with opening his
coffee shop.
2. The dangers that John perceived came from the example given by the customers who
frequented Pianta's bar: gamtiling at billiards and other games, frivolous use of hours
at a time, and offensive language.
When the aged Pianta met the Salesians John Bonetti, John Baptist Francesia, and
Joachim Berto in Chieri on May 10, 1888, he told them.
It would have been next to impossible to find a better lad than John Bosco. Every
morning saw him on this way to serve several masses in St. Anthony’s Church. I had
with me at home at the time my aged and sickly mother; it was really impressive to
see how kindly he treated her. John would quite often spend entire nights with his
books; in the morning I would still find him reading and writing by the light of his
lamp. (BM 1, 217)
However, good Pianta did not see fit to bring up the question of the "spacious" room
lie had given the young man to sleep in. Lemoyne describes it in this way:

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Various Events 20
John's bed was a narrow strip over a small oven that was used for baking pastry. John
reached it with a small ladder. But when lie stretched out in these confined quarters
his feet dangled beyond the thin straw-filled pallet and over the edge of the oven (BM
1, 216).
This cubbyhole was in a small passageway, 11.6 feet long by 6.6 feet high by 2.6 feet
wide, between the coffee room and the billiard room.
When Don Bosco was canonized in 1934, the people of Chieri celebrated the event by
placing tablets at many of the sites associated with his ten years as a resident there.
One such memorial was put on Pianta's former shop, recalling young John's sacrifices.
It also mentions his young friend Joseph Blanchard (1828-1893), who sometimes
gave John gifts of fruits and vegetables to satisfy his hunger. The Blanchards, who
were grocers, had another apartment in the Vergnano house from November 1833 till
August 1834 (Molineris, p.192).
3. Don Bosco, himself an educator with over thirty years of experience behind him at the
time of writing, calls Father Banaudi a model teacher. He has singled out the fact that
his teacher did not have to use punishments to make himself respected; rather, he used
fatherly love for his pupils. We may suppose that Father Banaudi's methodology made
a deep impression on his young student. Certainly Don Bosco describes his
methodology in words that echo the Preventive System.
4. It is not hard to imagine that John was the chief organizer of the surprise party.
5. This is the local name of a stream that rushes down from the nearby hills on the
northwest side of the city. It takes its name, which means "Red Fountain." from its
rust-colored waters.
6. The Piedmontese mile is 2466 meters, or roughly a mile and a half in the English
measure.
7. This sad event occurred in 1834, during John's humanities year of 1833-1834. Father
Peter Banaudi's name day was June 29; so we may place Philip's drowning in early
July, though Molineris (p. 225) suggests June 28. Molineris tried, unsuccessfully, to
identify further the unfortunate boy who drowned, but he never completed his search.
The next year, the rhetoric year, John's teacher was the priest Doctor John Bosco,
whose name was the same as the saint's but who was not a relative. Don Bosco
mentions him in the biography of Comollo: "He had become an idol of the whole
student body because of his kindness, his patience, the courteous way he dealt with all
the students, and the interest he took in helping them succeed in their studies."
Divine Providence was remarkably preparing the future apostle of youth by setting
before him outstanding examples of men who educated by means of loving kindness
(Desramaut, SouAut, p. 72).
8. Don Bosco has passed over several other events of this period. On May 9, 1833,
Joseph Bosco married Domenica Febbraro. The couple would have ten children.
Joseph had been leasing farmland from the Mattas at Sussambrino since 1831 (see
chapter 6, note 9), where his partner was Joseph Febbraro.
On August 4. 1833.. John was confirmed by ArchbishopJohn Anthony Gianotti of
Sassari in Saint Blaise's Church at Buttigliera d’Asti. This was the same church to
which young John had gone to hear the missionary preachers in the jubilee year of
1829. The sponsors for all seventy-tvo corfirmands were Mayor Joseph Mariano

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Various Events 21
Buttigliera and Countess Josephine Molina. Those confirmed ranged in age from
seven to twenty-nine. (SM 1. 100: Molineris, pp. 798-799)
Joseph Cafasso was ordained a priest on September 21, 1833, and celebrated his first
Mass at Castelnuovo soon after.

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A Jewish Friend 22
12
A Jewish Friend
Jonah
While I was still a humanities student lodging at John Pianta's cafe, I got to
know a Jewish youngster called Jonah. He was about eighteen, was remarkably good looking,
and had an exceptionally fine singing voice. He was a good billiards player too.
We met at Elijah's bookstore,' and he would always ask for me as soon as he came
into the shop. I liked him a lot, and he was very attached to me. Every spare minute he had,
he spent in my room; we sang together, played the - piano, or read. He liked to hear the
thousand little stories t used to rely`
One day lie got into a difficult quarrel which could have had sorry consequences for
him. He came running to me for advice.
"Jonah, my friend," I said to him, "if you were a Christian, I would advise you to go to
confession.3 But in your case, that's not possible."
"But we Jews can go to confession, if we want to."
"Go to confession by all means, but your confessor is not obliged to secrecy. Neither
can he forgive your sins or administer any sacraments."
"If you'll take me, I'll go to a priest."
"I could do that for you, but a lot of preparation is necessary."
“What sort of preparation?"
"Confession takes away sins committed after baptism. If you wish to receive any of
the other sacraments, you must receive baptism first."
"You must be instructed in the Christian religion. You must believe in Jesus Christ,
true God and true man. After that you can be baptized."
"What good will baptism do me?"
"It wipes out original sin, and actual sins too.-' It opens the way to the other
sacraments. Finally, it makes you a child of God and an heir to heaven."
"We Jews cannot be saved?"
"No, my dear Jonah; since Jesus Christ came, the Jews cannot be saved unless they
believe in him."'
"If it comes to my mother's ears that I want to become a Christian, heaven help me!"
"Don't be afraid; God is the master of all hearts. If he calls you to become a Christian,
he will do it in such a way' as to satisfy your mother, or provide in some way for the good of
your soul."
"You are such a good friend of mine; if you were in my place, what would you do?"
"I would begin to take instruction in the Christian religion. Anyway, God will show
you what to do in the future. Take this little catechism and begin to study it. Pray that God
will enlighten you, and he will help you to know the truth."
From that day onward Jonah became attracted to the Christian faith. He used to come
to the cafe and, after he played a game of' billiards, he would come looking for me to discuss
religion and the catechism. In a few months he had learned to make the sign of the cross,
could say the Pater, the Ave Maria, and the Credo, and knew the other principal truths of the
faith. He was very happy and became better every day in his speech and his actions.

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A Jewish Friend 23
Jonah had been left fatherless as a child. His mother Rachel had heard vague reports
about Jonah's intentions, but as yet she knew nothing certain. This is how the news broke:
One day, while making Jonah's bed she came across his catechism, which he had
inadvertently left under his mattress.
She went screaming through the house, took the catechism to the rabbi, and
suspecting what was afoot, rushed to the student Bosco's lodgings. She had often heard her
son speak of him. Picture to yourselves ugliness itself, and you will have an idea of Jonah's
mother. She was blind in one eye and deaf in both ears; she had a big nose, hardly any teeth,
and a long, pointed chin; she was thick Tipped, with a twisted mouth; her voice sounded like
the squeal of a foal.7 The other Jews used to call her the "Lilith the Witch," a name they use
for the ugliest thing they can imagine.8
I got a fright when I saw her. Before I had time to recover, she opened up on me: "I
swear you've done wrong! Yes, you! YOU HAVE ruined my Jonah. You've brought public
disgrace on him. I don't know what will become of him. I'm afraid he'll end up a Christian,
and you'll have been the cause of it.6
I understood then who she was and of whom she was speaking; as calmly as I could, I
explained that she ought to be happy about it and to thank me for doing him so much good.
"And what's the good of that? Is it a good thing for a person to deny his own religion?”
"Calm down, my good woman," I said to her. "Listen. I didn't go looking for your son
Jonah. We met in Elijah's bookshop. We became friends without any special reason. He's
very fond of me, and I like him too. As his true friend, I want him to save his soul and to get
to know our religion, because outside it no one can be saved. Good mother of Jonah, please
note that I only gave your son a book and told him to study it. If he becomes a Christian, he
does not abandon his Jewish religion; he perfects it."
"If Jonah should have the misfortune to become a Christian, he would have to
abandon our prophets, because Christians do not believe in Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, nor in
Moses and the prophets."
“We do believe in all the holy patriarchs and prophets of the Bible. Their writings,
their sayings, and their prophecies are the foundation of the Christian faith."
"If our rabbi were only here, he would know how to answer you. I know neither the
Mishnah nor the Gemara (the two parts of the Talmud).9 But what is to become of my poor
Jonah?"
So saying, she left. It would be too long to recount the many attacks that the mother,
the rabbi, and various of Jonah's relatives made on me. Neither threats nor violence had any
effect on that courageous young man; he withstood them all and continued to take instruction.
Since he was no longer safe amongst his family, he had to leave home and live almost
as a beggar. Many people came to his aid. And that all might be done with due prudence, I
recommended my pupil to a learned priest who took a fatherly interest in him. When Jonah's
religious instructions were completed, he was impatient to become a Christian. A solemnity
was arranged that set a good example for all the people of Chieri. Other Jews were impressed
too, and later several others embraced Christianity.
Jonah's godparents were Charles and Octavia Bertinetti, who provided what the
neophyte needed. After becoming a Catholic, he was able to earn an honest livelihood by his
own efforts." The newly-baptized's name was Aloysius."

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A Jewish Friend 24
Notes
1. The Jews of Chieri lived in their own ghetto along via della Pace, as prescribed by the
laws of King Charles Felix (1821-1831). They were regarded as second-class citizens,
officially tolerated. Jonah's home was at the corner of via della Pace and via
d'Albussano. The home and bookstore of Elijah Foa were at 12 via della Pace.
2. John and Jonah had several things in common that helped make them fast friends:
they were the same age, they were both highly talented, and they were both fatherless.
They used to meet in a spot in Pianta's cafe-probably in the billiard hall, since the
piano was there-where there was room during the day to study or host a friend during
John's rare moments of leisure.
John's friendship for this Jewish youth was not an isolated event. Lemoyne (BM I.,
231) cite, testimony to his practical kindness. John noticed the trouble that several
Jewish boys had with Saturday schoolwork. To prevent their having to violate their
sabbath or else suffer the ridicule of their schoolmates for not doing their work, he
would do it for them.
3. In the 1830s, to be a Christian in Italy was practically equivalent to being a Catholic.
Don Bosco realized that Protestants could not receive the sacrament of penance either.
The British statesman Lord Palmerston once visited the Oratory. When he saw five
hundred boys working quietly in a single study hall, without a teacher monitoring
them, he was astonished. He asked Don Bosco how that was possible.
"Sir," his host answered. "We possess a means unknown to you."
“How is that?"
"It's a secret revealed only to Catholics." "And what is that secret?"
“Frequent confession and communion, and daily Mass heard with devotion."
"You're right," the visitor confessed. "We lack those powerful means of education.
But can they be substituted?"
“If we don't use the means supplied by religion, we must use threats and the cane."
“Absolutely right Religion or the cane! I'll inform my government."
This episode, taken from archival material, is recounted in the Salesian Bulletin,
October 1922, p. 259,
4. More specifically, baptism cancels the actual, or personal, sins that one may have
committed before baptism. As John told Jonah earlier, Catholics hold that sacramental
penance (confession) is necessary for the forgiveness of serious sins committed after
baptism. Original sin is the sin inherited by the whole human race from their first
ancestors (cf. Genesis 3:1-24; Romans 5:12-21).
5. Don Bosco describes his conversation with his young friend without making any
distinctions. According to the teaching of the Catholic Church:
There is no salvation apart from Jesus Christ, and the way to Jesus Christ is through
his Church.
Those who know that it is God's will that they should belong to the Catholic Church
are obliged in conscience to join his Church, or they will be lost.
One who honestly trio; to please God according to the light of his own natural reason
implicitly and unconsciously desires to belong to the Church and to be saved through
Jesus Christ. Such a person will be saved. (Sec, for example, Saint Thomas Aquinas,
Summa Theologia, III, 8, 3 ad I; and III, 68, 2.)

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A Jewish Friend 25
Pope Pius XII excommunicated the American Jesuit Leonard Feeney for teaching that
one had to belong explicitly to the Roman Catholic Church in order to he saved (Let-
ter of the Holy Office to the Archbishop of' Boston, August 8, 1949 IDS 3866-3872)
quoted in J. Neuner, SJ, and J. Dupuis. SJ. ed., The Christian Faith in the Doctrinal
Documents of the Church( Westminster, Maryland: Christrian Classics, 1975, pp.
235-37)
John came closest to the Church's teaching when ho told Jonah, "God will ... provide
in some one for the good of your soul."
For a summary of the Church's teaching on ,Judaism since the Second Vatican
Council, sec the comment at the end of the notes.
6. The Our Father, the Hail Mary, and the Apostles' Creed in Latin.
7. A foal is not yet able to give forth the full neigh of a grown horse. It is nearer to a
grunt than a whinny. Don Bosco seems to have wanted to avoid the rougher but more
common expression "grunt like a pig." All in all, Don Bosco's unflattering picture of
Jonah's mother does no credit to his usual sensitivity to people.
8. There were various Jewish legends about Lilith, whose name comes from Isaiah
34:14 (the RSV renders it "the night hag"). Originally she was a female demon whose
name comes from Akkadian. Medieval folklore turned her into the woman who
deceived Adam and into a ghost that wandered around at night, devouring children.
9. Talmud means literally "instruction." It is the final codification of Jewish law, based
on the scriptures and oral tradition, and it dates from the third and fourth centuries. It
has two parts, the Mishnah and the Gemara. The first, from the second century,
contains the traditional oral law; the Gemara, literally "completion," expands upon the
tishnah through the commentaries of Jewish scholars.
10. The records at Chieri verify the baptism. However, the name is not given as Jonah.
Jonah may have been a middle name or a nickname. It is also possible that Don Bosco
used a fictitious name to permit the man a curtain anonymity. The record for 1834
reads thus:
Bolmida. Onto August 1, Sebastian Schoppo, theologian and canon curate, by the
permission of the Archbishop of Turin, solemnly baptized a certain Jewish young
man of Chieri named James Lcvi, aged 18. I gave him the name Aloysius Hyacinth,
Lawrence, Octavian. Maria Bolmida. The Godparents were Hyacinth Bolmida and
Octavia Mary Bertinetti (Stella, LW, p. 32, n. 68).
Lawrence, Octavian, Maria Rolmida. 'file godparents were Hyacinth Bolmida and
Octavia Mary Bertinetti. (Stella, Lam', p. 32, n. 68)
Charles Bertinetti was not the godfather, after all. He was probably there with his
wife. Don Bosco's memory has slipped slightly again. Sec also chapter 16, note 14.
The convert lived as a faithful Christian and retained affection and gratitude toward
his friend John. Lemoyne met him at the Oratory around 1880 (BM 1, 243).
11. It is possible that John suggested this name himself. We have already noted his
devotion to Saint Aloysius (see chapter to, note 9). In the first five months of his
priesthood (from June to to November 2, 1841), Don Bosco was an assistant to the
provost of Castelnuovo. Lemoyne asserts that the parochial baptismal register there
shows that practically all the boys that Don Bosco baptized had Aloysius for either
their first or their middle name (BM II, 14). When Molineris checked the records for

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A Jewish Friend 26
that period, he discovered that Don Bosco baptized only three boys, one of whom was
named Luigi (pp. 264-265).
It is equally possible that Jr'dhn had nothing to do with the choice. Saint Aloysius was
already- very popular in Chieri, and the name was commonly given.
Comment on Catholicism and Judaism
Vatican II refined the teaching of the Catholic Church on the Church's role in the
salvation of the human race in Lumen gentium and in Nostra aeate. The former, the
Constitution on the Church, affirms that everyone is called to belong to God's people, i.e. the
Church, which is necessary for salvation by the explicit will of Christ (no. 13) and subsists
fully in the Roman Catholic Church; mere membership is insufficient, though, for one must
"persevere in charity" (no. 14). Those who reverence the sacred scriptures, believe in the
Trinity, and are consecrated in baptism are also part of the Church even if "they do not
profess the faith in its entirety" and are not in communion with Peter's successor(no.15).
Those who have not yet received the gospel are related in various ways to the People
of God.... Nor does divine Providence deny the help necessary for salvation to those
who, Without blame on their part, have not yet arrived at an explicit knowledge of
God, but who strive to live a good life, thanks to His grace. (no. 16, quoted in the
Abbott edition, New York, 1966)
Nostra aetate is the Council's Declaration on the Relationship of the Church to Non-
Christian Religions. This landmark document's no. 4 speaks of the Jewish people and says, in
particular, "The Jews still remain most dear to God because of their fathers, for He does not
repent of the gifts He makes nor of the call he issues.... "
When Pope John Paul II made his historic visit to the synagog of Rome on April 13,
1986, he alluded to the riches of Nostra aetate. He then emphasized three points, quoting
several times from that document's fourth paragraph:
The first is that the Church of Christ discovers her "bond" with Judaism by
"searching into her own mystery." The Jewish religion is not "extrinsic" to us, but in
a certain way is "intrinsic" to our own religion. With Judaism, therefore, we have a
relationship which we do not have with any other religion. You (the Jews) are our
dearly beloved brothers and, in a certain way, it could be said that you are our elder
brothers.
The second point noted by the Council is that no ancestral or collective blame can be
imputed to the Jews as a people for "what happened in Christ's passion"-not
indiscriminately to the.lews of that time, nor to those who came afterwards.... So any
alleged theological justification for discriminatory measures ... is unfounded. The
Lord will judge each one "according to his oven works," Jews and Christians alike
(cf. Romans 2:6).
The third point ... is a consequence of the second. Notwithstanding the Church's
awareness of her own identity, it is not lawful to say that the Jews are "repudiated or
cursed," as if this were taught or could be deduced from the sacred scriptures or the
New Testament. Indeed, the Council had already said ... that the Jews are beloved of
God, who has called them with an irrevocable calling (cf. Lumen gentium v, no. 16,
and Romans 11:28-29).
A major Church statement on racism, issued February to, 1989, resoundingly
condemned anti-Semitism as -the most tragic form that racist ideology has assumed in our
century" and reminded the world that "entertaining racist attitudes is a sin" (New York
Times, February 11, 1989, pp. 1, 4).

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A Jewish Friend 27
13
Black Magic
Games Conjuring tricks
Self-defense
In
the midst of my studies and other interests, such as singing, music, speech
training, and dramatics,1 which I undertook wholeheartedly, I also learned a variety of
new games: card tricks, marbles, quoits, walking on stilts, running and jumping, all of
which I enjoyed and in which I was by no means mediocre, even if I was no champion.
Some of these activities I had learned at Murialdo, others at Chieri. If in the fields of
Murialdo I was only a beginner, that year I developed into something of a master. At that
time, not much was known about these sports because they had not been much
publicised; so in the popular estimate they were a source of wonder.
What shall I say of these skills? I often gave performances both in public and in
private. Since I had an exceptional memory, I knew by heart long passages from the
classics, the poets particularly. I could quote at will from Dante, Petrarch, Tasso, Parini,
Montini,2 and others as if they were my own. Likewise, I could thus improvise without
any trouble. In those entertain ments or concerts, sometimes I sang, sometimes I played
an instrument, or sometimes I composed verses which were highly praised-though ill
reality they were nothing more than excerpts from various authors adapted for the
occasion. That is why I have never given any of my compositions to anyone. Whatever I
did write down, I have burned.3
Conjuring was a source of wonder. People sat wide-eyed at the sight of an endless
stream of balls coming out of a little box too small to hold even one, or eggs tumbling out
of a little bag. But when they saw me producing balls from bystanders' noses, or heard
me tell accurately how much money people had in their pockets, or when they watched
me crush coins to dust between my fingers, my audiences got frightened and even lost
their heads; they began to whisper that I was a sorcerer, that I had to be in league with the
devil.
My landlord Thomas Cumino4 added to the credibility of this idea. Thomas was a
fervent Christian, and he loved a joke. I knew how to take advantage of his character, and
I would say, his simplicity, to embarrass him thoroughly. One day, for his feast day he
had very carefully prepared chicken and jelly as a treat for his lodgers .5 But when he
carried the dish to the table and uncovered it, out popped a live cock, flapping about and
cackling in a thousand ways. Another time he had a pot of macaroni cooked and ready to
serve, but at the last moment he found the pot full of dry bran. Sometimes when he filled
the bottle with wine, he would find as he poured it out that it had turned to water. When
he wanted a drink of water, he would find his glass full of wine instead. Sweets changed
into pieces of bread, coins in his purse into pieces of rusty tin. A hat became a nightcap;
nuts changed into pebbles right in the sack. These were everyday occurrences.

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A Jewish Friend 28
Good Thomas was nonplussed. "These things are not human," he would mutter to
himself. "God does not waste time with such frivolities. It must be the work of the devil."
He did not dare mention these matters at home, so he sought advice from a nearby
priest, Fr Bertinetti. Suspecting "white magic"6 as the explanation of these tricks, he
decided to refer the matter to the school superintendent, who was at that time a respected
cleric, Canon Burzio, archpriest and parish priest of the cathedral.7
The canon was a learned man, pious and prudent, and without speaking to others
asked me ad audiendum verbum.8 When I arrived at his house, I found him saying his
Office.9 Smiling at me, he made a sign, for me to wait. When he had finished, he asked
me to follow him into his study. There he began to question me, very politely, but with a
serious look.
"My friend, so far I am quite pleased with your conduct and the progress you have
made in your studies. Now, however, you are the subject of much talk. They tell me you
are a mind reader, that you can guess how much money people have in their pockets, that
you can make black seem white, that you can tell what is happening at a distance, and
similar things. That makes people talk about you. In fact, some have gone farther and
suspect you of being a sorcerer or even that the devil is at work here. Tell me now, who
taught you this knowledge? Or where did you pick it up? Tell me everything in complete
confidence. I assure you that I will not use it except for your own good."
Keeping a straight face, 1 asked him for a few minutes to think over my reply.
Then I asked him to tell me what time it was. He put his hand into his pocket, but his
watch was not there.
"If you haven't got your watch," I suggested, "could you give me a five-soldi
coin?"10
He checked all his pockets but could not find his purse.
"You rascal," he shouted angrily, "Either you are the devil's servant, or he's yours!
You've already stolen my purse and my watch. I can't keep quiet any longer; I must
denounce you. Even now I don't know what keeps me from giving you a good thrashing."
However, when he saw that I was smiling serenely, he got hold of himself and
went on more calmly. "Now let's take this quietly. Explain these mysteries to me. How
was it possible for my watch and my purse to vanish from my pocket unknown to me.
Where are they?"
"Well, Father," I began respectfully, "I'll explain in a few words. It's all a matter
of sleight of hand, information, and preparation.”
"What information could you have about my watch and purse?"
"I'll explain it all quickly. Just after I came in, you gave some alms to a beggar.
You left your purse on a priedieu. Then you went into another room, leaving your watch
on that side table. I hid them both; you thought you had them on your person, while they
were really under this lampshade." So saying, I lifted the lampshade and recovered both
objects that the devil was supposed to have taken away.
The good canon had a hearty laugh. He asked me to give him a demonstration of
sleight of hand, and how to make things appear and disappear. He enjoyed it all and gave
me a little gift. Finally, he told me, "Go and tell your friends that wonderment is the
result of ignorance.”11

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A Jewish Friend 29
Notes
1. Part of the reason why Don Bosco became a successful educator was that he
incorporated all these activities, and sports too, into his system. From the first, he
seemed to know instinctively that these means would attract youngsters, to whom
he could then introduce Jesus and Mary.
2. All his life Don Bosco treasured the poetry of Dante Alighieri (1265-1321) and
could quote extensive passages from the Divine Comedy from memory.
Francesco Petrarca (1304-1374), poet and diplomat, helped inspire the Renais-
sance. Torquato Tasso (1544-1595) wrote epic and dramatic poetry and is best
known for Jerusalem Delivered. Giuseppe Parini (1729-1799) is best known for
his satiric epic The Day. Vincenzo Monti (1754-1828) was a poet, professor, and
historian.
3. He forgot to burn some. We have been able to find an exercise book of his
entitled "A Collection of Sonnets and Various Poems." He began this particular
collection on May 27, 1835. Together with items by various authors and friends
there are also a few of his own compositions. Among other things is a sonnet
which he titled "The Constancy of Pius VII under Napoleon's Oppression." On the
front page he wrote, Quidquid agunt hominess, intention indicat omnes (Their
intention is the measure of whatever men may do). Above that inscription is a
note in Lemoyne's writing, indicating that Don Bosco left this copybook to his
faithful friend before he died.
4. In 1834-1835, the last year of John's ginnasio, the pastor of Castelnuovo, Father
Anthony Cinzano, sent him to lodge with the Cumino family. Earlier, Joseph
Cafasso had also boarded with them for four years. Father Cinzano provided eight
lire a month to cover John's room and board (BM I, 248).
The Cumino house is at 24 via Vittorio Emanuele, near Saint Anthony's Church.
Mr. Cumino was a tailor. He offered John one of his storerooms as a bedroom.
After a few months, Father Cafasso managed to get better treatment for John.
Ceria notes that John had to tend a vineyard and look after a horse belonging to
Mr. Cumino (MO, p.71) he appears to have confused this arrangement with John's
earlier stay with Michael Cavallo (chapter 11, note 1).
5. Italians celebrate a person's feast day (name day) more than his birthday; it is
customary for the one celebrating to give gifts or a treat rather than to receive
them.
6. There had been a distinction between white magic and black magic since the
Middle Ages. The latter was diabolical. White magic was understood to be
natural, based on laws of physics that most people would not grasp. From the
context it seems that John was accused of practicing black magic rather than the
white that he records here and in the opening line of the next chapter.
7. Canon Maximus Burzio rented rooms in the Bertinettis' apartment house-which
the couple would one day leave to Don Bosco (see chapter 16, note 15). From

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A Jewish Friend 30
18to 1863 the canon was pastor of Moncucco, where John had stayed with the
Moglias from February 1827 to November 1829.
8. This was a legal term which means here, basically, "to tell him what was going
on" (Desramaut, SouAut, p. 81).
9. The Divine Office consists of psalms, hvnuts, scripture readings, readings from
the Fathers of the Church, and prayers. Priests, religious, and other Christians
pray the Office at various times (hours) during the course of the day; hence it is
also called the Liturgy of the Hours. The principal hours are readings (also called
vigils, formerly called matins), morning prayer (formerly called lauds), and
evening prayer (vespers). The lesser hours in Don Bosco's time were prime, terse,
next, none, and night prayer (compline); the reform of Vatican II has reduced
these to two hours, midday prayer and night prayer, besides simplifying the main
hours.
10. A soldo was worth five centesimi, or one-twentieth of a lira.
11. John quotes thee canon's advice in Latin: ignorantia est magistra.