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Ongoing Formation Feb09

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Ongoing Formation Feb09

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Febuary 2009

Dear Confreres and Friends,

This month, the theme is on Don

Bosco’s twofold intentions in accept-

ing the invitation to go to Argentina.

It is in this moment that Don Bosco

sees the possibility to have Salesian

Congregation seen as a worldwide

missionary Congregation with all the

eventual possibilities this implies.

It opens a field of evangelization

much wider than ever before for the

fledgling congregation. These pages

provide us with a view to the inner

thoughts of Don Bosco in seeking ever

wider horizons for his evangelical zeal.

As usual the monthly letter of Don

Pascual Chavez from sdb.org is in-

cluded.

Gael E. Sullivan,sdb

Office of Ongoing Formation

Don Bosco with the First Missionary Expedition in 1875.

Salesian Missions Established in

Argentina (1880-1885)

by Arthur J. Lenti, SDB

Introduction

The official proposal to establish

the Salesian work in Argentina was

made and accepted without any

reference to the evangelization of

the native tribes of Patagonia and

Tierra del Fuego. In 1875 by initiative

of John Gazzolo, Argentine consul

in Savona, offers were made to Don

Bosco by Archbishop Federico Aneyros

of Buenos Aires and by Fr. Peter

Ceccarelli. But these offers concerned

only pastoral work among poor Italian

immigrants, a chaplaincy at the Italian

church of Our Lady of Mercy in Buenos

Aires and, some 160 miles northwest

up river, a school in San Nicolás de los

Arroyos.

1. Don Bosco’s Missionary Aim in

Accepting the Argentine Proposal

Don Bosco was quick to see the

specifically missionary possibilities of

the proposal, which responded to the

missionary plans he had been forming

in the late 1860s and early 1870s,

and to the suggestions of his dream

of 1871/1872 (Cf. below in Lectio

Salesiana). Thus, in his exchanges with

the Argentine Church authorities he

spoke only of the typical Salesian work

for youth in parish, school and oratory,

etc.1 On the contrary, in addressing

the Salesians or the Holy See, he

emphasized the missions proper.

For instance, in a circular letter

inviting Salesians to volunteer he

writes: “Among the many proposals

received for the establishment of a

foreign mission, the one submitted

by the Argentine Republic seemed

preferable. In Argentina, beyond the

regions already civilized, there are

immense territories inhabited by

savage populations.2 It is among these

1 Cf., e.g., letters to Fr. Ceccarelli of December

25, 1874 [Motto, Epistolario IV, p. 372-373],

and (in Latin) to Archbishop Aneyros, No-

vember 15, 1875 [Motto, Epistolario IV, p.

552-553].

2 In typical European 19th c. usage, native

that, by the grace of God, the Salesians

are called to exercise their zeal.”3

Likewise in a memorandum addressed

to Card. Alexander Franchi, Prefect of

the Congregation for the Propagation

of the Faith, Don Bosco outlined a plan

for the evangelization of the native

tribes, and spoke of the school of San

Nicolás as a “seminary” and as a staging

area for the mission: “The strategy that

appeared to be most likely to succeed

is to establish shelters, schools,

hostels and educational institutes on

the borderlands of the savages. Once

contact is made with the children, it

would be an easy step to contact their

families, and so gain a foothold among

the tribes of the savages. This city [San

Nicolás] is situated a mere 60 miles

from where the savages live. From this

vantage point the Salesians would be

able to study the language, the history

and the customs of those peoples.

populations with lower cultural standards were

often referred to as “savages.”

3 Cf. circular letter of February 5, 1875 (Motto,

Epistolario IV. p. 407-409).

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It might even be possible to develop native missionary

vocations from among the pupils. [...] It is called San Nicolás

School only so as not to offend national sensibilities. But it

is actually a seminary, that is, a school where missionary

vocations are trained for work among the savages.4

This strategy for the evangelization of the native

population through native vocations was too idealistic to

be put into effect. This was due to personnel limitation,

language and cultural difficulties, ecclesiastical organization

and the fact that in the eyes of the Buenos Aires Church

authorities the Salesians were there to take care of the poor

in city slums. They were not regarded as “missionaries.”

Moreover, the armed clashes between the Argentine

government and the natives at the southern frontier

complicated matters.

Don Bosco, however, did not refrain from speaking and

writing in glowing, optimistic terms of the conversion of the

natives. This served to keep alive the missionary spirit among

his Salesians and boys, and to keep the idea of possible

missionary territories before the Roman authorities.

The prospects for early missionary activity among the

natives were not good, But as far as he was concerned the

Argentine proposal offered opportunities that went beyond

the churches and schools in Buenos Aires and San Nicolás.

He never gave up his plan for the canonical establishment

of one or more mission territories, since he considered that

an essential step in the work of spreading the gospel and

“building up the Church.” Don Bosco was impatient to begin

missionary activity. It was only a matter of time before the

hour of the missions would strike.

But sobering words of advice were heard from Buenos

Aires. Fr. Cagliero wrote to Fr. Rua, “You live in a fantasy

world: ‘Go and preach to the natives, convert and civilize

the natives!’ We cannot even find an entry. [...] Everyone,

beginning with the Archbishop, advises us to bide our

time.”5

Don Bosco’s utopian projects had perforce to come to

terms with the harsh reality encountered by his Salesians

in the field. He acknowledged the wisdom of establishing

a strong base in Buenos Aires and the Plata area; he simply

replied, “What you write about Patagonia is in complete

accord with my own feelings about the matter.”6 But, he

felt that a missionary engagement had to take place to

earn the Church’s official recognition for the Salesians as

“apostolic missionaries,” through the creation of Vicariates

or Prefectures.

2. Military Activity by the Argentine Government to Extend

the Frontier Southward

In the early 1870s, the southern Argentine frontier did

not extend beyond the near reaches of the Pampas and

4 Don Bosco to Card. Franchi, May 10, 1876, in ASC 131.01, FDBM 23

A3-6 (autograph), Ceria, Epistolario III, p. 58-61.

5 Fr. Cagliero to Fr. Rua, December 20, 1876.

6 Ceria, Epistolario III, p. 170.

the Rio Colorado. The soldiers had built a series of forts or

stockades on the frontier to protect the settlements; and

from there they were attempting to drive the natives farther

south. But the natives kept coming back; and although they

usually got the worse of it in skirmishes, in practice it was

a stand off. The catalyst of the resistance was the Araucan

Chief Calcufurá. He died in June 1873. But the resistance

continued under his son, Manuel Namuncurá, and the

engagements continued with increasing frequency and

violence.

In 1875 the Minister of Defense (General Alsina) decided

to engage in a sustained and organized effort to establish

permanent Argentine control of Patagonia. The incentive

came not only from the “threat” the natives posed, but also

from two other factors. One was the fear that Great Britain

(who had control of the Falkland or Malvinas Islands) would

try to go into Patagonia. Another and more serious reason

was the attempt by the Chilean government to establish

control over parts of that territory. In April 1879 General

Julio Roca (successor to Alsina as Minister of Defense)

mounted a large military expedition for the purpose of

extending the frontier farther to the south to ensure for

Argentina undisputed control of Patagonia. This would entail

driving the natives back beyond the Rio Negro and the Rio

Neuquén. Msgr. Anthony Mariano Espinosa (diocesan vicar

of Buenos Aires) and the Salesians Fr. James Costamagna

and seminarian Louis Botta accompanied the expedition

as chaplains. Carefully kept abreast of events, Don Bosco

immediately notified the Holy See with a note of triumph.7

On April 27, 1879 the expedition made peaceful contact

with the natives at Choele-Choel on the Rio Negro, the

gateway to Patagonia. Holy Mass was celebrated, as the

natives looked on. The trip ended at Carmen de Patagones

at the mouth of the Rio Negro, where Fr. Costamagna

preached a mission to the settlers.

3. Salesians Established at Carmen de Patagones and

Viedma. Pacification of the Rio Negro Region

In the context of the above-mentioned expedition,

Archbishop Aneyros decided to entrust to the Salesians

the parishes of Carmen de Patagones and Viedma at the

mouth of the Rio Negro, from where natives living along the

river might be contacted. On February 2, 1880, Fr. Fagnano

was installed as pastor. A few months later, Fr. Emil Rizzo

was assigned as pastor to Our Lady of Mercy in Viedma,

the future seat of the Vicariate on the southern bank of

the river.8 It is from this twin base that the Salesian mission

work proper would spread upward along the Rio Negro in

the next few years.

Meanwhile General Roca’s campaign for control of the

7 Don Bosco to the Holy See (Leo XIII). April 20, 1879, Ceria, Epistolario

III, p. 468-470.

8 Cf. J. Borrego, “Il primo iter missionario nel progetto di Don Bosco e

nell’esperienza concreta di Don Cagliero,” in Missioni Salesiane 1875-

1975, ed. by Pietro Scotti (Roma: LAS, 1977), p. 78-85.

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Don Bosco with Second Missionary Expedition in 1876.

territory was meeting with fierce resistance on the part

of many groups of Araucan natives led by Chief Manuel

Namuncurá. The skirmishes continued for some years,

usually with undecided outcome, but with considerable

loss of life sustained by the natives. Some of the natives

fled into Chile, while others surrendered and were detained

as prisoners or were drafted into the Argentine army.

Toward the end of 1882 and into 1883, General Conrad

Villegas, to whom General Roca had handed the command

of the Rio Negro frontier, undertook another campaign

that forced Namuncurá to surrender. The Salesian Father

Dominic Milanesio acted as go-between in the negotiations

that pacified the region under Argentine control. These

military operations impeded Salesian missionary activity

to a considerable degree, but by 1883, with the cessation

of military action, Salesian missionary activity among the

remaining tribal groups gained momentum all along the Rio

Negro valley as far up as the Andes. Fr. Fagnano’s report of

1883 describes the Salesians’ first missionary successes. 9

The establishment of the Salesians at Carmen de

Patagones, Viedma and the Rio Negro marked the initial

9 The story of the pacification of the Rio Negro is told in EBM XVI, pp.

291-295.

Fr. Dominic Milanesio (1843-1922) joined the Salesians in 1869, was

ordained in 1873 and was a member of the third missionary sending in

1877. In 1880 he joined the small group that founded the mission on

the Rio Negro and distinguished himself as an active missionary in the

field. In 1883 he acted as intermediary in the surrender of Chief Namun-

curá (whom he converted) and in 1888 he baptized Namuncura’s son

Ceferino. Fr. Milanesio died at Bernal, Argentina in 1922.

phase of Salesian missionary activity. But it should be

clearly understood that the Salesians began their mission

work among the natives under the patronage of the

Archdiocese of Buenos Aires, not as apostolic missionaries.

It was only when the vicariate was created (1883-1885) that

the Salesian mission work came under the jurisdiction of

the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith, and that

the Salesians became missionaries of “apostolic right.” Don

Bosco hailed this achievement as the greatest triumph of

the congregation and as the augury of the future expansion

of the Salesian work throughout South America.

4. Entrustment of a Vicariate / Prefecture to the Salesians

by the Holy See: the Church’s Official Recognition of

Salesian Missionary Activity

(1) Importance of the Church’s Official Recognition

Even before the realization of this first stage of the

missionary “project” on the Rio Negro, in fact even as the

Salesians of the first expedition were just beginning the

work in Buenos Aires and San Nicolás, Don Bosco had been

petitioning the Holy See for the official recognition of the

missionary activity of the Salesian Society through the

erection of Vicariates or Prefectures. Such recognition by

the Holy See would confer “apostolic” status on the Salesian

missions in Patagonia.

Don Bosco attached the utmost importance to

this official stamp of approval, to the point that this

further stage of the “project” became an all-engrossing

preoccupation. He practically came to regard its successful

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Don Bosco with Third Missionary Expedition in 1876.

completion as a vindication of the Salesian Society and its

mission in the Church. Don Bosco wrote to Fr. Costamagna,

who had meanwhile (in 1880) succeeded the deceased

Fr. Francis Bodrato as provincial: “Obtaining the erection

of a Prefecture or of a Vicariate Apostolic in Patagonia is

of the utmost importance. The Holy Father wants it and is

urging it. It would also be advantageous to us, for without

this [official commissioning] we shall not have the support

of the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith in

Rome, nor that of the Society for the Propagation of the

Faith in Lyons, nor that of the Holy Childhood. It seems that

neither Fr. Bodrato nor you yourself have been aware of

the importance of this project”10 To Fr. Fagnano he wrote:

“The mission of Patagonia is our Congregation’s greatest

undertaking. You will be told everything in due time. But I

must warn you at once that great responsibilities are being

placed on you. God’s help, however, will not be wanting.”11

Don Bosco had been petitioning the Roman

Congregation for such recognition ever since 1876.

(2) Don Bosco’s Essay on Patagonia Researched by Fr.

Barberis (1876)

10 Don Bosco to Fr. Costamagna, January 31, 1881, Ceria, Epistolario IV,

p. 7.

11 Don Bosco to Fr. Fagnano, January 31, 1881, Ceria, Epistolario IV, p.

13-14.

Patagonia was no household word in Rome, and Church

authorities wanted more detailed information on the land

and its native people. Hence it was that at the request of

the Prefect of the Congregation for the Propagation of the

Faith Don Bosco undertook to produce a memorandum on

the subject. He had Fr. Barberis research “Patagonia and

the Southernmost Regions of the American Continent,”

and the result was sizable monograph. Don Bosco signed

it with the date of August 20, 1876 and submitted to the

Sacred Congregation.12 The information contained therein

was derived from current manuals, dictionaries and

encyclopedia, and reflected the knowledge of Patagonia

that was current in Europe in 1876 (much of it defective).

The concluding pages of the work described a number

of possible projects for the evangelization of Patagonia’s

native populations.

(3) Petitions and proposals submitted by Don Bosco to

12 G. Bosco, La Patagonia e le Terre Australi del Continente Americano

(Torino 1876) is a manuscript of 164 pages dated and signed by Don

Bosco himself. It was discovered in 1983 in the library of the Pontifi-

cal Urban University of Rome by the Salesian Father E. Szanto, who

published it in facsimile with a Spanish translation in 1986. The Salesian

Historical Institute published a critical edition: G. Bosco, La Patagonia e

le Terre Australi del Continente Americano, Introducción y texto crítico

por Jesús Borrego, Ricerche Storiche Salesiane 7 (1988), and separately

in Piccola Biblioteca dell’Istituto Storico Salesiano, 11 (Roma: LAS, 1988).

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the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith

No sooner had the first Salesians established themselves

in Buenos Aires and San Nicolás than Don Bosco began

making his case for “missions” with the Roman authorities.

The essay on Patagonia mentioned above (1876) is a case

in point. Between 1876 and 1883 numerous exchanges and

negotiations took place to that effect.

In the 1876 memorandum to Card. Franchi (quoted

above), after laying out his strategy for the evangelization

of the native tribes out of San Nicolás, Don Bosco adds: “I

humbly ask your Eminence: [...] 3º to create a Prefecture

Apostolic that might exercise ecclesiastical authority over

the natives of the Pampas and of Patagonia, who up to now

have not been subject to any diocesan Ordinary nor to any

civilized government.”13 In a subsequent memorandum to

the same Prefect (1877), Don Bosco suggested the erection

of a Prefecture Apostolic at Carhué and of a Vicariate at Santa

Cruz.14 A little later (1878) in a letter to Cardinal Giovanni

Simeoni, newly appointed Prefect of the Congregation

for the Propagation of the Faith, Don Bosco proposed the

creation of a Vicariate or of a Prefecture at Carmen de

Patagones at the mouth of the Rio Negro. Here “two well

known [native] chiefs are asking for our missionaries, giving

assurance of help and protection.”15

Cardinal Gaetano Alimonda (Archbishop of Turin)

and Msgr. Dominic Jacobini were delegated to study the

proposal. Of this phase of the negotiations Don Bosco wrote

to Pope Leo XIII in 1880 (when the Salesian, though already

established at Patagones, had hardly begun any missionary

activity): “In obedience to Your Holiness’ command, I have

had a long conference with His Eminence Card. Alimonda

and with the Most Reverend Msgr. Jacobini. [...] It was a

common point of agreement that a Vicariate Apostolic

should be erected for the colonies [missions] established

on the Rio Negro, and that a seminary to train evangelical

workers should be founded in Europe.” In the detailed

“Report on the Salesian Missions” (that is, on the Salesian

work in Argentina and Uruguay) attached to this letter, Don

Bosco pointed out that the Argentine government had just

created the Province of Patagonia. He suggested that the

Vicariate might well take the same name and cover the

same territory, including all the lands to the east of the

mountain range of the Andes “until another Vicariate is

erected at Santa Cruz.” 16

13 Don Bosco to Card. Franchi, May 10, 1876, in ASC 131.01, FDBM 23

A3-6 (autograph) Ceria-Epistolario III, p. 58-61.

14 Don Bosco to Card. Franchi, December 31, 1877, Ceria, Epistolario

III, p. 256-261, transcribed in EBM XIII, 590-596. Carhué (in the Pampa

southwest of Buenos Aires) and Santa Cruz (on the Atlantic coast in

southern Patagonia) were military outposts. Fr. Cagliero declined these

offers.

15 Don Bosco to Card. Simeoni, [March] 1878, Ceria, Epistolario III, p.

320-321. In this letter Don Bosco also declares his willingness to prepare

missionaries “for the Vicariate of Mangalor, India, or some other mis-

sion.”

16 Ceria, Epistolario III, p. 567-575; EBM XIV pp. 500-508 (Don Bosco’s

Don Bosco’s “definitive” proposal was made, after

further consultations and negotiations, in a laboriously

worded memorandum to Cardinal Simeoni, on July 29, 1883.

This proposal was for three Vicariates and/or Prefectures.

Don Bosco suggested the immediate erection of a Vicariate

for Northern Patagonia (Rio Negro) with seat at Carmen

de Patagones, and a Prefecture for Southern Patagonia

(Santa Cruz). Central Patagonia (Chubut), still undeveloped

and “wholly under Protestant control,” would be under

the patronage of the northern Vicariate, until a separate

Vicariate could be established there. Similarly, the southern

Prefecture would remain under the general patronage of

the northern Vicariate, unless the Holy Father decided to

make it an independent Vicariate.

Requested to nominate candidates for these posts, Don

Bosco submitted the names of Fr. Cagliero or Fr. Costamagna

for the northern (and central) Vicariate, and Fr. Fagnano, for

southern Patagonia. Don Bosco commended the three as

“strong, hard-working men, good preachers, inured to toil,

and of unimpeachable moral character.” Fr. Fagnano, was

further commended as particularly suitable for southern

Patagonia, being ”a man of powerful physique and defiant

of toil and danger.”17

At this point (end of July 1883) Don Bosco rested his

case and waited for Rome’s decision. A few days before, the

Salesian work had been established in Niterói (Brazil).18

One month later, the Third General Chapter was

convened and held its preparatory spiritual retreat at San

Letter and Report to Leo XIII of April 13, 1880).

17 Don Bosco to Card. Simeoni, July 29, 1883, Ceria, Epistolario IV, p.

225-227; EBM XVI. pp. 295-296.

John Cagliero (1838-1926), one of the early followers of Don Bosco,

was ordained a priest in 1862, and led the first band of 10 Salesians to

South America, where as Don Bosco’s vicar from the start, he headed

the Salesian work and guided its development through the length and

breadth of the continent. He was appointed Vicar of Northern Patagonia

in October, and ordained bishop on December 7, 1884. Pope Benedict

XV made him a cardinal in 1915.

James Costamagna (1846-1921) was ordained a priest in 1868 and

served as local director of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians

from 1875 to 1877. He led the third missionary party in 1877, and was

among the three missionaries who accompanied General Roca’s military

expedition in 1879 and made contact with the Araucan natives on the

Rio Negro. In 1880 he succeeded the deceased Fr. Bodrato as director

of the Pius IX school in Almagro (Buenos Aires), and as provincial he

founded the Salesian work in Chile in 1887. Nominated Vicar Apostolic

of Méndes y Gualaquiza (Ecuador), he was ordained bishop on May 23,

1895. While awaiting the opportunity to enter his Vicariate, he acted

as Fr. Rua’s representative for the Salesian works on the Pacific side.

He was permitted to visit Ecuador briefly in 1902, and then allowed to

enter his Vicariate permanently in 1912.

Joseph Fagnano (1844-1916) was ordained in 1868 and was a last-hour

substitute member of the first missionary group in 1875. He served as

first director of the school of San Nicolás, and in 1879 he was named

pastor of the parish of Patagones, whence his true missionary career

was launched. In November 1883 he was appointed Prefect Apostolic

of southern Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego. Having established a base

at Punta Arenas in mid-1887, the indomitable Fr. Fagnano founded mis-

sions in Tierra del Fuego for the evangelization of the natives.

18 Cf. EBM XVI, pp. 288-291; Ceria, Annali I, p. 457-460.

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Benigno. The “missions” were represented by Fr. Cagliero

and Fr. Costamagna.19 Although the missions were not

a topic on the Chapter’s agenda, they must have been

a lively topic of conversation.20 Father Costamagna had

made first contact with the Araucan natives during the

expedition of 1879 and had celebrated a memorable Mass

in their presence at Choele Choel. The two missionaries

must have created a stir by their reports; and Don Bosco

himself doubtlessly fanned the flames by expatiating on the

great project and on his future plans. They were the very

persons whom Don Bosco had nominated for the post of

Vicar Apostolic in his proposal to the Holy See. Perhaps this

was not yet public knowledge; but Don Bosco must have

opened his heart to them, and the three must have shared

their experiences and future projects.

In this climate, on the last day of the retreat, Don

Bosco, as he anxiously and with high hopes was awaiting the

impending fateful decision of the Holy See, had a dream—

the Second Mission Dream (Cf. below in Lectio Salesiana).

5. The Church’s Official Approval of Salesian Missionary

Activity: the Creation of Vicariate and Prefecture and the

Ordination of Fr. John Cagliero as Bishop-Vicar Apostolic

(1) First Action: Creation of a Pro-Vicariate of Northern

Patagonia and of a Prefecture of Southern Patagonia and

Tierra del Fuego

Fr. Costamagna was already on the high seas bound for

the missions at the head of a band of 20 Salesians and 10

Salesian Sisters, when the Congregation for the Propagation

of the Faith came to a decision.21 But disappointingly, by

the briefs of November 16 and 20, 1883, it only erected a

pro-Vicariate of Northern Patagonia, and a Prefecture for

Southern Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego, naming Fr. Cagliero

and Fr. Fagnano for those posts respectively. This action of

the Holy See establishing missionary territories under the

patronage of the Congregation for the Propagation of the

Faith made the Salesians Apostolic missionaries, but this

arrangement granted less than what Don Bosco had hoped

for, since neither Fr. Fagnano as Prefect nor Fr. Cagliero as

pro-Vicar would be appointed bishop. At a meeting of the

General Council held at Alassio on April 5, 1884, Don Bosco

stressed the importance for the Salesian Society to have a

full Vicariate and a bishop.

From Alassio Don Bosco, accompanied by Father

Lemoyne, went on to Rome primarily for the purpose of

19 Cf. ASC 04: Capitoli Generali presieduti da D. Bosco, FDBM 1,863 E7,

where the official list of participants, 35 in number, is given.

20 Neither Don Bosco’s letter of convocation of June 20, 1883 nor the

eight themes published with the same date, nor the minutes of the

Chapter, nor its proceedings published together with those of the

Fourth General Chapter in 1887 show that the missions were up for dis-

cussion. [Cf. Ceria, Epistolario IV, p. 221-222; Annali, p. 468-469; ASC 04:

Capitoli Generali; FDB 1,863 E7 -1,864 B6; Opere Edite XXVI, p. 249-280].

21 Cf. Don Bosco’s letter to Fr. Costamagna of November 12, 1883, Ceria,

Epistolario, p. 240-241.

petitioning Leo XIII personally for the privileges, and possibly

also discussing the Vicariate. His Roman sojourn lasted from

April 14 to May 14, 1884 and it was a time of apprehension

and pain. When he was finally granted an audience on May

9, the Pope assured the ailing venerable old man that the

privileges would be granted, and that he loved him, yes, him

and the Salesians. It appears, however, that the question of

the Vicariate was not raised in the audience.22

(2) Second Action: Creation of a Full Vicariate with

Cagliero as Bishop-Vicar

Back in Turin, Don Bosco sought the mediation

Archbishop Cajetan Alimonda, who also believed that,

in view of the great development of the missions on the

Rio Negro, it would have been more appropriate to have a

full Vicariate established there, with a bishop at the helm.

Consequently on September 26, 1884, he submitted a

petition to Pope Leo XIII to that effect. Pope Leo was not

unaware of the situation in Argentina, and of that of the

Salesian missions in particular. Don Bosco had kept him

informed about what had been achieved and of what was in

progress or being planned. Hence, he granted the request,

and by decree of October 30,1884, he upgraded Patagonia

to a Vicariate with Fr. Cagliero as vicar and bishop. (Southern

Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego, with Fr. Fagnano as prefect,

retained the status of prefecture.)

This action by the Holy See was a great victory, as well as

a great physical and moral boost, for Don Bosco personally.

It was also a sure sign of the Pope’s benevolence for Don

Bosco and the Salesians. But more significantly it was the

Church’s seal of approval and validation of the Salesian

Society’s missionary vocation and of its missionary projects.

Rightly Ceria writes: “The raising of this son of Don Bosco to

the episcopacy was, for the whole Salesian family, an event

of unparalleled significance. Later Salesian generations

cannot even imagine the triumphant jubilation of the

confreres at the time. Who would have dared entertain such

a hope? For the Cooperators too it was a time to rejoice; for

in that elevation they recognized the Church’s anointing of

the Salesian missionary apostolate.”23

(3) Bishop Cagliero’s Ordination and Difficult Entry into

His Mission

Fr. Cagliero’s ordination as titular bishop of Magida

by Cardinal Alimonda took place on December 7, 1884.

On February 1, 1885 the bishop was ready to leave for his

mission at the head of a band of 18 Salesians priests and

brothers and 6 Salesian Sisters. Don Bosco had spent the

previous days in a painful, almost anguished state of mind.

He was, moreover, confined to his room by illness. Cagliero,

his beloved son, was leaving him. He might never see him

again. It was in this context and in this frame of mind that

on the night of January 31, 1885, preceding the departure

22 The month-long stay in Rome is described in detail in EBM XVII, pp.

54-102. The privileges were finally granted by decree of June 28, 1884.

23 Ceria, Annali I. pp. 504-505.

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of the missionaries, he had a dream—the Third Missionary

Dream on South America.24

By the time Bishop Cagliero and the missionaries arrived

in Montevideo (Uruguay), the situation in Argentina had

deteriorated. Anticlerical opposition to the Salesians and

their work; accusations by General Winter, governor of the

Rio Negro province, specifically against pastor Fr. Fagnano,

director of the mission; the government’s refusal to accept

the new vicar on grounds that there had been no prior

consultation regarding the establishment of a vicariate—all

this made the bishop’s entry problematic.25

Bishop Cagliero, after a brief stay in Uruguay, entered

Argentina quietly and took up residence in the Salesian

school of Almagro (Buenos Aires), waiting for the right

moment to make his official appearance and hopefully be

permitted to enter his See.

Fr. Fagnano, who was the chief target of the accusations

by Governor Winter, brought his case before the Archbishop

with a detailed exposition of the facts. The Archbishop

then took the case to the Minister of the Interior, who

apparently accepted the explanation, and refrained from

acting on the Governor’s brief.

With this development, taking advantage of a lull in

the hostile press, Bishop Cagliero asked to be received by

President Julio Roca. Accompanied by Fr. Costamagna, who

had participated in General Roca’s expedition of 1879, he

presented his credentials to the president. The audience

started badly, but took a turn for the better, when Fr.

Costamagna began to recall events from the expedition,

and Bishop Cagliero reassured the President that as a

Salesian and as Vicar he would work for the development

of all the people in the area. Thus reassured, the President

gave him a letter of introduction to the Governor. On July

9, 1885, Bishop Cagliero could finally obtain permission

to enter his See at Patagones and Viedma. The Salesian

Missions could now be regarded as established de facto as

well as de jure.26

At this time Don Bosco’s health had taken a turn for the

worse. He was loosing his eyesight, a consequence of his

rapidly degenerating bodily systems. It was a foreboding

of his approaching end. But his moral vigor and spiritual

insight seemed rather to be on the increase. He was sure

now that the extension of the Salesian work in South

America (and worldwide) could not be stopped. Painfully

he wrote to his “generals” in the field. These letters are

precious guidelines for Salesian missionary strategy, as

well as a kind of spiritual testaments.27

Conclusion

The courage and perseverance of the missionaries

(Salesian fathers, brothers and sisters) made Don Bosco’s

original dream of missions among the natives a reality.

From Turin Father Rua, at great cost in personnel and

money and with continuous personal encouragement,

backed the missionaries’ efforts. And with the help and

support of the Salesian Cooperators by 1900 the whole

lower portion of South America, from the Pampas to Tierra

del Fuego, was recognized as the mission field entrusted

to the Salesians—Don Bosco’s Salesian Family.

27 Don Bosco’s letters: to Bishop Cagliero (August 6, 1885); to Fr.

Costamagna (Provincial) and to Fr. Fagnano (Prefect Apostolic) (August

10); to Fr. Tomatis (Director at San Nicolás) (August 14); to Fr. Lasagna

(Director at Villa Colón and Provincial of Uruguay and Brazil) (Septem-

ber 30). [Ceria, Epistolario IV, p. 327-329, 332-337. 340-341; Aubry-

Caselli, Spiritual Writings, pp. 339-346 (Don Bosco’s last five letters to

heads of missions).

Lectio Divina — Mt 28:16-20; Lk 24:45-48: Great mis-

sionary commission of the disciples by the risen Lord

Matthew 28:16-20: The eleven disciples went to Gali-

lee, to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them.

When they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted.

Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in

heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, there-

fore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them

in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the

holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have com-

manded you. And behold, I am with you always, until

the end of the age.”

Luke 24:45-48: Then he opened their minds to under-

stand the scriptures. And he said to them, “Thus it is

written that the Messiah would suffer and rise from

the dead on the third day and that repentance, for the

forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to

all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are wit-

nesses of these things.

Lectio Salesiana — (1) Don Bosco’s First Mission Dream

(1871/72), Barberis Report — (2) Don Bosco’s Second

Mission Dream (1883), Lemoyne B Report

24 “Don Bosco accompanies the missionaries to [South] America,” title

given to this dream, which we have on Lemoyne’s authority alone. (Cf.

EBM XVII, pp. 273-280.)

25 In a letter to Don Bosco, dated January 2, 1885, Archbishop Aneyros

had described the pique of the government when presented with a fait

accompli in the matter of the vicariate (Cf. Ceria, Epistolario IV, p. 314,

note 1; EBM XVII, pp. 287-289.)

26 For the story of the “persecution” of the Salesians by the Governor

of Rio Negro (General Winter) and of Bishop Cagliero’s entry into his

Vicariate see EBM XVII, pp. 285-292.

The (First) Missionary Dream of 1871/72

(1) Sources and Reports

According to Don Bosco’s own statement as reported in

the sources, this dream (commonly called (“after the fact”)

Dream of the Patagonian Missions) took place in 1871 or

1872. We are also told that he tried to identify the people

and the land he had seen in the dream, but was unable to

do so. He interpreted the dream to refer to the Patagonian

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natives only after he had received the offer from Argentina

(1874). In February-March 1875 Don Bosco was in Rome

and was received by Pius IX. On that occasion he may have

discussed the Argentine mission with the Pope (though

there is no record that he did so); in any case he did not

speak of his dream.1

He related the dream for the first time to Pius IX the

following year, in March 1876, and subsequently to some

Salesians. This was at least four years after it had occurred,

and a few months after the first “missionaries” had left for

Argentina.

The dream narrative comes to us primarily from a first-

hand report of Fr. Julius Barberis. The Barberis Report is the

primary source and was so regarded by Lemoyne. In ASC it

is included in Lemoyne’s collection of dream narratives. The

manuscript is neither in Barberis’ nor in Lemoyne’s hand,

but appears to be a calligraphic copy made from Barberis’

original draft and placed by Lemoyne in his own file. 2

Lemoyne, following his accustomed method, edited the

two reports (Barberis’ and his own) into one narrative, in

Documenti. And this is the text that Father Angelo Amadei

transcribed in the Biographical Memoirs. 3

2. Text of the Dream Narrative

(1) Marginal notes by Lemoyne are inserted into the text

in italics. Editor Lemoyne’s inserted slashes (//) at various

points, where he was planning to do editorial work. Words

that are struck through in the Barberis Report are part of

Lemoyne’s editorial work.

(2) Where the source reads “selvaggi,” I translate “savag-

es;” where it reads “indigeni,” I translate “natives;” where

it reads “barbari,” I translate “barbarians.” These terms

should be understood in the sense given to them in the

Romantic literature, especially in the missionary journals of

the day.

July 31, 1876

Don Bosco’s Dream of the Missions in Patagonia

Report by Father Julius Barberis

[Barberis’ Introduction]

Here is the dream on account of which Don Bosco was

later to decide to give some thought to the missions of

Patagonia. He first related it to the Pope on the last trip he

took to Rome // (before July 31, 1876). Subsequently, [he

related it] to some of us. On July 30, [he told it] to Father

Bodratto. From the latter I heard it, too, on the evening of

1 No mention of missions or dream occurs in EBM XI, p. 98-128.

2 The Barberis Report is in ASC 111: Sogni, Lemoyne, “31 Luglio 1876,

Sogno,” FDBM 1314 D1-4. Barberis’ autograph could not be traced; it is

not where one would expect to find it, namely, in ASC 110: Cronachette,

Barberis, Notebook 8, where the pages are missing, though the dream is

listed in the Table of Contents of that notebook [cf. FDBM 843 E9 e 844

A3 and 5].

3 Cf. A. Amadei, IBM X, p. 54-55 (dream text) and 1267-1270 (Don

Bosco’s attempts to identify the natives and the region); EBM X, p. 46-48

and 543-548.

the same day at Lanzo, where for some twenty days I had

been vacationing with half of the clerical novices’ class.

Three days later, back in Turin, Don Bosco related it to me,

as we paced up and down in the library. I took care not to

mention that I had already heard it, because Don Bosco

usually omits one detail or another [in a first narration];

and also because, heard from his own lips, it would make a

stronger impression on me. He told us we were the first to

hear it.

[Dream Narrative — Dream Setting]

I seemed to find myself in a region, wild and completely

unknown [to me]. // It was an immense, totally uncultivated

plain on which neither hills nor mountains could be seen.

At its farthest boundary, beyond the ken of human eye,

[the plain] was wholly encircled by jagged mountains that

formed a crown on either side of it. On this plain I saw two

bands, throngs of men // roaming about. They were nearly

naked, of extraordinary height and build, fierce-looking,

with shaggy, // long hair, bronzed and dark of complexion,

their only garments being long cloaks draping down from

their shoulders and made of animal hides. For weapons they

carried a kind of long spear and a sling. //

[Scene I]

Just then a great number of individuals came into view

whose way of acting showed them to be missionaries

belonging to various [religious] orders. They approached

[the natives] in order to preach the faith of J. C. [to them].

But [the natives] with diabolical fury and with hellish glee

slaughtered them all, hacking their flesh to pieces, and

impaling it on their long, pointed spears. From time to time

bloody fighting would break out among them, and between

them and neighboring peoples. //

[Scene II]

After observing these horrible slaughters for some

time, I asked myself, “How can one convert such brutal

people?” At that moment I saw a small group of missionar-

ies, different from the former, advancing with cheerful mien

toward them, with a band of youngsters marching in front.

I trembled at the mere thought that they were going to get

killed. I walked up // to them; I did not recognize any of

them, but I could tell that they were Salesian missionaries,

our very own. “How can this be?” [I asked myself.] I did not

want them to advance any farther, and was about to stop

them and force them back, when I realized that their arrival

was causing widespread joy among that throng of barbar-

ians. They lowered their weapons, ceased from their savage

behavior, and received our missionaries most courteously.

[Scene III]

In utter amazement I mused: “Let’s see how things

will turn out.” I then saw that [the natives] were receiving

instruction from our missionaries, and they were paying

willing attention and were learning. [The missionaries] were

admonishing them, and they were putting their admoni-

tions into practice. // I watched them for a while, and then I

realized that they were reciting the rosary, missionaries and

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savages, peaceably together. //

[Conclusion of Dream Narrative]

After a while one of the missionaries intoned the

[hymn], “Praise Mary, You Faithful Tongues;” and all those

men with one voice took up the song. They sang it through

in such unison and with such power that I woke up with a

start.

[Don Bosco’s Conclusion and Comments]

I had this dream four or five years ago, // but I did not

make much of it [at the time], especially as I was unable to

learn what people might be indicated by the characteris-

tics I had observed in those savages. At first I thought they

might be Africans // from the region of Mgr. Comboni’s

mission.4 Then, as I was at the time negotiating with Mgr.

Raimondi for missions in Hong Kong,5 // I thought they

might be from those islands. But upon investigation I

learned that neither the area nor its inhabitants matched

what I had seen [in the dream]. Some time later we had a

visit from Archbishop Quin of Australia [sic],6 and I made

inquiries about the condition and character of the savages

there; but again what he told me did not tally with what I

had seen. And yet the impression the dream had made on

me and the intimations it had left with me were such that

it could not be disregarded—especially since, as past ex-

perience had taught me, what I had seen might well come

to pass. Meanwhile, we began to talk about the Argentine

Republic and [to discuss] the proposals for [foundations in]

Buenos Aires and San Nicolás, made to us through the Ar-

gentine consul.7 I gathered data, made appropriate inqui-

ries and sought information. I quickly reached the certain

conclusion that the people I had seen were the Patagonian

natives dwelling in the southern regions of that republic.

From then on I entertained no further doubt as to where

my concern and my efforts should be directed. 8

4 [Bishop] Daniel Comboni, founder of the Verona Fathers, had estab-

lished missions in the Sudan and the White Nile region. In the late 1860s

he and Don Bosco had discussed involving the Salesians.

5 On October 6, 1873, Bishop Timoleonte Raimondi sought Cardinal

Barnabò’s mediation to obtain Salesian missionaries for Hong Kong. In a

letter to Father Rua of January 5, 1874 [Motto, Epistolario IV, 194-195]

Don Bosco wrote that he had spoken to Pius IX about the project. On

March 12, 1874 he presented a petition to the Pope in which he stated

that he was about to open “a home for poor children in the island of

Hong Kong, China,” and a “hospice and school in Savannah, [GA] in

[North] America” [Motto, Epistolario IV, 251-252.]

6 Archbishop Matthew Quinn of Sydney, Australia.

7 The Argentine consul was John Baptist Gazzolo (1827-1895), a Geno-

ese navy captain who had migrated to Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was

appointed consul for Argentina at Savona, Italy, in 1870. Soon after his

appointment he met Don Bosco, in 1871 or 1872, on visits to the Sale-

sian schools of Alassio and Varazze. [Jesus Borrego, “Primer proyecto

patagónico de Don Bosco,” Ricerche Storiche Salesiane 5 (1986) 21-72,

p. 48, Note 147.]

8 Lemoyne in Documenti and Amadei in the Biographical Memoirs ex-

pand considerably Barberis’ account of Don Bosco’s attempts to identify

the people and the region of the dream (Cf. EBM X, 543-545).

Don Bosco’s Second Mission Dream (1883)

(1) Occasion of the Dream Experience and of the

Narration

The second Mission Dream took place at San Benigno,

at the end of the spiritual retreat preparatory to the Third

General Chapter, on the night preceding the feast of St.

Rose of Lima, hence on the night of August 30, 1883.1 Don

Bosco narrated the dream five days later to the members of

the Third General Chapter meeting at Valsalice. In some of

the manuscripts, it bears the title, The American Missions or

The Great Gathering at the Equator.

This lengthy dream narrative tells of a gathering at a great

hall located in the equatorial region of South America. Here

the missions are the topic of conversation and of allegorical

scenes. There follows a train journey southward down the

length of South America to the Straits of Magellan, along

the eastern slope of the Andes. Don Bosco, accompanied

by an interpreter, is shown “the harvest entrusted to the

Salesians.” This is followed, in one tradition of the text, by a

journey northward, by another route, back to the point of

departure.

(2) Sources and Textual History of the Second Mission

Dream

A number of archival documents, namely, Viglietti’s

chronicle, the minutes of the Third General Chapter, and

Lemoyne’s reports.

[Lemoyne A]

Fr. Lemoyne, a member of the Third General Chapter,

drafted a first-hand report, (Lemoyne A). It is a long

autograph narrative with marginal notes by the same. It

tells of the gathering in the great hall at the equator, and

relates the train journey southward ending at Punta Arenas

(with a conclusion of the dream and the awakening). It does

not speak of a return journey back to the starting point.2

[Lemoyne B]

Subsequently, Lemoyne (on the basis of Lemoyne A)

drafted a second report that he submitted to Don Bosco

for revision. As in the case of Lemoyne A, we have a long

autograph narrative describing the meeting at the hall,

the train journey southward, ending at Punta Arenas with

a conclusion of the dream and the awakening. A number

of marginal additions and interlinear corrections in Don

Bosco’s hand appear through the first part of this draft.

One large marginal addition of over 160 words near the

beginning reports the conversation heard by Don Bosco in

the hall. There are also further marginal notes by Lemoyne

(perhaps added later). Again, there is no reference to a

return journey.

Lemoyne B, reviewed and authenticated by Don Bosco,

1 The feast of St. Rose of Lima fell on August 31. The memorial is now

kept on August 23.

2 Lemoyne A is in ASC 132: Autografi-Sogni, FDBM 1,347 B10-C9.

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remains our principal source.3

Second Mission Dream (1883) Dream Narrative —

Text of Lemoyne B

[Note: The marginal additions and corrections in

Don Bosco’s hand are inserted in bold Italics into

the main body of the text. Lemoyne’s additions are

left in the margin at the place where they occur in

the manuscript. Titles and other additions in square

brackets are added for easier reading.]

[Introduction by the Narrator]

On the night preceding the feast of St. Rose of Lima

(August 30) I had a dream. Somehow I was conscious of

being asleep. At the same time I seemed to be running hard,

which exhausted me to the point that I was unable to speak,

write, and work at my usual occupations.

[Dream Setting: In the Reception Hall]

As I was considering whether this was dream or reality, I

seemed to be entering a reception hall where many people

were conversing on various subjects.

A prolonged conversation ensued on the fact that a

great number of savages in Australia, in India, in China, in

Africa, and particularly in America, are still shrouded in the

shadow of death.

One speaker remarked: “Europe, Christian Europe, the

great teacher of civilized living and of the Catholic faith,

seems to have grown apathetic with regard to the foreign

missions. Few have the courage to brave long voyages or

unknown [lands] to save the souls of those millions of souls

[sic] that were nonetheless redeemed by the Son of God,

Jesus Christ.” 4

Another speaker added: “How many idol-worshippers

in America alone lead unhappy lives outside the Church,

deprived of the knowledge of the Gospel! People think

(and geographers make the same mistake) that the

American Cordilleras are like a wall that divides that part

3 Lemoyne B is in ASC 132: Autografi-Sogni, FDBM 1,347 A6-B5, It is

followed immediately (FDBM 1,347 B6-9) by Appendix X containing the

adventurous story of the return journey. Appendix X is all in Lemoyne’s

hand, with his own marginal notes, but none by Don Bosco. It was not

part of Don Bosco’s original narration at GC III, and therefore not part

of Lemoyne A. It was added by Lemoyne after the conclusion of Lem-

oyne B in a further editorial effort. Hence the status Appendix X is

uncertain. Lemoyne final editorial effort is represented by Lemoyne C,

which re-orders all elements to achieve a logical and integrated narra-

tive: main narrative as in Lemoyne B + Appendix X (return journey) +

conclusion and awakening + integration of all marginal notes into the

narrative (Lemoyne C is in ASC 111: Sogni, FDBM 1,318 D7-E12+1,319

A1-9). This is the text edited in Lemoyne’s Documenti XXVI (Ch. 37, p.

525-534, in ASC 110: Cronachette, Lemoyne-Doc, FDBM 1,089 E11 -

1,090 A8), and thence transcribed by Ceria in the Biographical

Memoirs (Cf. EBM XVI, p. 304-312).

4 The portion of text in bold italics that follows is Don Bosco’s long mar-

ginal addition, already mentioned. In dreams “auditions” and conversa-

tions are not unusual; but this conversation is very unusual for its length

and complexity. All other marginal and interlinear corrections or addi-

tions by Don Bosco deal with small details. The important consideration

is that Don Bosco reviewed this text.

of the world in two. But it is not so. Those long and high

mountain ranges are crossed by valleys that are more than

one thousand kilometers long. Within them are forests

as yet unexplored; [rare] plants, animals, and [precious]

stones [so rare] that [they] are scarce [even] there [sic].

Coal, petroleum, lead, copper, iron, silver and gold lie

buried in those mountains, where the Creator’s almighty

hand placed them for people’s benefit. O cordilleras,

cordilleras, how rich are your eastern slopes!”

At that moment I felt the urge to seek an explanation

on a number of subjects, and to find out who those people

were, and where I was. But I thought: “Before opening my

mouth I ought to see what kind of people these are!” And

so I looked around to investigate, but I recognized no one.

Meanwhile, as if they had only noticed me at that very

moment, they invited me to join them, and they received

me kindly. Then I inquired: “Where are we? Are we in

Turin, London, Madrid or Paris? And who are you?” But

the gentlemen dodged my questions and continued their

discourse on the Missions.

[Act I: Allegorical Actions in the Reception Hall]

At that moment a young man of ravishing beauty,

radiating light brighter than the sun, who appeared to be

about sixteen years of age, came up to me. His clothes were

splendidly embroidered; he wore a crown-like adornment

on his head that was set with sparkling jewels. He looked at

me kindly, and seemed to be interested in me in a special

way. His smile expressed ineffable love. He spoke my name,

took me by the hand, and began to speak about the Salesian

Congregation.

At a certain point I interjected: “Whom have I the honor

to be speaking with? Please tell me your name.”

The young man replied: “Have no fear! Speak freely, for

you are with a friend.”

“But what is your name?”

I would gladly tell you my name, but it isn’t necessary.

You should know who I am.”

Then I looked more intently at that radiant face. How

beautiful it was! Immediately I recognized him as the son

of Count Colle, the illustrious benefactor of all our houses,

and especially of our [South] American missions.5 “Oh, it’s

5 In a number of dreams Don Bosco is guided by an Interpreter. For

example, Dominic Savio fills this role in the Lanzo Dream of 1876. Here

the Interpreter is Louis Colle, the son of Count Louis Antoine Fleury

Colle of Toulon, France. In March 1882, Don Bosco visited the young

man as he lay dying of tuberculosis. He died on April 3 at the age of 17.

Don Bosco thought so highly of Louis, (and of his great benefactors, the

Count and Countess Colle) that a short time later, with the help of Fr. de

Barruel, he wrote and published a biography dedicated “À Monsieur et à

Madame Colle”: Biographie du jeune Louis Fleury Antoine Colle, par Jean

Bosco prêtre (Turin, 1882) [Cf. EBM XV, p. 57-59.] Was Louis to be the

new Dominic Savio?

Be that as it may, the identity of the Interpreter-Guide, as presented

in the sources of this dream, is problematic. In the GC3 Minutes he is

simply a “layperson.” In Lemoyne A (up to page 4 of the main text), the

Interpreter is described as “a gentleman” (un personaggio), “a man” (un

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you,” I said, speaking his name. “And who are all these

gentlemen?”

“They are friends of the Salesians; and I, as a friend of

yours and of your Salesians, and in God’s name, would like

to give you a small task to perform.”

[Scene 1: Acted Allegory: The Numbered Rope]

“What kind of task? What’s this all about?”

“Come up to this table, and pull down on this rope.”

There was a table in the middle of the great hall, and on

this table was a rope coiled up into a ball. I observed that

this rope was scored with lines like a ruler. Later I realized

that the hall was located in South America, right at the

equator, and that the numbers on the rope represented the

degrees of the earth’s latitude. So, I grasped the end of the

rope, and as I looked at it I saw the number 0 marked on it.

I began to laugh.

“This is no laughing matter,” the angelic youth said to

me. “Observe, and tell me what you see written on the

rope.”

“The number 0.”

“Pull on the rope a bit.” I pulled, and out came the

number 1.

“Pull some more, and coil the rope as you pull.” I pulled,

and out came the numbers 2, 3, 4, up to 20.

“Is this enough?” I asked him.

“No,” the young man replied. “Pull farther. Pull till you

find a knot.” I pulled till I reached the number 47 and, after

it, a large knot. The rope extended beyond that point, but

divided into many smaller cords that radiated out toward

the east, the west, and the south.

“Is this enough?” I asked him.

“What is the number?” he inquired in turn.

“The number is 47.”

“And what does 47 plus 3 make?”

“50!”

“And 50 plus 5?”

“55!”

“Watch carefully: fifty-five,” he said, and added: “Pull

some more!’

“I have reached the end!

“Well, then, turn around, and pull the rope in the

opposite direction.” I pulled on the rope in that direction till

I reached the number 10.

“Pull some more,” said the young man.

uomo), “that man” (quell’uomo). But Lemoyne’s later marginal notes

from page 2 on, already specify that he was a young man (un giovane),

subsequently identified as “the son of the Counts Colli” [sic]. Then from

page 4 on, Lemoyne systematically deletes the original designations

(such as “that man”) replacing them with expressions like, “that young

man”, “that dear young man.” It appears, therefore, that in the original

narration Don Bosco had not identified the Interpreter as young Louis

Colle. In Lemoyne B, which (as mentioned above) is a re-working of the

text by Lemoyne reviewed by Don Bosco, the Interpreter is identified as

young Louis Colle from the start.

“There is no more!”

“So, there is no more. Then, look farther. What do

you see?

“It’s water,” I replied. At that moment I had an

experience so strange as to defy all explanation. I was

standing in that room, was pulling on that rope, and

yet at the same time I had a bird’s eye view of a vast

panorama that was unfolding before my very eyes, and

that stretched along the full extent of the rope.

[Lemoyne’s

marginal note]

It seems

that the point

47 represents

the starting

place of the

Salesian center

from which to

reach out to the

Falkland Islands

and the Tierra del

Fuego, and other

islands of those

farthest lands

[sic] in [South]

America. 6

[marginal note]

I saw in

concentration all

that I later saw

in detail. The

degrees on the

rope where the

clues that helped

me memorize

successive points

visited on the

journey.

[Main text]

[rope] From the first

number 0 to number 47 there

stretched a limitless land that

was bounded at its end by

straits of ocean and then broke

up into hundreds of islands, of

which one was much larger

than the others. To these

islands apparently pointed the

little cords that radiated from

the large knot. Each little cord

ended at an island. Some islands

were inhabited by fairly large

numbers of natives; other islands

appeared sterile, stark, rocky,

and uninhabited; yet others were

entirely capped with ice. To the

west [were] numerous clusters

[of islands inhabited by savages

in large numbers.

At the opposite end, that

is, from number 0 to number

10, stretched more of the same

country: and it ended in that

[body of] water seen last of

all. That [body of] water was

(so it appeared) the sea of the

Antilles. There it lay before my

eyes in a manner I find totally

inexplicable.7

[inexplicable] After my reply, “It’s water!” the young

man continued: “Now add 55 and 10. What does that

add up to?” I replied: “It adds up to 65.”

6 This note by Lemoyne locates a Salesian center at the 47th degree

of latitude south. Actually there is no Salesian center at that location.

Santa Cruz, which may historically be regarded as the staging base of

Msgr. Fagnano’s future mission, is located at about the 50th degree of

latitude south. Ushuaia, the future southernmost Salesian foundation,

is located at about the 55th.

7 In a (later) note at the end of the dream narrative, Lemoyne states

that the bishop of San José, Costa Rica, had requested the Salesians by

letter of September 15, 1883. This city is located at the 10th degree of

latitude north. (The Salesian work in San José began in 1933.)

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“Now put everything together, and you have one

[unbroken stretch of] rope.

“What happens now?”

What do you see on this side?”

“To the west I see very high mountains; and to the east,

the ocean.”

“Excellent! These mountains constitute a bank, a

boundary. From the mountains to the ocean lies the harvest

entrusted to the Salesians. These thousands and millions

of people are waiting for your help, waiting for the faith.”

Those mountains were the Cordilleras of South America.

[Scene 2: The Allegory of Unripe Figs]

“But how are we to do this?” I rejoined.

“How? Look.” Immediately Fr. Lago appeared on the

scene carrying a basket of small, green figs.8

“Here, Don Bosco, take this,” he said to me.

“What have you got there?”

“[Figs.] I was told to bring them to you.”

“But these figs are not fit to eat. They are not yet ripe.”

Then the young man took up the basket, which was

wide but not very deep. He offered it to me with the words,

“This is the present he is giving you.”

“And what am I to do with these figs?”

“These figs are not ripe yet, but they are nonetheless

the fruit of the great fig tree of life. It is up to you to bring

them to maturity.”

“How? If they were larger, they could be made to ripen

on straw like other kinds of fruit. But these are so small, so

green! That would be impossible.”

“There is more to it than that. You should know that for

these figs to ripen you have to re-attach them to the tree.”

“How? That’s impossible.”

“Then watch. Saying this, the young man took a fig

and dipped it first in a small bowl of blood, and next in a

little bowl of water. Then he explained: “By sweat and by

blood will the savages be returned to the tree and be made

pleasing to the Lord of life.”

I was thinking to myself: This will require a lot of time.

Instead turning to the dear young man I said: “I just don’t

know what to say.”

The youth replied: “All this will be accomplished before

the end of the second generation.”

“What second generation?”

“Not counting the present generation—two generations

from now.”

I was thoroughly confused, and could only stammer:

“How many years to each of these generations?”

“Sixty years.”

“And after that, what?”

8Angelo Lago (1834-1914), a graduate pharmacist from the University

of Turin, joined Don Bosco after hearing a retreat sermon by the saint

in 1872, and was ordained in 1877. Assigned to the office of the prefect

general, he worked as assistant to Fr. Michael Rua practically until his

death.

“Do you want to know what lies in the future? Come

and see.”

[Act II: The Railway Journey Southward]

Without knowing how, I found myself at a railway

station, where a lot of people had gathered. We boarded

a train. I wanted to know where we were. The young man

replied: “Look and pay close attention. We are going to

travel along the Cordilleras. But the road is open to you also

to the east, as far as the ocean.9 It is another gift from the

Lord.”

“And when shall we go to Boston? They are awaiting us

there.10

“In its own good time.” And so saying he took out a map.

“What is that?” I asked. He answered by unfolding the

map. On it the diocese of Cartagena was shown on a large

scale and in high relief. (Was that to be our starting point?)11

[Scene 1: First Stage of the Journey]

As I looked at the map, I heard the train whistle and observed

that the train had started. During the trip my friend did

most of the talking, but I was unable to follow him very well

because of the noise the train was making. Nevertheless, I

learnt new and wonderful things pertaining to astronomy

and navigation; and about the mineral resources, the fauna

and flora of those lands. On these subjects he spoke with

eloquence and precision. From the very beginning he held

my hand and continued to hold it in friendly manner until

the end of the dream. Occasionally I would lay my [free]

hand on his, but it seemed to vanish under my touch, so

that my left hand would only find my right. The young man

only smiled at this futile attempt of mine.12 I kept looking

out the window and watched the ever-changing and

amazing landscape filing by: forests, mountains, plains, very

large and majestic rivers, which even so far upstream were

far larger than I had thought. We traveled along the edge

of a virgin forest, as yet unexplored, for over a thousand

miles. My power to see was intensified in such a marvelous

______________

9 Some two months before the dream Don Bosco, in response to

repeated requests, decided to open a house in Brazil, and asked Father

Louis Lasagna to proceed with the negotiations. The first Salesian

foundation was in Nichteroy (Niterói), close to Rio de Janeiro, toward

the end of 1883.

10 A proposal to establish a Salesian work in Boston had been received,

through intermediaries, toward the end of 1882. The first Salesian work

in Boston (the Don Bosco Technical High School) was established in

1945.

11 The city of Cartagena (Colombia), like San José (Costa Rica), is

located at about the 10th degree of latitude north. But at the beginning

of the dream narrative the reception hall is said to be located at the

equator.

12 A similar experience of the insubstantial nature of heavenly appari-

tions is described, with additional elaborate explanations, in the Lanzo

Dream of 1876, with respect to Dominic Savio (cf. EBM XII, p. 439f.).

2.3 Page 13

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manner, that it seemed able to penetrate those regions at

will. It could not only peer into the Cordilleras, but it could

also see through the isolated mountain ranges rising above

those interminable plains (Brazil?).

[Marginal note by

Lemoyne]

Between

the 15th and 20th

degree there lay a

very long and wide

basin (seno) that

began at a point

forming a lake. Then

a voice spoke and

said repeatedly:

“When mines will

be dug in the depths

of these mountains

(of that valley),

then the promised

land flowing with

milk and honey

will be revealed

here, and there will

be inconceivable

wealth. 13

[(Brazil?)] The incomparable

[mineral] riches of the soil still

awaiting discovery were revealed

to my gaze. I saw numerous mines

of precious metals, inexhaustible

coal pits, petroleum deposits

more abundant than existed

anywhere. And this is not all.

At many points the Cordilleras

opened up on regions the

existence of which is totally

unknown to our geographers.

They [mistakenly] imagine that

in those regions mountain ranges

form a kind of sheer wall. In those

basins, in those valleys, which

may be as long as one thousand

kilometers, live dense populations

that have had as yet no contact

with Europeans, nations that are

as yet completely unknown.14

[unknown] The train meanwhile kept rolling on and on,

turning here, turning there. Finally it came to a stop. At this

point a great number of passengers got off and crossed under

the Cordillera over to the west. [Don Bosco made reference

to Bolivia. The station may have been La Paz, where a tunnel

may provide a passage to the Pacific coast, and may connect

Brazil with Lima by another railway line.]15

[Scene 2: Second Stage of the Journey]

13 This marginal note in Lemoyne’s hand has been interpreted as pin-

pointing geographically the future capital of Brazil, Brasilia, even though

no mention is made of any city, and the geographical description of the

site is too general for any determination. At this time Don Bosco had

Brazil on his mind, as he had Boston (USA) and San José (Costa Rica).

14 These ideas were ridiculed in Rome. Reporting Don Bosco’s words,

Lemoyne writes in Documenti: “In Rome I made a full presentation to

Card. Barnabò [Prefect of Propaganda Fide]; but he ridiculed the project

as childish fantasy, especially my statement that in South America there

were large populations yet to be discovered. Therefore, he refused to

speak to the Pope about it. Don Bosco himself then spoke to the Pope,

who at once took the matter seriously and asked Card. Franchi [the next

Prefect of that Congregation] to make a report. His Eminence was put-

ting it off, however; and when Pius IX insisted, he would reply: ‘These

are delusions of a sick mind!’ But Pius IX gave the order, got the report,

and fully backed the new mission” [Documenti XIV, p. 143, ASC 110:

Cronachette Lemoyne-Doc, FDBM 1,024 C4]. It should be noted that

Pius IX had served as auditor in the apostolic delegations of Chile and

Peru from 1823 to 1825.

15 The words in square brackets are a comment by reporter Lemoyne.

16 The words in square brackets are a comment by reporter Lemoyne.

[Lemoyne’s

marginal note]

+ The name

of the river

should be

noted (the

Paraná, I think).

++ D.B. should

also put the

river’s name

here (Uruguay)

and, as before,

it runs over

bridges,

through

tunnels, by

lakes, rivers,

forests.

[Main text]

[line] The train continued on its

journey. We rode along the banks of

the Uruguay. I had thought it was a

short river; instead it is very long. At a

certain point I saw the river +

which flows close to the ++

both of them, rivers of great length.

Then they separate and form a wide

loop.

Meanwhile the train kept on

rolling south, turning first one way,

then another; after a long haul it came

to a second stop. Here again a lot of

people got off and crossed under the

Cordillera over to the west. [Don Bosco

made reference to the province of

Mendoza in the Argentine Republic.

Hence he believes, the station may

have been Mendoza, and the tunnel,

that which gives access to Santiago or

Valparaiso, the capital of Chile.]16

[Scene 3: Third Stage of the Journey]

The train continued on its run through the Pampas

and Patagonia. Fields under cultivation and scattered

homesteads were an indication that civilization was making

inroads into those deserts

[ L e m o y n e ’ s [Main text]

marginal note]

[deserts] Finally we arrived

at the Straits of Magellan. I was

Huge heaps looking on. We got off. Puntarenas

of metal partly in lay before me. The ground for

ore form and partly miles around was strewn with

refined.

stores of coal, planks, beams and

lumber. Freight cars were parked

in long rows on the tracks.

My young friend drew my

attention to all these things. So, I

It took but a

asked him, “What are you trying

moment. I got off to tell me by all this?”

the train and saw

“That at present,” he replied,

them at once.

“this is all at the planning stage.

There were more But these savages will one day

churches, schools, become so docile that they will

many houses with freely come in order to be taught

large numbers of religion, civilized living, and com-

people in them, merce. Here [the development]

many hospices,

that has caused people elsewhere

apprentices in

to marvel will be so astounding

trade and agricul- as to surpass that of all other

tural schools,

peoples [sic.]

young people and

I have seen enough [of this], I

adults together

said ending the conversation.

2.4 Page 14

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guided by

missionaries—

Daughters [of

Mary Help of

Christians?]

were working at

various domestic

tasks. I mingled

with them. They

looked at me as

though I were a

stranger.

“Now take me to see my Salesians of

Patagonia.”

He did, and I saw them. There

were many of them, but they were

unknown to me; and not one of my

old sons was among them. They

stared at me in utter amazement.

And when I demanded, “Don’t you

know me? Don’t you know Don

Bosco?”

[They replied,] “Don Bosco? Ah

yes, we know him all right; but only

from pictures, not personally,”

“And where are Fr. Fagnano, Fr.

Lasagna, Fr. Costamagna?” 17

[Costamagna?] “We have never known them personally.

They are the pioneers of old, the first Salesians to come to

these lands from Europe. But they have been dead all these

many years!” On hearing this amazing reply, I began to ask

myself: “Is this dream or reality?” I clapped my hands, felt

my arms, and shook myself. I had a distinct perception of

the sound of the clapping and of the feel of my body.

[Conclusion and Awakening]

In this troubled state, I thought I heard Quirino ringing

the morning Angelus; but when I was awake, I realized that

the ringing came from the bells of the parish church of St.

Benignus,18

The dream had lasted all night long.19

[Moralistic Conclusion]

Don Bosco concluded with these words: “With the

gentleness of St. Francis de Sales will the Salesians succeed

in drawing the peoples of [South] America to Jesus Christ. At

first the task of converting the savages to Christian morals

will be a most difficult one; but their children will most

willingly accept the teachings of the missionaries. Through

them colonies [missions] will be founded; civilization will

replace barbarism; and a great number of savages will join

t_h_e__f_o_l_d_o__f_J_e_s_u_s__C_h_r_i_st.”

17 Luigi Lasagna (1850-1895), ordained in 1873, left for the missions

with the second group in 1876. As director and then as provincial he

developed the Salesian work in Uruguay and initiated scientific and

cultural projects. He established the Salesian work in Brazil. He was

ordained bishop in 1893 and charged by Leo XIII with the mission of pro-

tecting and evangelizing the natives there. But he died in a tragic train

collision shortly thereafter.

18 Don Bosco was at San Benigno Canavese (a house of novitiate at this

time) for the spiritual retreat with the members of the Third General

Chapter, and was awakened by the Angelus bells of the local church of

St. Benignus. In his half-waking state he had at first thought that it was

the Angelus bell of the Church of Mary Help of Christians in Turin rung

by Brother Camillo Quirino (1847-1892), “that saintly brother—a math-

ematician, polyglot and bell ringer.” [EBM XVI, p. 312, note 34]

19 Dreams do not last all night, though they may appear to do so. They

last only some fifteen or twenty minutes in real time during REM sleep

toward the end of a sleep cycle.

FEBRUARY :

THE OFFICIAL

GROUPS OF THE

SALESIAN FAMILY

The Salesian Family

of Don Bosco is made up

of three central groups

(SDB, FMA, Cooperators)

to whose foundation he

himself gave much time,

energy, and formative and

organizational expertise,

because they constituted

the key and nucleus of his work, and of a constellation

of many other groups. From him the Association of

Mary Help of Christians took its rise. (CIC 2).

In the previous article in the month of January,

I explained how Don Bosco founded the first four

groups of the Salesian Family. But he was not simply

the founder of the Salesians, of the Daughters of Mary

Help of Christians with Saint Mary Dominic Mazzarel-

lo, of the Cooperators and of the Association of Mary

Help of Christians.

In fact, creating an all-embracing family atmo-

sphere, within and outside his houses, he not only

originated a particular style of personal relationships

and of authority, but, guided but God, he gave rise

to a charismatic identity that was shared and was

capable of being shared, which finds its expression in

the Salesian spirit and mission.

In this way, the action of the Holy Spirit guided

Don Bosco to give life to various apostolic forces, the

first, but not the only ones, those founded by himself.

His original plan, not fully realized in his own lifetime,

remained a driving force to be developed: the Sale-

sian Family with its innumerable groups is the obvious

historical proof of this.

If on the one hand one cannot attribute all the de-

velopments of the Salesian Family to Don Bosco, since

his heritage is not a “museum” but a living reality; on

the other hand, all the subsequent foundations in the

Salesian Family are attributable to his own apostolic

plan, as has been so often said by his successors,

guarantors of the authenticity of his spirit and of the

Salesian mission.

The miraculous expansion of the Salesians and

of Salesian work in the world was certainly the fruit

of the co-involvement of so many apostolic forces,

especially of the Cooperators. Even today we can say

that this involvement of the Salesian Family continues

to be the secret of the expansion of Salesian work, in

all parts of the world. To commit ourselves therefore

to know and love the Salesian Family and help it grow

2.5 Page 15

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has been and will continue to be a common

characteristic of the common Salesian voca-

tion and at the same time, the secret of the

fruitfulness of this great spiritual and

apostolic movement which had its origins

in the heart of Don Bosco.

Don Bosco had therefore begun his work

on behalf of poor boys founding the Salesian

Congregation (SDB standing for Salesians of

Don Bosco), then the Institute of the Daugh-

ters of Mary Help of Christians (FMA), the

Salesians-Cooperators (SSCC), and the As-

sociation of Mary Help of Christians (ADMA).

But all this was only the seed spoken of in

the Gospel; that tiny seed which has a great

future ahead of it: to become a great tree.

For all the Sons of Don Bosco, nowadays this

image has become an icon, and all those who

know about it speak with full awareness of

“the tree of the Salesian Family”.

At the moment there are twenty three

groups officially accepted as being part of this

great family. It is already a tree with many

branches, each different from the others but

animated by the same charism: there are

groups with members male and female

consecrated in the religious life, members

belonging to secular institutes and lay people.

Their areas of apostolate are also different:

some are working in the field of education,

others in health services, other in human

development or the world of social communi-

cation. But all of them with common elements

and a common identity that finds its origin in

the great heart of the Founder, Don Bosco,

now so well-known in all parts of world.

Dear Members of the Salesian Family,

This is the time of the year when the Institute of Salesian

Spirituality at Don Bosco Hall in Berkeley begins to pro-

cess applications for the 2009-2010 course year. We invite

you to consider this program for your ongoing formation

and personal enrichment.

Statement of Purpose

The Institute of Salesian Spirituality (ISS) offers a various types

of study programs and formative experiences. Programs range from

one week to nine months.

The specific purpose of the Institute is to make a comprehen-

sive Salesian renewal experience available to members of the Salesian

Family. Critical study is integrated with experiences aimed at deepen-

ing spirituality and fostering personal growth in the context of Salesian

community life and ministry.

The process encourage participants to deepen their apprecia-

tion for the charism of the founder, the spirit and story of the Salesian

Family, and the distinctive qualities of Salesian spirituality and mission.

Don Bosco Hall in Berkeley, home of the ISS, is a

community that is fully committed to pursue the ideals

of Salesian ongoing formation. (cont.)

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Institute of Salesian Spirituality

1. To acquire a deeper and more critical

knowledge of Don Bosco’s life and times

by research, study and reflection;

2. To draw on the theological and cultural

resources available in the area for an ever

broader vision of the Salesian mission;

3. To live a spirituality that impacts our

everyday life and calls us to face new challenges

with courage and a spirit of initiative.

4. To live our vocation through a deep

experience of community characterized

by Salesian family spirit.

The Salesian vocation is a gift from God rooted in Baptism. It is the

call to become, like Don Bosco, disciples of Christ to form

communities that witness the love of the Good Shepherd to the young.

[Formazione dei Salesiani di Don Bosco. #1]

Program Components

Course Offerings

Every ISS program has five components:

• Intellectual and professional

• Life in the Spirit

• Personal Growth

• Pastoral development

• Living and working in community

• Don Bosco Founder

• Spirituality Francis de Sales

• Youth Spirituality

• Don Bosco Builder

• Salesian Identity & Charism

• Leadership, Ministry & the Young

In addition to three Salesian courses offered each term, ISS participants have ample opportunity for

pastoral updating and pursuing specific interests in religious education, thanks to the wide array of

theological courses available at the Graduate Theological Union (GTU). ISS is fully affiliated with the

Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology (DSPT), which in turn is a member school of the GTU.

For More Information, Email, Write or Call:

Institute of Salesian Spirituality

Don Bosco Hall

1831 Arch St.

Berkeley, CA 94709 USA

Email: Gael Edmund Sullivan, SDB

Director, Don Bosco Hall

sullivangael@aol.com

Phone: 510.204.0801 Fax: 510.843.4335