KNOWING DON BOSCO

PASCUAL CHÁVEZ VILLANUEVA

The first “official” act of Jesus: «As he walked along by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net in the lake – for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them: Follow me and I will make you into fishers of men » (Mark 1, 16-17).

From his years at the Convitto, Don Bosco sought young “helpers”: «My aim was to bring together only those children who were in the greatest danger, ex-prisoners by preference. Nevertheless, as a foundation on which to build discipline and morality I invited some other boys of good character who had already been taught. These helped me maintain order, and they read and sang hymns. From the very beginning I realised that without songbooks and suitable reading matter these festive gatherings would have been like a body without a soul » (MO ed. 1989, p. 196).

For Don Bosco this step from a personal initiative to a coordinated choral activity was soon taken. From the beginning, the individual charism led on to a communitarian vocation and to a tendency to bring people together.

He was able to enjoy a more practical collaboration between 1844 and 1846, when he had Fr. Borel, Fr Pacchiotti and others at his side. But they were occasional forms of cooperation linked to the practical requirements.

The Oratory came to rest when he established it at the Pinardi house with his mother, changing the building which until that time had been simply a centre of activities into a “home,” an apostolic family consecrated to the mission, open day and night ready to welcome poor and abandoned boys. From then on the work developed all its potential, also because, giving up all his other commitments Don Bosco consecrated himself exclusively to the mission for youth. It is in these circumstances that Don Bosco concerned himself with gathering together around him a community of pastors and educators, no longer merely on an occasional basis or when required by the activities, who recognised in him their father, their point of reference and their model.

Not just “helpers”

Especially after the political crisis of 1848-49, when, inspired by another spirit and method, many of his collaborators left him, Don Bosco set out to build the prototype of the “Salesian,” educative community forming young men who would not be only “helpers,” but, “disciples” and “sons,” a vital part of a family held together by spiritual ties of affection, with well-defined and complementary tasks and roles, who would share in his charism: Ascanio Savio, Rua, Cagliero, Buzzetti, Artiglia, Rocchietti, Bonetti… These lived at the Oratory, having decided to stay with Don Bosco to devote their lives to the youth mission. They were the fruits of Don Bosco’s work of formation among the oratorians and of his spiritual direction. Not all of them became religious. Many continued to collaborate in the oratories and schools, while living at home. Others offered occasional help, economic assistance and moral support. But all of them felt they were an active part of the Salesian work, sharing its methods, its aims and its charismatic features.

A “family” which educates

This experience gave rise to an unmistakable charismatic model of an educative-pastoral community. In Salesian houses the community of religious gathered around the Rector (the true spiritual father), coordinated in roles and responsibilities is the heart of the work; but for it to be effective in its formative role, it needs the co-involvement on a practical and an affective level of the better boys, acting as the spiritual leaders and educators of their companions, and the building up of a vast network of practical and moral collaboration on different levels (in concentric circles), so as to give the works dynamism, efficiency and continuity.

The Salesian institution has been able to expand throughout the whole world thanks to this communitarian vocation of the charism of Don Bosco, who knew that in order to educate the boys well, many people were needed sharing the same ideals and the same spirit, in a fraternal manner, ready to cooperate with the director, to give all of themselves joyfully, each according to his state in life. The history of Salesian work in every part of the world has shown that the work of “free agents,” no matter how capable or efficient, if they do not really belong or are not attached to the community, has been only short-lived.

On the other hand, Salesian communities united in the work and with a fraternal spirit, even though made up of simple people, if they are well-rooted in the local area and concerned about being involved and acting together, have been able to keep a work well on track which has had a profound and fruitful impact on the civil and ecclesial communities in which they were located.