Don Bosco - writer
  • Demographic growth:
    • Social and geographical mobility (regional, continental and worldwide).
    • Consequent pastoral and social problems.
    • The emergence and social redemption of the working classes
  • Religion and society:
    • Efforts towards Christian renewal (pastoral and social action).
    • Evolution of liberal thinking in Piedmont and in Italy from 1821 to 1870.
    • A new model of state and church, citizen and Christian.
  • Dynamic model of a priest: spirituality, zeal and practical creativity.
  • From a territorial ministry to a ministry based on categories (different sensitivities and approaches).
  • «It is not sufficient to provide instruction, we need to educate».
  • A spirituality for the emerging working class and for the young: a holiness which is easy for everyone, but is not less demanding.
  • The role of the Pastoral Institute in his pastoral formation.
  • His experience of catechism classes for youngsters who were «wandering through the city streets and squares».
  • The importance of his collaboration with the Marchioness Barolo and Fr. Borel.
  • From the “Catechism class” to the Oratory of St. Francis De Sales: from an occasional initiative to a structured and well articulated proposal.
  • Don Bosco and his helpers: from personal charism to the creation of an educative-pastoral community.
  • A growing demand from the ordinary people: education and reading; popular and devout journalism.
  • D. Bosco: great capacity for coordination between pastoral action and other activities, especially his involvement as a writer and publisher.
  • As a writer, publisher and propagandist he was untiring (he was convinced that this was part of his vocation as an educator).
  • His desire to be understood even by the unschooled (readings on winter evenings ).
    • school texts > to teach and to present moral lessons;
    • enjoyable writings and plays > to educate and to entertain;
    • hagiographic writings > to show the Catholic Church as the only Ark of salvation and source of holiness;
    • biographical writings and stories with historical basis > to offer models of virtue;
    • shorter works on religion and prayer > to enlighten the faith and to propose a style of life;
    • writings dealing with the Oratory and Salesian work > to inform, to explain, to obtain favors, to involve, to promote.