Salesian Dictionary_2019


Salesian Dictionary_2019

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SALESIAN DICTIONARY

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This book has been published under the auspices of the
East Asia-Oceania Region.
Authors: The dictionary has been compiled over a long period of
time covering two Workshops held by translators from the East
Asia-Oceania Salesian region, one in 2014 the other in 2019.
Publishers: Don Bosco Publishing Services - Vox Amica Press, Hong
Kong, China.
Cover artwork: Fr April Jerome Quinto SDB, Philippines North Province
November 2019
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Introduction
The Salesian Dictionary is a comprehensive effort to compile a list
of terms in current (and sometimes historical) use in Salesian dis-
course in English.
Many (perhaps 99%) of these terms have originated in Italian,
some in the Piedmontese dialect, the vernacular of the founding
Father and most of his first followers. But as Don Bosco’s charism
became established outside of Italy, it was inevitable that new terms
would arise with their origins in other languages.
This dictionary, which has developed over many years of careful
lexical observation and annotation, is chiefly interested in meanings
and usage relating to Salesian discourse in English, and includes
terms that have entered that discourse from English and, indeed,
other languages.
The dictionary (it is far more than a glossary and more like a
compendium) contains a great deal of information. Not only are
some terms complicated, containing several meanings, but due to
their consistent use in Salesian discourse, may have developed a his-
tory of their own and require some explanation. The compilation of
terms has borne in mind both the translator and the seeker of know-
ledge regarding the Salesian charism of St John Bosco.
One Salesian region in particular, the East Asia-Oceania region,
has brought translators from the Salesian Family together on two
occasions so far (2014 in K’Long, Vietnam, and 2019 in Anisakan,
Myanmar). These workshops, as they have been called, have in-
sisted on the value of producing glossaries in the various word pairs
that translators in the region are working with. And since English
is the ‘lingua franca’ of the region, it was seen to be an essential
first step to produce what would effectively be at least a bilingual
glossary in the Italian-English language pair, but one not ultimately
restricted to that pair should some terms originating from other lan-
guages in the region also need to be included.
While this dictionary has resulted mainly from the needs of one
Salesian region, it would clearly be at least a part response to the
needs of other regions where English is the ‘lingua franca’, and it
may well be that a future edition expands to include terms from
other languages that have become part of Salesian discourse in those
regions: this current dictionary includes several examples of the
kind: ‘gaku-’࿐ (Japanese), ‘harambee’(Kishwahili), ‘silsilha’ (Ara-
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Abbandonato
Abbandonato
bic), ‘wontok’ (Tok Pisin). There will be many other such examples,
though not included here.
All entries contain a headword in bold type, followed by one or
more glosses (meanings) in brackets. If the term is neither Italian
or English in origin, a brief language reference is offered in square
brackets, using the ISO two-letter or three-letter language codes, e.g.
[ar] (Arabic), [es] Spanish, [fr] (French), [ja] (Japanese), [la] (Latin),
[pms] (Piedmontese), [pt] Portruguese, [tpi] (Tok Pisin). Where there
is more than one word or phrase given as meanings, the first of them
is the primary sense of the term in normal Salesian discourse, fol-
lowed by synonyms that may be appropriate in context. A simple
indication of part of speech then follows in italics. If the headword
consists of more than one word, the part of speech may be either a
‘phrase’ (Noun, Verb, etc.) or an ‘idiom’ or set phrase. All informa-
tion regarding the term follows the ‘round bullet’. In some instances,
the entry concludes with a ‘cross bullet’ indicating a cross-reference.
See following example:
Abbandonato
(aban-
doned, neglected, in a state
of dire poverty with nobody
to look after [him]) Adjective
• Note the term ‘poor and
abandoned’ which Don Bosco
used, but which was also fre-
quently in use to describe the
situation of young people who
might also be socially and reli-
giously deprived. This group
was Don Bosco’s definitive vo-
cational option. See also en-
try for Povero e abbandonato.
One final note: the extra information following the dictionary
(False Friends and Translating Italian, Glossaries produced by sec-
tors) restart with their own page numbers. This is to facilitate the
possibility that these be printed as offprints for use in their own
right.
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1a età
Accademia
1
1a età (youth, first age)
Noun phrase • The age between
adolescence and maturity and
by extension all of the human
being’s first age (as opposed to
old age).
Different cultures distin-
guish age groupings in dif-
ferent ways. One would be
unlikely to find, in English,
terms like first age, second age
etc., as recorded here. In fact
there are probably only three
general groupings in English:
young, middle-aged, elderly,
and the boundaries are rather
flexible for these. Amongst the
young category, English might
distinguish infants, children,
adolescents, young adults.
Having said that, there is,
in the UK, the University of
the Third Age, so at least that
term is recognised as ‘older
people no longer in full time
work’.
Usage: Expect to find 2a
età (the 30-59 age group) and
3a età (see earlier in this com-
ment. It would be capitalised
in English as Third Age), and
perhaps even 4a età (75 and
over).
A
Abbandonato
(aban-
doned, neglected, in a state
of dire poverty with nobody
to look after [him]) Adjective
• Note the term ‘poor and
abandoned’ which Don Bosco
used, but which was also fre-
quently in use to describe the
situation of young people who
might also be socially and reli-
giously deprived. This group
was Don Bosco’s definitive vo-
cational option. See also en-
try for Povero e abbandonato.
Abito talare (cassock,
clerical dress, habit) Noun •
[talare, adj from tallone=heel]
as a symbol of the priestly
state.
Abside (sanctuary, apse)
Noun • Typical element in Ro-
man architecture in the cella
(where the divinity was lo-
cated) of a temple or basilica. . .
to draw attention to what it
contains, hence the liturgical
value of the apse in a Christian
church. Architecture: a vaulted
semicircular or polygonal re-
cess in a building, especially at
the end of the choir of a church
Accademia (academy,
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Accolitato
ACS
religious entertainment pro-
gram) Noun • A semi-religious
or cultural program often per-
formed on the vigil of a major
feast day.
Accolitato (ministry of
acolyte) Noun • In the eccle-
siastical hierarchy, the fourth
and highest of the minor or-
ders; after the 1972 reform, it is
one of the ministries common
to the whole Church (along
with Reader or Lector), and
can be conferred in a special
ceremony, including on lay
people.
Note that the term nearly
always appears in close asso-
ciation with lettorato, ’ministry
of Reader’ or Lector. The one
who takes on this ministry is
called an accolito or ’Acolyte’.
The definition refers to the
institution of acolyte (General
Instruction of the Roman Missal,
98) but further on indicates
that if an instituted acolyte
is not present, a lay person
(who could be male or female)
may be deputed. However,
the sense in which the term is
used in Salesian discourse is
almost always that of the in-
stituted acolyte normally, but
not essentially, in preparation
for priesthood. See also Let-
torato
Accompagnamento (ac-
companiment, to move with,
to be with, to be on first name
terms with, to be trusted by,
companionship, guidance. . . )
Noun • An act of support by
a person for another individ-
ual or for a group; to follow
up someone, go with someone
as a companion. Note also that
accompagnamento vocazionale in
Italian (see below) might be
rendered as ‘vocational guid-
ance’ in English. The extended
list of synonyms already sug-
gests that it might be better
to avoid the term ‘accompa-
niment’ where it could cause
confusion.
Accompagnamento vo-
cazionale (vocational guid-
ance) Noun phrase • In 2009, an
adjustment was made to the
existing Salesian Ratio (for the
prenovitiate section in partic-
ular) particularly in the light
of new attention being given
to ‘vocational accompaniment
and the aspirantate’, and ‘spir-
itual accompaniment’.
ACG Atti del Consiglio
Generale (Acts of the General
Council AGC) Acronym, Noun
phrase, Proper name • The of-
ficial organ for the promulga-
tion of directives of the Rector
Major and his Council. Their
publication is the responsibil-
ity of the Secretary General.
Acquisti
(purchases)
Noun • Accounting terminol-
ogy
ACS Atti del Capitolo
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ACS
ADMA
Superiore ACS (Acts of
the Superior Chapter ASC)
Acronym, Noun phrase, Proper
name • The term is out of use,
as they are now known as the
Acts of the General Council
AGC (or Atti del Consiglio Gen-
erale ACG).
ACS Archivio Centrale
Salesiano (Salesian Cen-
tral Archives) Acronym, Noun
phrase, Proper name • A central
depository which has the func-
tion of preservation of the doc-
umentary heritage of the Con-
gregation. Distinguish from
ACS Atti. . . above.
ACSSA Associazione Cul-
tori della Storia Salesiana
(Salesian History Association,
Association for those who
Cultivate Salesian History)
Acronym, Noun phrase, Proper
name • Set up by decree of
the Rector Major on 9 October
1996.
Ad gentes [la] (ad
gentes) Noun phrase, Idiom •
‘Ad Gentes’ is the Second
Vatican Council’s Decree on
the Missionary Activity of the
Church. Passed by the bishops
assembled by a vote of 2,394 to
5, it was promulgated by Pope
Paul VI on November 18, 1965.
The title means ‘to the nations’
in Latin, and is from the first
line of the decree, as is custom-
ary with Roman Catholic doc-
uments.
One difficulty with taking
‘ad gentes’ out of its original
linguistic context, to develop
it into an over-arching mis-
sionary approach, is that it
can be interpreted ethnocentri-
cally. It is ‘missionary activity
proper’, in the view of Redemp-
toris Missio, and is directed
to peoples among whom the
Church has not been firmly es-
tablished and whose cultures
have not yet been influenced
by the Gospel, people who are
found in certain geographical
areas for the most part.
ADMA Associazione
Devoti Maria Ausiliatrice
(Mary Help of Christians As-
sociation, Clients of Mary
Help of Christians (out of
use), Devotees of Mary Help
of Christians (out of use))
Acronym • Public Association
of the Faithful. Don Bosco
founded the group ’to fos-
ter veneration of the Blessed
Sacrament and devotion to
Mary Help of Christians’.
Association of the Devotees of
Mary Help of Christians (hence
the ’D’ in ADMA), is now out
of use in favour of the sim-
ple Association of Mary Help
of Christians, or Mary Help of
Christians Association.
The Rector Major, Fr Ángel
Fernández Artime, has written
a “Letter on the occasion of
the 150th anniversary of the
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Ad multos annos
Adorazione
foundation of the Association
of Mary Help of Christians
(ADMA) – 18 April 1869”, and
in it he traces the history of
the term (as well as the real-
ity) of this association. With
regard to ‘devotee’, he points
out that ‘This little word, an-
tiquated and somewhat out of
fashion nowadays, is the key
to entering into the burning
heart of the relationship that
links Don Bosco with the Help
of Christians.’
Don Bosco himself traced
out the origins of the group
in a leaflet entitled "Associa-
tion of the Devotees of Mary
Help of Christians canonically
erected in the Church dedi-
cated to Her in Turin with his-
torical information about this
title by the priest John Bosco.”
He attributed the origin of
the Association to “repeated
requests,” coming “from all
parts and from people of all
ages and every condition” dur-
ing and after the construction
and the consecration of the
church. He referred to the as-
sociates as “those united in the
same spirit of prayer and piety
paying homage to the great
Mother of the Saviour invoked
with the beautiful title of the
Help of Christians.”
Ad multos annos [la] (ad
multos annos remains untrans-
lated.) Adverbial phrase, Idiom •
A refrain with a semi-liturgical
significance. The more com-
plete phrase is ad multos annos
vivat and it is usually sung: ad
multos annos vivat, plurimosque
annos vivat, vivat, vivat, vivat.
In fact, its origin is Christian
and goes back to a time when
the newly consecrated bishop
sang this three times to his con-
secrator; or in the case of an
abbot at his investiture, once
only
Ad nutum (ad nutum
[la] remains untranslated.) Ad-
verbial phrase, Idiom • Used of
an ecclesiastical office whose
bearer may be removed from
that office by his or her ap-
pointer at will, without need
for further explanation. Liter-
ally meaning ‘at the will of’, it
is a term used in Canon Law
to refer to a person appointed
for the time that the Superior
remains in office, or until he
changes his mind.
Adorazione (adoration,
worship) Noun • Act express-
ing homage paid to a divinity
or person thought to be divine.
In the Catholic religion, an
act expressing homage to God.
Desramaut includes the term
amongst his 100 key words
of Salesian spirituality. Sal-
esians begin their understand-
ing of the term from Francis
de Sales who sees adoration as
a daily thing, in any circum-
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ADS
Agiatezza
stance. Adoration before the
Bl. Sacrament is very much
part of Salesian tradition
ADS Asociación Damas
Salesianas [es] (Salesian
Women, DAMAS, ADS)
Acronym, Noun phrase, Proper
name • Association of Catholic
lay women founded in 1948 in
Caracas, Venezuela. A Private
Association of the Faithful in
ecclesiastical terms. Often re-
ferred to by the shorter title
(capitalised) DAMAS, not an
acronym but a shortened ver-
sion. Has official membership
of the Salesian Family. The Sal-
esian assistant to the DAMAS
is called the ’Spiritual Direc-
tor ’.
AEO Asia Est-Oceania
(EAO East Asia-Oceania) Ini-
tialism, Noun phrase • Cur-
rent Salesian Region. Essen-
tially, the region is the old
Australia-Asia region minus
South Asia, but in 2008 at
GC26, Myanmar (MYM) was
added in from the South Asia
Region. AEO/EAO and other
Salesian regions are better
known as initialisms rather
than acronyms (in speech
the letters are pronounced,
rather than pronouncing them
as a word). The initialisms
for current member circum-
scriptions of the region are:
AUL (Province, includes
Pacific Delegation), CIN
(Province), FIN (Province),
FIS (Province, includes the
Pakistan Delegation), GIA
(Province), KOR (Province),
MYM (Vice-Province), INA
(Vice-Province), PGS (Vice-
Province), THA (Province, in-
cludes the Cambodia Delega-
tion), TLS (Vice-Province), VIE
(Province, includes the Mon-
golia and North Vietnam Dele-
gations)
Affidamento (entrust-
ment) Noun • Distinguish
from ‘consecration’, especially,
for example, when speaking of
the prayer of (entrustment) to
Mary Help of Christians.
See also Consacrazione.
Afflictis lentae celeres
gaudentibus horae [la] (Time
passes slowly for those who
are sad and fast for those who
are cheerful.) Verb phrase, Idiom
• John Bosco saw this inscrip-
tion on the sundial at the sem-
inary in Chieri when he first
entered there, and determined
to make his time pass quickly!
(The sundial in question is no
longer on the wall of the court-
yard, though a second one
is still visible on the adjacent
wall).
AFM Africa-Madagascar
(AFM Africa-Madagascar) Ini-
tialism, Noun phrase • Current
Salesian Region.
Agiatezza
(comfort,
ease, life of ease, well-being,
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Albera Paolo
Ambiente
imborghesimento [it]) Noun •
Social and financial circum-
stances corresponding to well-
being.
Albera Paolo (Albera,
Paul) Proper name • Paul Al-
bera was the second successor
of Don Bosco, a fact predicted
by the Saint of Valdocco him-
self. Elected Rector Major at
the death of Fr Michael Rua
(1910) he dedicated himself
particularly to the spiritual for-
mation of the members of the
Salesian Society, spelling out
directives for interior life. This
care was also mirrored in the
social field in his wish that ed-
ucational work be pursued be-
yond the schools and colleges
by more stringent and con-
sequent bonds. He brought
together Congresses of Past
Pupils and Cooperators with
precise aims: to forge frater-
nal bonds which would aug-
ment the fruits of the ed-
ucation received and which
would facilitate mutual assis-
tance; to diffuse the Christian
spirit throughout family, so-
ciety and especially amongst
young people; to promote
and put in place, eventually,
private and public initiatives
aimed at supporting the many
works of assistance, religious
and social outlook that have
come into existence in the
name of Don Bosco. He car-
ried this through most effec-
tively amidst the difficulties
of the first World War when
it was necessary to organise
huge works of charity and as-
sistance in different nations at
war.
Allegria (cheerfulness,
happiness) Noun • A lively,
happy state of mind under-
stood as a Christian virtue.
Part of the trio allegria, studio-
lavoro, pietà (cheerfulness,
work-study, piety) frequently
employed by Don Bosco with
the sense of being a virtue,
hence his including it in rec-
ommendations to Dominic
Savio who asked what he had
to do to become a saint. Don
Bosco would also often re-
mind a youngster to sta allegro,
be happy. He had other simi-
lar trios, like salute, sapienza,
santità.
Ambiente
(setting,
neighbourhood, environment,
circle, climate, atmosphere)
Noun • We are likely to find
the Italian term ambiente,
which we can often though not
always translate with ‘setting’,
in frequent use in Salesian dis-
course today. It will often be
in combination with an adjec-
tive such as popolare, in which
case the phrase might be ren-
dered as ‘ordinary folk’, or ‘or-
dinary poor people’, or ‘work-
ing class’ according to circum-
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Ambiente pastorale
Ambito
stance, another way of saying
ceti popolari, which we find in
the Italian version of the Con-
stitutions. But it is worth not-
ing the huge change that took
place in the SDB renewed Con-
stitutions (1984).
While previously the term
ambiente (setting or environ-
ment, but this time the English
text translates it as ‘neigh-
bourhood’) wasn’t found any-
where, the new text repeats it
often, with a variety of glosses
in English:
C. 41: We give practical ex-
pression to the redeeming love
of Christ by organising activ-
ities and works of an educa-
tional and pastoral nature de-
signed to meet the needs of
the neighbourhood and of the
Church.
C. 57: The Salesian commu-
nity is. . . open to the cultural
milieu in which it carries out
its apostolic work.
C. 77: every community is
sensitive to the conditions of
its neighbourhood.
R. 11: The Oratory. . .
should be organised as a ser-
vice to the neighbourhood.
R. 14: A Salesian school. . .
services to meet local needs.
R. 17: The aspirantate. . .
keeps itself open to the neigh-
bourhood.
R. 60: Our works should
be open and available for
the needs of the neighbour-
hood. . .
R. 89: The house of the
novitiate should be in contact
with social and apostolic reali-
ties of the neighbourhood.
Ambiente pastorale (Pas-
toral animation setting) Noun
phrase • Refers to the multi-
ple activities or educative and
pastoral arrangements to be
found across all our works and
the more traditional sectors in-
dicated above.
By way of summary we
can indicate: animating vo-
cation ministry, especially for
apostolic vocations; animating
missionary and various kinds
of voluntary work; youth min-
istry recommendations with
regard to Social Communica-
tion. The Salesian mission
is also carried out through
certain other significant set-
tings like the Salesian Youth
Movement and various fields
of specialised activity at local
or provincial level: services
of Christian formation and
spiritual animation, or groups
and leadership services in the
leisure time area. See also
the Youth Ministry Glossary at
the end of this dictionary.
Ambito (sector, area, di-
mension) Noun • This term is
used by the Salesian Sisters in
a particular way, to indicate
what the SDBs call a settore
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Amici di Don Bosco
Amministrazione dei beni temporali
or sector. The Sisters refer to
these areas of the Salesian mis-
sion as an ambito, e.g. Youth
Ministry, Social Communica-
tion, etc. See also Settore
Amici di Don Bosco
(friends of Don Bosco, Salesian
sympathisers) Noun phrase •
Unofficial grouping to cover
those who sympathise with
and act closely according to
Salesian principles (and in col-
laboration with Salesians) but
who are not members of an of-
ficial Salesian Family group.
The term is particularly use-
ful in non-Christian contexts,
though not only.
It is arguable, at least in
English, if the term is to be
capitalised or not as Friends of
Don Bosco. Doing so immedi-
ately implies a degree of mem-
bership qualification that does
not, in fact, exist (at least not
yet)
Amicizia (friendship)
Noun • Keen and mutual af-
fection between two or more
people. The term is one
of the 100 words of Salesian
spirituality selected by Desra-
maut. Salesian understand-
ing of friendship is normally
quite positive, drawing from
Francis de Sales but also Don
Bosco’s friendship experiences
(e.g. Jonah, his Jewish friend,
Comollo, in Memoirs of the Or-
atory). Don Bosco was not
afraid to speak of friendship
between Salesians and their
pupils. It is also true to say
that there was a long period of
negative associations of friend-
ship in Salesian tradition from
Fr Rua until Fr Viganò, when
once again the term receives a
positive approach.
Amicizie (Le) (Friendly
Societies) Noun phrase, Proper
name • Secret societies gener-
ally dedicated to the defence
of the Catholic faith and the
institutional Church, at first
chiefly through the spreading
of good books. Founded by
Jesuits, at least two groups,
the Amicizia cattolica and the
Amicizia sacerdotale, were less
secret in Don Bosco’s time.
The pastoral and doctrinal con-
cerns of the latter group were
to be found expressed through
the activities of the Congrega-
tion of the Oblates of the Vir-
gin Mary in their work of re-
newal of moral theology in
Piedmont and the founding of
the Pastoral Institute in Turin,
hence Don Bosco’s good un-
derstanding of their interests.
Amministrazione dei beni
temporali (administration of
temporal goods) Noun phrase •
A term which deals with the
structural aspect within Sal-
esian communities, cf. C. 108
and the corresponding Regu-
lations. The Salesian Soci-
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Amorevolezza
Animatore
ety has the ability to acquire,
possess, administer and alien-
ate temporal goods (Congre-
gation, province, house level).
Temporal goods are regarded
as means through which to
achieve the apostolic aims of
the Congregation.
Amorevolezza (loving-
kindness, loving concern, af-
fection, kindness, patience)
Noun • Being loving: love
of parents for children; af-
fectionately benevolent, an af-
fectionate act, demonstration
of affection, benevolence. In
the Italian lexicon familiar to
Don Bosco, the term amore-
volezza was not identified so
much with ‘love’ or the the-
ological virtue of charity, but
rather with a range of lit-
tle relational virtues, attitudes
or behaviours shown by ges-
tures, help, gifts, availabil-
ity. It is the kind of affec-
tion shown by a parent or
by husband and wife. It is
this common-garden sense of
the term that Don Bosco em-
ployed, but then added an
understanding that moved to-
wards a more deeply Christian
understanding of the term.
See also Ragione and Religione.
Anagrafe
(register
(today, perhaps a database))
Noun • Registration of popula-
tion in a municipality. More
specifically in the Salesian
case, a Census Register from
1847-69 which recorded the
names of boarders accepted at
Valdocco each year.
Note that there was an
older list called the repertorio
domestico or house list, a some-
what rough handwritten list of
names from 1847-53. See
also repertorio domestico.
Angeli (custodi) (Guardian
Angels) Noun phrase • Why
include angels here? Desra-
maut asks this question in se-
lecting the term for his 100
words of Salesian spiritual-
ity. He finds that Don Bosco
from early days of his min-
istry invoked and used the
Church’s understanding of the
Guardian Angels. Devotion
to the Guardian Angels was
the title of one of his very
first written works. Rua and
Albera continued mention of
the devotion. Then silence,
for the most part. Desramaut
hopes for a ‘return of the an-
gels’ in Catholic spirituality.
Animatore (leader, ani-
mator) Noun • Someone who
gives life, impetus, movement
to something.
In Salesian usage ‘anima-
tion’ is a characteristic style
of leadership. Codified in Sal-
esian texts since Vatican II, ani-
mation is a quality, a service, a
style, something which is a ca-
pacity of individual Salesians
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Animatore spirituale
ANS
(capacità dell’animazione), of
leadership, something to be
exercised in the community,
e.g. the animazione della comu-
nità (animation of the commu-
nity), or the animazione del CEP
(animation of the Educative
and Pastoral Community). We
speak of something also more
structured as in the servizio
di animazione (service of ani-
mation) or even organismi di
animazione (animation struc-
tures, animation bodies such
as commissions). See also
Social communication SSCS in
the Glossaries at the end of the
dictionary.
Animatore
spirituale
(Spiritual Animator) Noun
phrase • The term is used of
the priest who is responsible
for an ADMA group (MHC
Association).
Usage: It would normally
be capitalised in English.
See also ADMA
Annali (annals) Noun
• Historical narration of po-
litical or otherwise important
events, arranged by years. Sal-
esians immediately think of
the full title Gli Annali della So-
cietà Salesiana. These “Annals
of the Salesian Society” are a
set of 4 hefty volumes with a
total of 2887 pages.
Annuario (yearbook, di-
rectory, annual) Noun • A regu-
lar publication usually yearly
but not always, with news,
statistics. The yearly general
listing of Salesians and Houses
in the Congregation.
In fact, annuari existed in
the Salesian Society from 1870,
and contained an elenco gen-
erale. At some stage this be-
came simply the Elenco. It was
known as this until 2002, then
subsequently as Annuario.
Usage: Despite the official
change to Annuario, many Sal-
esians still commonly refer to
the Elenco. See also Elenco.
ANS Agenzia iNfo Sale-
siana (ANS, Salesian News
Agency, Salesian Informa-
tion Agency) Acronym • ANS
produces Salesian informa-
tion to feed Salesian media
and disseminates its products
amongst media, in the ser-
vice of the Salesian mission.
The acronym ANS now stands
for Agenzia iNfo Salesiana (Sal-
esian Information Agency) – it
comes from the earlier, Agen-
zia Notizie Salesiane but was
retained for sake of continuity
with a slightly altered refer-
ence.
In English, however, we
still tend to speak of the Sal-
esian News Agency, since ‘In-
formation Agency’ is not com-
mon parlance in English. It
is an unusual phenomenon
that an acronym retains its ini-
tials but the meaning changes,
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Apostolato
Artigiani
yet, as noted above, this is
precisely what has happened
with ANS.
Apostolato (apostolate)
Noun • The work of some-
one who dedicates themselves
to spreading religious truths,
moral, social, political teach-
ings. According to Catholic
Church teaching, every bap-
tised member has apostolate
as a duty.
At one point the term
‘apostolate’ appeared to be a
likely gloss for pastorale as in
pastorale giovanile glossed as
‘Youth Apostolate’, but they
are not the same. Hence
‘Youth Pastoral Ministry’ came
into being as a gloss for the
specific nature of Salesian min-
istry for the young. ‘Apos-
tolate’ has a wider mean-
ing, since ‘apostolic’ means to
work for the growth of the
Church. We also speak of
our impegno apostolico (apos-
tolic commitment), something
which arises from and is in-
spired by pastoral charity.
Desramaut includes ‘apos-
tolate’ among his 100 key
words of Salesian spirituality,
but devotes most of his discus-
sion to its newer significance
in terms of new evangelisa-
tion. See also Pastorale gio-
vanile.
Arancel (system) (Aran-
cel system, stole fees) Noun
phrase • ‘Arancel’ is a Span-
ish word for the rate of taxes,
fees, or tariffs to be paid, like
a system or court costs or cus-
toms fees. The term does not
appear in Canon Law or the
Catechism, or in any major
magisterial document of the
Holy See. In some Spanish-
speaking countries, then, the
‘arancel system’ in the Church
refers to an outdated practice
of paying priests or other min-
isters for specific sacraments
or services, in place of the
minister receiving a stipend or
salary from the diocese. Some-
times this is known as the prac-
tice of ‘stole fees’ – and is dan-
gerously close to simony, and
often is, in fact, exactly that. It
is also prejudicial against the
poor, who might not be able to
afford something which is sup-
posed to be free. For this rea-
son, the practice is nonexistent
in many parts of the church
and being phased out where it
still can be found, like parts of
the Philippines.
This term is found only in
the Philippines when it is in
reference to tithing or dona-
tions for ecclesiastical services.
Artigiani
(working
boys, artisans, apprentices)
Noun (pl) • An artigiano is
someone who carries out an
activity (including of an artis-
tic nature) for production (or
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AS
Ascesi
restoration) of goods through
manual work, or in a work-
shop.
Now fallen out of use; to in-
dicate either a young worker
or lowly craftsman or, in the
plural, young people in wel-
fare institutions who were set
on the road to craft-type ac-
tivities. It is in this latter
sense that the artigiani of Don
Bosco are to be understood.
He was also closely associ-
ated with the Collegio degli Ar-
tigianelli (Home for Young Ap-
prentices), a work promoted
by Fr Cocchi who formed a so-
ciety of priests and ‘young lay-
men’ to work for the educa-
tion of ‘so many youngsters,
mostly orphaned and aban-
doned, that roam the city. . .
and to start them on a pro-
fession or trade.’ This was
the Charitable Society [to care]
for Orphaned and Abandoned
Young People. It was estab-
lished on 11 March 1850.
AS Asia Sud (SA South
Asia) Initialism, Noun phrase •
Current Salesian Region con-
sisting of the Indian Subconti-
nent (not including Pakistan)
with Sri Lanka.
AA.SS.CC. Associazione
Salesiani Cooperatori (As-
sociation of Salesian Coop-
erators, Salesian Cooperators
Association) Acronym, Noun
phrase, Proper name • Associa-
tion founded directly by Don
Bosco, to help him in ‘the work
of the oratories’, whose mem-
bers may be lay or clerical,
but who do not take any vow
by virtue of their membership.
The current official term for
the Salesian Cooperators Asso-
ciation in Italian is Associazione
Salesiani Cooperatori, though it
bore the title Associazione Coop-
eratori Salesiani for most of its
existence.
At one time the word pia
(pious) was prepended, believ-
ing this was Don Bosco’s term
– it was, but only to distin-
guish it from certain Masonic
sects and usually only viva
voce. In fact, Don Bosco ini-
tially adopted the term Associ-
azione salesiana, hoping to in-
clude its members as external
members of his fledgling Soci-
ety.
Linguistic note: When an
acronym is of a plural entity,
Italian doubles the letters to in-
dicate its plural nature, hence
AA.SS.CC. See also Pia (Soci-
età).
Ascesi (asceticism, self-
discipline) Noun • Interior ac-
tion aimed at acquiring per-
fection and ascending to God
through self-denial, constant
practice of virtue, prayer (espe-
cially as mental prayer or med-
itation).
The English gloss has an
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Ascritto
ASMOAF
unfamiliar ring about it – part
of the problem of contempo-
rary spirituality, undoubtedly!
One problem of the English
words ‘ascetic’, ‘asceticism’, is
that they conjure up images
of Mahatma Gandhi or the
like (or certain holy pictures of
Don Rua?).
It would be worth read-
ing what Desramaut has to
say about this term in Salesian
and Christian spirituality – he
counts it among his 100 im-
portant terms. Asceticism im-
plies a degree of spiritual com-
bat. In Salesian terms, we find
it expressed through the re-
verse side of the picture in Don
Bosco’s Dream of the Ten Dia-
monds, as explained later par-
ticularly by Fr Rinaldi (ASC 55
1930) and Fr Viganò (ASC 300
1981).
Usage: The most frequent
problem in linguistic terms is
the occasional habit of translit-
erating the Italian to produce
‘ascesis’, the Greek term. This
is quite unfamiliar in English!
Therefore, ‘asceticism’ is the
preferred gloss.
Ascritto
(novice, en-
rolled member) Noun • Part of
a group; accepted as a member
of an association. Don Bosco’s
first descriptions of the Sal-
esian Society did not envisage
a traditional novitiate, so he
did not speak of novizi but
rather of ascritti.
ASF Apostole della
Sacra Famiglia (Apostles
of the Holy Family) Acronym,
Noun phrase, Proper name •
From their website: ‘We, the
Apostles of the Holy Family,
therefore describe ourselves
as people called by God to
practise the evangelical coun-
sels and to work within his
Church, with the total conse-
cration of our being, to foster
the integriyt and holiness of
the family through family min-
istry and the education of the
young.’ Member group of the
Salesian Family.
Founded in 1889 in
Messina by Cardinal Guar-
ino (1827-1897), Archbishop
of Messina and subsequently
Cardinal. He wanted the
group to support his par-
ticular pastoral commitment
to protecting the sacred na-
ture of the family. He called
the group after the family of
Nazareth, the model image of
perfection for every Christian
family, and placed families un-
der the protection of the Holy
Family.
ASMOAF
(Aus-
tralian Salesian Missions Over-
seas Aid Fund) Acronym •
ASMOAF has as its mission
support for the vocational
teaching of underprivileged
young people in develop-
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Aspirantato
Assistenza
ing countries, in order that
they find employment and be-
come self-sufficient, contribut-
ing members of their nation.
The Australian Salesian Mis-
sions Office has been part of
the Provincial Economer’s do-
main since the 1960s. It was
granted tax deductible status
for donations for the relief of
poverty in developing coun-
tries in 1986. The Australian
Salesian Mission Overseas Aid
Fund (ASMOAF) was set up
as a Trust in 2000. See also
Salesian Missions Australia.
Aspirantato
(aspiran-
tate, juniorate) Noun • In a
joint document released in
2011 by the Councillor for
Formation and the Council-
lor for Youth Ministry (on
the experience of the aspiran-
tate), the term ‘aspirant’ has
now a preferred target group,
viz., young men interested in
Salesian consecrated life who
have already completed some
post-secondary studies. This
does not rule out other candi-
dates but is rather a statement
of preference.
The term does not appear
in the Constitutions (but in the
Regulations instead) or the Ra-
tio. Don Bosco in his own
time made reference to ‘Apos-
tolic Schools’ (Meeting of Su-
perior Chapter, June 5, 1884),
a model which he had heard
of in France and which was a
kind of junior seminary to pre-
pare very young candidates
for novitiate or seminary en-
trance.
Usage: The term should
not be confused with ‘semi-
narian’. A seminarian could
be an aspirant, but not all as-
pirants are seminarians. The
term aspirantate will normally
be understood in religious cir-
cles (meaning Religious Con-
gregations) but is rare outside
that. It is obviously a deriva-
tion from ‘aspirant’.
Assistente ecclesiastico
(Ecclesiastical Assistant) Noun
phrase • A canonical term for
the Salesian priest who is offi-
cially responsible for the VDB
or the CDB.
Usage: The term is more
likely to be capitalised in
English.
Assistenza (assistance)
Noun • A style of presence to
young people which meets all
their real needs; a form of total
human development. Total
charitable activity on behalf of
young people. Codified in Sal-
esian terminology since Don
Bosco. Key element of pres-
ence as part of Preventive Sys-
tem of Don Bosco. The term
is really the forerunner of ‘pre-
ventive system’, a term Don
Bosco did not use as such be-
fore 1877, when he needed to
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Associati
Attuario
give a theoretical basis to his
activity. So its true content is
extensive in the light of that.
‘Assistance’, from the Latin
ad-sistere, implies ‘being there’
physically, therefore a pres-
ence, but not any kind of pres-
ence. It is an active pres-
ence, part of the Salesian style
also known as ‘animation’.
The classic expression of Don
Bosco “Here in your midst I
feel completely at home” ex-
presses well the concept of Sal-
esian presence-assistance.
Usage: It might also be
known as a combined word:
presence-assistance. From
the concept of assistance we
have the Italian (assistente) and
English ‘assistant’. ‘Assis-
tance’ and therefore ‘assistant’
have very specific Salesian
meaning as described above,
so are not to be confused with
the more common meaning of
‘assistance’ or ‘assistant’.
See also Sistema preventivo.
Associati
(associates)
Noun (pl) • A term used by
Don Bosco as a first reference
to what finally became cooper-
atori, Cooperators. Associati is
to be seen in conjunction with
congregati (SDBs)
Associazionismo (group-
mindedness) Noun • The phe-
nomenon whereby individu-
als gather in groups or associ-
ations and, by extension, the
set of active associations in a
particular field. A very diffi-
cult and abstract idea for trans-
lation into English! Meeting in
groups is the basic idea. In Sal-
esian usage, it refers to a typi-
cal aspect of Don Bosco’s Pre-
ventive system, encouraging
young people to join groups
which promote their own ac-
tivity and leadership (protago-
nismo), as represented histori-
cally by the sodalities, bands,
sports etc.
ASTRA
(ASTRA)
Acronym • An acronym for
Assemblea Straordinaria, or ex-
traordinary assembly, e.g., of
the St Joseph’s community in
Rome (Sacro Cuore).
Attuario (notary, actuary,
registrar, clerk) Noun • The
Italian term attuario was orig-
inally in reference to an officer
in the Roman Imperial army
who looked after provisions
etc. In English, an ‘actuary’
is a statistician who computes
risks, rates, etc. especially for
insurance purposes, according
to probabilities derived from
population statistics, etc.). But
neither of these are what an ac-
tuary does in a Salesian con-
text. He is closer to the now
obsolete meaning of a registrar
or clerk. It is probably bet-
ter to use the gloss ’notary’, in
English, which is more easily
understood and is also a role
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AUL
Auxilium Christianorum
of the Provincial Secretary.
See also Notaio.
AUL
(Australia-
Pacific) Initialism • A Salesian
Province in the EAO Region.
While the official initialism
used is AUL, it designates
the Australian Province and
the Pacific Delegation (Delega-
tions do not have a separate
set of initials).
AustraLasia
(aus-
traLasia) Noun, Portmanteau
• An e-newsletter founded
in response to the need to
link Salesian provinces in the
then Asia-Australia (now the
East Asia-Oceania) region in
November 1997. austraLasia
has developed into a substan-
tial digital/online service un-
der the umbrella of a website
known as BoscoLink.
Usage: The term requires
a capital ‘L’ in the middle: it
could be understood as austra
(Link) asia. Hence it is a port-
manteau term, a single mor-
pheme combining two or more
morphemes.
Auxilium Christianorum
[la] ([Mary/Our Lady] Help
of Christians) Noun phrase •
The Latin is often glossed as
Ausiliatrice or Maria SS. Ausil-
iatrice in Don Bosco’s Italian.
Don Bosco’s personal de-
votion to Mary transcended
all titles, both the traditional
historical titles and titles tied
to local popular shrines. It
was solidly founded on the
Church’s traditional Mariol-
ogy (Mother of God, of Christ,
Theotokos) and on traditional
popular devotion as simply
‘Our Lady’ (the Madonna).
His devotion to Mary un-
der particular titles, including
Immaculate Conception and
Help of Christians, appears as
an aspect of his perception of
Mary’s basic presence in the
Church.
However, his devotion to
and use of the term ‘Help of
Christians’ came later – after
1860. Neither in his ‘History
of the Church’ (1st ed. 1845)
nor in his ‘History of Italy’ (1st
ed. 1866) is there any mention
of the Help of Christians. The
inscription on the frieze inside
the great church he saw in his
dream in 1844 read “Hic do-
mus mea, inde gloria me”, not
“Auxilium Christianorum”.
Nor is the title in the early
editions of the Companion of
Youth (1st ed. 1847). It would
seem that it was the appari-
tion and miraculous events
of Spoleto 1862 that precipi-
tated his interest and use of
the term. Archbishop Arnaldi
of Spoleto officially bestowed
the title Auxilium Christiano-
rum on the apparition. Don
Bosco’s narration of his dream
of the Two Columns (May 30
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Azione Cattolica
Azione Cattolica
1862) seems clearly connected
with the event, since one of
the columns bears the inscip-
tion ‘Help of Christians’. This,
along with Spoleto, was tied
to political, revolutionary and
anticlerical events in Italy.In
1868 Don Bosco indicated that
there was ‘a very special rea-
son why the Church in recent
times wished to invoke Mary
as Help of Christians.’
Usage: Given the specific
reference to ‘Christians’, and
given also the familiar refer-
ence to the briefer Ausiliatrice
in other European languages,
many Salesians in countries
where Christianity is in a mi-
nority, or where there might be
other particular difficulties, re-
fer to ‘Mary our Help’ or some-
thing similar. The English
‘Help of Christians’ does not
translate the Italian Ausiliatrice
but the Latin form – or would
it be better to say that the
Italian Ausiliatrice does not
translate the Latin Auxilium
Christianorum?
Azione Cattolica (Catholic
Action) Noun phrase, Proper
name • Organisation of
Catholic laity for special and
direct collaboration with the
apostolate of the Church’s hi-
erarchy. It has precedents in
various Catholic associations
that arose in the 19th cen-
tury in various countries. The
movement was strengthened
at the international congress
at Malines (1863) then con-
solidated under Leo XIII and
his successors, especially Pius
XI (Encyclical Ubi arcano Dei,
1922). Now extended through-
out the world, though more
centralised in Latin nations
and decentralised in English-
speaking countries.
The term comes into exis-
tence well after Don Bosco but
as E. Ceria notes, what else
were the Cooperators if not
‘lay people, canonically asso-
ciated (with the Salesians) to
spread, and keep alive, depen-
dent on ecclesiastical author-
ity, Christian life in family and
society?’ The beatification of
Andrew Marvelli by JP II in
2004, August, adds to this no-
tion that of the Past Pupil. The
beatifications on that day were
all of members of Catholic Ac-
tion from 1924 onwards.
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Barrarotta
Beatificazione
B
Barrarotta
(barrarotta
or barra rotta) Noun • A game
played in Italy in Don Bosco’s
day and long thereafter in Sal-
esian traditon. Similar to a
game in English called ‘re-
leaso’ or even to ‘red rover’,
inasmuch as two teams face
each other at some distance.
Barrarotta needs a referee, be-
cause someone has to deter-
mine who left their baseline
first, since that person can al-
ways be ‘tigged’ and captured
by anyone from the other team
who leaves after them.
Basilica (basilica) Noun
• (in Roman times) a large
rectangular building, typically
with an aisle on either side
of its long nave, and of-
ten with an apse at one or
both ends; used as a meet-
ing place and for the dispens-
ing of justice. Assigned by
formal concession or immemo-
rial custom to certain more im-
portant churches in virtue of
which they enjoy privileges of
an honorific character (not al-
ways clearly defined). There
are ‘Greater’ or ‘Lesser’ basil-
icas.
The best known basilica in
the Salesian world – and the
first – was the Basilica of Mary
Help of Christians in Turin.
Another is ‘Sacro Cuore’ (Sa-
cred Heart) in Rome. In re-
cent years St John Bosco’s at
Cine Città and the Church of
St John Bosco at Colle Don
Bosco have been assigned the
honour of being ‘minor basili-
cas’ (as are the aforementioned
basilicas).
BCS Biblioteca Centrale
Salesiana (Salesian Cen-
tral Library) Acronym, Noun
phrase, Proper name • Situated
in the General House, it is
identified with the preserva-
tion and making available of
books and publications regard-
ing Salesianity to the Salesian
and non-Salesian world.
Beatificazione (beatifica-
tion) Noun • The act by which
the pope declares that a Ser-
vant of God can be publicly
venerated as Blessed. Also
refers to the religious cere-
mony at which this happens;
it differs from canonisation,
of which it is a preliminary
step; ‘process’, ‘cause of be-
atification’: the procedure by
which the ecclesiastical au-
thority evaluates the qualifi-
cations required to declare a
deceased person as Blessed
(Italian beato).
Usage: Generally, in
English, the term (along with
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Benefattori
Borgata
the person who is beatified) is
capitalised as ‘Cause of Beatifi-
cation’, and reference to the be-
atified individual is ‘Blessed’.
See also Servo di Dio.
Benefattori
(benefac-
tors, donors) Noun • Some-
one who does good for oth-
ers, a philanthropist. Almost a
technical term for Don Bosco,
since he regarded his benefac-
tors as working partners, not
just money-suppliers.
Biblioteca degli scrittori
latini
(Library of Latin
Authors) Noun phrase, Proper
name • A collection of litera-
ture published by Don Bosco
in 1866.
Biblioteca della gioventù
salesiana (Library of Italian
Youth) Noun phrase, Proper
name • A collection of litera-
ture published by Don Bosco
in 1869.
Birichino (cheeky, lively
youngster) Noun • Synonyms
in Italian might be monello, dis-
colo, or at least the term as
used by Don Bosco may ap-
pear in association with these.
Blog (blog) Noun/Verb •
Blog could be described as a
blend (web + log) or as a short
form. The word can function
as a noun or a verb in English.
From the base word ‘blog’ we
also derive blogger and blog-
ging. A website or part of a
website usually maintained by
an individual, often with en-
tries in reverse chronological
order. It may be commentary
or personal reflection. Many
members of the Salesian Fam-
ily run blogs. When a blog ap-
pears on an institutional site
(as in, say, www.sdb.org) there
is a potential conflict between
the seemingly inherent per-
sonal nature of a blog and the
institution it represents by na-
ture of its being part of that
site. sdb.org usually requests
that a blog on its site involves
more than one person with ad-
ministrative rights. See also
Social communication SSCS in
the Glossaries at the end of the
dictionary.
Borgata (hamlet) Noun
• A small area of habitation,
perhaps a collection of just a
few homes or farms (usually
stretching both sides of the
road or around a crossroads),
connected to areas with an es-
sentially rural economic base,
of which it is the heart. 2. In
some large cities (Rome, Mi-
lan), a grouping of residential
buildings in a suburban loca-
tion but without the close rela-
tionship of continuity, at least
originally, with the suburban
districts of the city of which it
is also an administrative part.
The Becchi, where Don
Bosco grew up, is an example
of a borgata. Somewhat larger
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BS
Buon cristiano
is a borgo, such as we might
call a suburb or perhaps better,
a district in English. In Don
Bosco’s case, the nearby Borgo
Dora was an example, an in-
dustrial area with very poor,
overcrowded housing, next to
Valdocco, Turin.
BS Bolletino Salesiano
(Salesian Bulletin) Acronym,
Noun phrase • Magazine
founded in 1877 by Don Bosco
as a means of informing his
benefactors and Cooperators
of Salesian work and maintain-
ing them in the Salesian spirit.
The magazine continues to-
day, usually under the same
title (but occasionally under
a different one, such as Don
Bosco Today (UK), Don Bosco
Ajourd’hui (France)) in more
than 60 languages. See also
Social communication SSCS in
the Glossaries at the end of the
dictionary.
Buona notte
(good-
night) Noun phrase • A few
words said towards evening,
arising from a tradition be-
gun by Don Bosco’s mother at
the Oratory and continued by
Don Bosco. May also be spelt
as two words: good night.
Usage: Depending on cir-
cumstances, and it is certainly
the case in the East Asia-
Oceania region, the Good-
night (sometimes also referred
to as the Goodnight talk), can
become a Good morning or
Good afternoon talk.
Buon cristiano e onesto
cittadino (Good Christian
and upright citizen, civilisa-
tion and religion, civilisation
and evangelisation, fostering
the good of humanity and re-
ligion) Noun phrase, Idiom • A
shorthand phrase used by Don
Bosco to represent his educa-
tional manifesto, traditional in
flavour but ever open to new
interpretation (Cf. P. Braido,
Prevenire, non reprimere, p.
231). Don Bosco had almost
certainly heard variants of this
phrase from prominent reli-
gious educators before him
(e.g. Lodovico Pavoni 1784-
1849) who founded the Con-
gregation of the Sons of Mary
Immaculate in Brescia some
years before him.
Don Bosco had a broad set
of intentions in mind when
he used this phrase. Effec-
tively, he meant everything
that young people need in or-
der to live their human and
Christian life to the full: cloth-
ing, food, somewhere to live,
work, study, free time; joy,
friendship; active faith, God’s
grace, following a path to holi-
ness; involvement, energy, be-
ing part of society and Church.
Usage: The Italian term
onesto, while of course it can
mean ‘honest’, has a broader
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Buon cristiano
sense of being an upright per-
son, and this is closer to Don
Bosco’s intent when he speaks
of the onesto cittadino. We often
Buon cristiano
see the phrase translated as ‘. . .
honest citizen’ but this is a re-
strictive interpretation.
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Cafasso Giuseppe
C
Calosso, Don
Cafasso
Giuseppe
(Joseph Cafasso) Proper name •
Member of the Turinese clergy,
first encountered by young
John Bosco when the former
was a 1st year student of the-
ology at the seminary. Don
Bosco tells us that it was from
Cafasso that he first learned of
the importance of the liturgy
as the priestly theatre and
recreation. When Don Bosco
enrolled at the Convitto Eccle-
siastico, Cafasso was a pro-
fessor of theology there. By
1846 he was the Rector. Don
Bosco says of Cafasso that his
secret was his tranquility, al-
ways smiling, always courte-
ous, always kind. Cafasso was
one of the important sources
of the Salesian style and the
Preventive System.
Linguistic note: Interesting
to note that Don Bosco oc-
casionally spelt the name as
Caffasso.
Cagliero Giovanni (John
Cagliero) Proper name • As a
boy, a member of the first
group to be invited to form the
Salesian Society at the Oratory.
On 26 January 1854, Cagliero,
Rua, Rochetti, Artiglia, to-
gether with Don Bosco, gath-
ered in his room at his request
and the proposal was made
to exercise practical charity to-
wards their neighbour. This
event was also the first when
the name ‘Salesian’ was ap-
plied. He became the first Sal-
esian bishop while Don Bosco
was still alive. Later, he be-
came cardinal. He led the first
missionary expedition. There
is the famous photo of Don
Bosco handing him the Con-
stitutions on the occasion of
the departure to Argentina in
1875.
Cagliero Project (en-au)
(Cagliero Project) Noun phrase,
Proper name • A project pro-
viding long term meaningful
volunteer placements working
with disadvantaged young
people in a Salesian setting.
The Cagliero Project gives
young Australians an oppor-
tunity to devote six to twelve
months in volunteer service
to youth overseas and in Aus-
tralia.
Calosso, Don
(Don
(Fr) Calosso) Proper name •
The young John Bosco’s priest-
friend whom he loved more
than a father, by his own esti-
mation. Don Calosso set him
on his way as a young stu-
dent, but also in terms of
spiritual direction. The death
of Calosso and subsequent
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Camerette
CG, CI
events were also decisive in
Bosco’s spiritual journey.
Camerette (Don Bosco’s
rooms) Noun • Reference to
the rooms built by Don Bosco
and where he lived at the time
at the Oratory. These days con-
verted to a museum in mem-
ory of Don Bosco.
Canção Nova
[pt]
(Canção Nova Community)
Noun phrase, Proper name • A
Private International Associa-
tion of the Faithful in canoni-
cal terms and member of the
Salesian Family, Canção Nova
has as its main objective “to
evangelise through media”:
TV, Radio, Internet and audio-
visual products, book publi-
cation and sales, CDs, videos
amongst others.
In 1977, during a meeting
with young people, Fr Jonas
Abib SDB made an appeal
to those present:“Who would
like to give a year of their lives
to God?” Surprisingly, many
said yes. On 2 February 1978,
12 young people began to live
in community, in Lorena (SP,
Brazil). The Canção Nova
Community came from this.
It has full time and part
time membership, the latter
being part of their normal fam-
ily, professional and social life
but lived with missionary in-
tent. The group was accepted
into the Salesian Family in
2009.
Cancelliere
(notary)
Noun • Originally the person
responsible for the gates to
the court, then became a title
for clerks, officials, dignitaries.
If we were to always trans-
late this term as ‘chancellor’
in English it could lead people
to believe it is a far more im-
portant term than it is! Hence
the choice of ’notary’, which
is closer to the original mean-
ing expressed in the definition
above. There are times. how-
ever, when context will indi-
cate ’chancellor’ as the correct
gloss. Not to be capitalised,
unless it is in reference the Rec-
tor Major as Grand Chancellor
of the UPS. See also Attuario,
Notaio.
CG, CI Capitolo (gen-
erale CG), (ispettoriale CI)
((General) (Provincial) Chap-
ter) Noun phrase • Can. 631
§1 In an institute the general
chapter has supreme authority
in accordance with the consti-
tutions. It is to be composed
in such a way that it repre-
sents the whole institute and
becomes a true sign of its unity
in charity. Its principal func-
tions are to protect the pat-
rimony of the institute men-
tioned in Can. 578 and to fos-
ter appropriate renewal in ac-
cord with that patrimony. It
also elects the supreme Mod-
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Capitolo della casa
Carisma
erator, deals with matters of
greater importance, and issues
norms which all are bound to
obey.
C. 146 The general chap-
ter is the principal sign of the
Congregation’s unity in diver-
sity. . . .
C. 147 The general chap-
ter has supreme authority over
the Society and exercises it in
accordance with the law. . . .
C. 170. The provincial
chapter is the fraternal gather-
ing in which the local commu-
nities strengthen their sense
of belonging to the provin-
cial community. . . . It is also
the representative assembly of
all the confreres and local
communities. It deliberates
about matters which regard
the province, with the excep-
tion of whatever is entrusted
by the Constitutions and Regu-
lations to other organs of gov-
erment. Often capitalised as
General Chapter GC or Provin-
cial Chapter PC.
Capitolo della casa
(House Chapter) Noun phrase •
Now out of use as a term and
replaced by House Council or
Community Council. See
also Consiglio della comunità.
Capitolo superiore (Su-
perior Chapter) Noun phrase •
The name given to the group
of councillors who, under Don
Bosco, made up the central
government of the Society. In
1966 the group was enlarged
and its name changed to Supe-
rior Council. Finally, in 1984,
the central government was re-
organised and the name was
changed to General Council.
The term is now out of use
and replaced by CG Consiglio
Generale or GC General Coun-
cil
Car ij mè fieuj [pms] (My
dear children) Noun phrase, Id-
iom • A Piedmontese phrase
regularly used by Don Bosco
to address either his boys or
his Salesians.
Carisma (charism, spirit
of the Founder) Noun • In re-
ligious language, grace in gen-
eral as a gift bestowed by God;
in Christian theological lan-
guage, sanctifying grace given
to all believers through bap-
tism, or a gift granted a person
for the benefit of the commu-
nity, and hence an attitude of
service of others. In this case
there is a distinction between
natural and supernatural gifts.
While the term goes back
to St Paul (cf. 1 Corinthians),
one can search in vain for it in
Salesian literature until 1977,
when Fr Viganò became Rec-
tor Major, hence we could also
indicate this term as a neolo-
gism in Salesian discourse. It
came into its own as a result
of the Second Vatican Coun-
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Carità
Carità pastorale
cil and in particular the subse-
quent documentation on con-
secrated life and the ‘found-
ing charism’ or ‘charism of the
founder’, though Vatican II it-
self spoke rather of the ‘spirit
of the founder’, other terms
like ‘charism of the founder’
coming later. At this point
it became much clearer that
as consecrated life is not part
of the Church’s very constitu-
tion, but a result of gifts of
the Holy Spirit, there is a dis-
tinction between the ‘ecclesial
structure’ and the ‘charismatic
structure’. Consecrated life, re-
ligious life belong to the lat-
ter. This is an important dis-
tinction in the Church’s life to-
day.
Usage: When we speak
of the carisma salesiano or Sal-
esian charism, context will de-
cide whether we are speaking
about the charism of St Francis
de Sales or of Don Bosco, but a
charism that can be lived out
by all members of the Salesian
Family (be that of St Francis de
Sales or Don Bosco)
Carità (charity) Noun •
The love that unites human be-
ings to God and among them-
selves, in the Christian under-
standing of the term. For
Catholics, charity is one of
the three theological virtues,
and according to St Paul, the
greatest of them. Desra-
maut includes the term among
his 100 key words of Sal-
esian spirituality. From the
very beginning, from the fa-
mous ‘promise of charity’,
Don Bosco spoke of the exer-
cise of charity toward one’s
neighbour as the purpose of
his incipient Society.
Mention should be made
here of a very specific use
of the word ‘charity’ by Don
Bosco, which we now know
as the promise of charity.
On 26 January 1854, accord-
ing to a note by Fr Rua, four
young men along with Don
Bosco came together in Don
Bosco’s room and were in-
vited to undertake a proving
period in the practical exer-
cise of charity toward neigh-
bour, which would then be a
promise but ultimately would
be vowed. Instead of using the
word ‘novitiate’ which may
have frightened them off, Don
Bosco cleverly used ‘proving
time’. See also Promessa di
carità.
Carità pastorale (pas-
toral charity) Noun phrase • An
apostolic impetus that makes
us seek souls and serve God
alone. (C. 10 SDB Consti-
tutions). Salesian Constitu-
tion 10 goes on to describe
pastoral charity as ‘charac-
terised by that youthful dy-
namism which was revealed
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Carta della Missione
Carta di comunione
so strongly in our Founder
and at the beginnings of our
Society.’
The Charter of Salesian
Identity indicates that pas-
toral charity, which finds its
source and model in the Good
Shepherd, was a constant in-
spiration for Don Bosco in
his work as an educator and
evangeliser, guiding his life,
prayer and missionary im-
pulse. (Charter of Identity, 24
May 2011)
Carta della Missione
della Famiglia Salesiana
(Salesian Mission Statement)
Noun phrase, Proper name •
Inspirational document pro-
duced in 2000 for the entire
Salesian Family From the pre-
sentation of the document on
25 November 2000: it offers
‘the orientation and sensitivity
of the Groups of the Salesian
Family in terms of apostolic
mission.’ We can describe it
as an inspirational text. It calls
for a commitment from each of
the Family Groups that is char-
acterised as a Salesian commit-
ment.
Usage: One sometimes
hears reference to ‘card’, as
in ‘Mission card’ or ‘Identity
card’, which in the latter case
is a separate document. Cer-
tainly the first makes little
sense in English; the second
does make sense (people hold
identity cards after all) but
the nature of the document
is more a ‘charter’ than it is
a mere legal document. The
Italian carta covers a range of
possible meanings: card, doc-
uments, charter, certificate.
Carta di comunione nella
Famiglia Salesiana (Com-
mon Identity Card, Salesian
Identity Card, Charter of Com-
munion) Noun phrase, Proper
name • Inspirational document
produced in late 20th Century.
A contribution of reflection on
the Salesian spirit, presenting
“the fundamental elements
which build up unity in Don
Bosco’s spirit." The Salesian
Family is a vast movement
comprising congregations, in-
stitutes and associations, both
religious and lay, that have
grown out of the heart and
pastoral experience of Don
Bosco’s charism. Besides the
first groups founded by Don
Bosco himself, others have
emerged over time which are
seen to share a common mis-
sion with them: namely, the
evangelisation and education
of young people, especially
the most needy.
On 31 January 1995, the
then Rector Major, Fr Egidio
Viganò, gave the Salesian
Family the ‘Common Identity
Card’ (Carta di Comunione in
its original Italian title), and
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Carta d’Identità carismatica
Casa
some years later, his succes-
sor, Fr. Juan Edmundo Vecchi,
gave the Family the ‘Common
Mission Statement’. These two
documents helped the various
groups to deepen their com-
mon spirituality and aposto-
late. The ‘Common Identity
Card’ should not be confused
with the ‘Charter of Charis-
matic Identity of the Salesian
Family’ announced at the con-
cluding session of the 28th Sal-
esian Family Spirituality Days
(January 2012).
Carta d’Identità carismat-
ica
(The full Italian ti-
tle is Carta di Identità carismat-
ica della Famiglia Salesiana di
Don Bosco or Charter of Charis-
matic Identity of the Salesian
Family) Noun phrase, Proper
name • What is described in
this Charter, which includes
and integrates the two previ-
ous ones, is the charismatic
identity of the Salesian Family,
that is, everything that refers
to the mission, spirit, rela-
tionships, formation, methods
of education and evangelisa-
tion. Certainly also the history
of the charism, considered in
its origins and in its develop-
ment, is part of identity; in
fact, an identity without mem-
ory, having no roots, is with-
out a future. For this reason,
the Charter gathers the expe-
rience of the different Groups
of the Family, summarising
the identity of the Salesian
charism that is the heritage of
all. The Charter of Charis-
matic Identity of the Salesian
Family of Don Bosco is dated
31 January 2012.
Usage: It is easy to con-
fuse terminology in reference
to these various ‘charters’, es-
pecially since what is known
in Italian as the Carta di Comu-
nione della Famiglia Salesiana di
Don Bosco has been commonly
known in English as the ‘Com-
mon Identity Card’. That was
presented by Fr Vecchi, the
then Rector Major, on 31 Jan-
uary 1995. Perhaps adding
to the confusion somewhat is
the fact that the Italian carta
is sometimes glossed as ‘Card’
and sometimes as ‘Charter’. It
can mean both, of course, but
the better translation would al-
ways have been ‘Charter’ from
the outset, rather than ‘Card’.
Casa (house) Noun •
Can. 608: A religious com-
munity is to live in a lawfully
constituted house, under the
authority of a Superior desig-
nated according to the norms
of law. Each house is to have
at least an oratory, in which
the Eucharist is celebrated and
reserved, so that it may truly
be the centre of the commu-
nity. Can. 609 §1: A house
of a religious institute is es-
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Casa annessa
Casa di beneficenza
tablished, with the prior writ-
ten consent of the diocesan
Bishop, by the authority com-
petent according to the consti-
tutions.
Usage: The Italian word,
but perhaps the English word
as well, has broader mean-
ing also of ‘home’. It is
worthwhile recalling this fac-
tor (the ‘family’ feel of casa),
since there is a tendency to-
day to speak more often of
our opere, ‘works’. An author-
itative commentator on Don
Bosco’s times, especially on
life at the Oratory, A. Caviglia,
points out that Don Bosco’s
Oratory had to be a home,
i.e. a family, not just a
collegio or boarding establish-
ment/school. Note the ex-
pression casa che accoglie. . . ‘a
home that welcomed’, in C. 40.
The various ’Lives’ (of
young people) that Don Bosco
wrote also stress this family
atmosphere. It is essential to
the Preventive System. (A.
Caviglia, La vita di Besucco
francesco. . . pp 157-58. But
there is also the Casa religiosa
or ’Religious House’ under-
stood in canonical terms as a
public non-collegial juridical
person.
Casa annessa (house at-
tached [to the Oratory], The
Annex, Home attached to the
Oratory) Noun phrase • The
home or hostel or shelter and
boarding house (established
in 1847 and attached to the
Oratory). Don Bosco’s pre-
ferred name for this boarding
house was “Home Attached
to the Oratory” (Casa annessa
all’Oratorio di SFdS. In 1847,
Don Bosco began a work of re-
habilitation of youngsters de-
prived of a place to live, by
taking up some more space in
the Pinardi House. It began
simply as a place from where
they could attend school or go
to work in the city. It gradu-
ally became a boarding school
and was the beginnings of the
convitto-collegio experience.
Casa di beneficenza
(house of charity) Noun phrase
• An example is the Regia
Opera di Mendicità Istruita or
the Royal work for the educa-
tion of the Poor, which gave
basic education (mainly to
girls) in Turin in the 1850s.
The term was in use in
Don Bosco’s time, and he of-
ten made appeals to existing
charitable institutions, be they
religious or secular, for finan-
cial assistance. But it be-
came crucial in 1879 when
Don Bosco was fighting a
Leftist Government in order
to keep his secondary classes
(ginnasio) open at the Ora-
tory. The Government looked
upon his school as a gin-
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Casa Generalizia
Cascina (Biglione)
nasio privato or private sec-
ondary school (with strict reg-
ulations regarding teacher cer-
tification etc.), whereas Don
Bosco wanted to argue it
was either a ginnasio privato
gestito da una casa di benefi-
cenza or secondary school run
by a house of charity or a
scuola paterna (or istituto pa-
terno) or home school. This
would have meant spending
less money on teacher qualifi-
cation. He even presented a
petition to the King, Le scuole
di beneficenza dell’Oratorio di S.
Francesco di Sales davanti al Con-
siglio di Stato. Oratory classes
were closed because of his non-
conmpliance and were not re-
opened until he complied with
the request for teachers who
were properly accredited. Don
Bosco lost this battle!
Casa Generalizia (Gen-
eral House, Generalate) Noun
phrase • House belonging to
the Father or Mother General
of a religious order. To be dis-
tinguished from the Direzione
Generale, though this latter is
housed in the Casa Generalizia.
Usage: Note that in English
the term covers the whole es-
tablishment. In Italian there
is a clearer distinction between
the direzione generale and the
casa generalizia which tends to
be the community as such, in-
cluding members who do not
work in the Direzione Generale.
Casa Madre
(Mother
House) Noun phrase • Refers
to Turin, Valdocco, always,
whereas occasionally these
days the Casa Generalizia
(Rome) is referred to as the
Casa del Padre, or the ’Father’s
house’, not to be confused
with heaven!!
Casa Pinardi (Pinardi
house) Noun phrase, Proper
name • Reference to the be-
ginnings of the Oratory and
the famous snatch of conversa-
tion recorded by Don Bosco be-
tween himself and Pancrazio
Soave offering a laboratorio
‘laboratory’ instead of an or-
atorio, ‘an oratory’ (Recorded
in the Memoirs of the Oratory).
It was really a tettoia or a
shed hanging off the back of a
building, and eventually Don
Bosco bought the entire build-
ing. None of the actual Pinardi
Shed remains, but its location
is designated more or less by
the Pinardi chapel at Valdocco.
Cascina
(Biglione)
((Biglione) farmhouse) Noun
• The term cascina refers to
a sizeable farmhouse and to
the farmlands connected with
it. (Source: Lenti, Don Bosco
History and Spirit Vol 1 p.
34). The cascina was a social-
agricultural unit usually of
moderate size (say, 20 acres),
with one central building that
31

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Casetta (i Becchi)
CDB
originally housed an extended
family. The man who ran the
farm and lived with his fam-
ily in a section of the farm-
house was called a massaro
(manager). In the case of the
Biglione cascina at The Becchi,
they lived in Turin and em-
ployed a tenant farmer who
lived at the cascina. The tenant
farmer was termed a mezzadro
or ’half sharecropper’, since
according to unwritten Pied-
montese law, he worked for
half the produce. Francis
Bosco was this person at the
Biglione cascina.
Casetta (i Becchi) ([The
Becchi] cottage, little home)
Noun • The place where Don
Bosco grew up (home) at The
Becchi is referred to in Italian
as the Casetta. Now turned
into a museum.
Usage: In some English-
speaking countries we cannot
use ‘little house’ (which has
the connotation of ‘outhouse’).
‘Small home’ maybe, or sim-
ply ‘home’, while some other
English-speaking areas do not
refer to this entity as ‘The Cot-
tage’.
Catechismo (catechism
(lesson)) Noun • (1) “. . . this
Congregation was just a cate-
chism." (Don Bosco, Cenno Is-
torico). Here the term em-
braces the activities, content
of Don Bosco’s particular way
of instructing young people to
be ‘upright citizens and good
Christians’. (2) Summary of
religious doctrine often in the
form of question and answer.
Don Bosco’s very first descrip-
tion of his congregation was of
a group of people who gave
catechetical instruction or that
had that as its prior aim.
CDB Volontari Con Don
Bosco (CDB Volunteers With
Don Bosco) Acronym, Noun
phrase and Proper name • The
CDB Volunteers are conse-
crated lay Salesians. They
recognise the Rector Major,
successor to Don Bosco, as the
centre of unity. The group,
which has official membership
of the Salesian Family, has
a Central Moderator (Respons-
abile Centrale in Italian) with a
Council, and a (Salesian) Eccle-
siastical Assistant appointed
by the Rector Major. The first
group came into existence in
1987 in Venezuela, but there
were another three groups in
1991 in Malta, Paraguay and
Sicily. They were brought to-
gether by Fr Viganò in 1993
at the General House, and for
this reason they regard that
community as their ‘Mother
House’. The group is seek-
ing recognition as a Secular In-
stitute. They claim that they
draw their charismatic inspira-
tion from Don Bosco’s original
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Ceferino Namuncurá
Centri vocazionali
idea of the ‘extern Salesian’.
See also VDB Volontarie di Don
Bosco.
Ceferino Namuncurá
(Ceferino [Zephyrinus] Na-
muncurá) Proper name • Us-
age: A moot point regard-
ing the spelling: In the US
the tendency is to Anglicise
names but in any number of in-
stances, saints ‘from the South’
with Spanish names, remain
that way (e.g. Juan Diego),
hence ‘Ceferino’. Some think
otherwise and argue that since
the Beatified’s feast falls on 26
August and Pope St Zephyri-
nus (also Zeffirin), after whom
he was named, has a memorial
on that day (though not in the
Universal Calendar), then we
should adopt ‘Zephyrinus’.
It raises the whole question
of naming – in general, the
rule is to Anglicise all Chris-
tian/first names except where
there are well-recognised con-
tinuations of the original form
(as in the cited case for some
Spanish names in the US).
The Ceferino/Zephyrinus
case showed up the impor-
tance of not simply adopting
the Italian version in English
translation – in this case the
Italians have several versions:
Zefirino, Zeffirino, even Zef-
ferino, Zeferino.
Celebret [la] (celebret)
Noun • A document from the
Bishop or Religious Superior
allowing a priest to celebrate
Mass.
Cenno istorico
(His-
torical Outline) Noun phrase,
Proper name • Presented in
Rome 1874, its full title
was Cenno istorico sulla Con-
gregazione di S. Francesco di
Sales e relativi schiarimenti (His-
torical Note on the Congrega-
tion of St Francis de Sales and
certain clarifications). Don
Bosco describes the begin-
nings of the Oratory as de-
veloping from the fact that
he took over Father Cafasso’s
catechetical instruction in the
room (chapel) adjoining the
sacristy of the Church of St
Francis. The beginning was
with two young adults (in this
document, by contrast with
the Garelli version in his Mem-
oirs) towards the end of 1841.
At the same time he was con-
centrating on young adults
who had been released from
prison.
Centri vocazionali (Vo-
cational centres) Noun phrase
• Depending on context this
term may refer to a centre for
religious or priestly discern-
ment or for a more general dis-
cernment for young people as
to their life direction.
Usage: In English, care
must be taken in context to
avoid this referring to ‘job
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Cenni storici
Centro di Studi Don Bosco
preparation’ or ‘vocational
training’, a common under-
standing of ‘vocational’ in gen-
eral parlance. In Italian, this
will be more likely to be refer-
enced as formazione profession-
ale.
Cenni storici (Historical
Outlines, Historical Sketches)
Noun phrase, Proper name •
Document(s) of an official na-
ture written by Don Bosco,
bearing the date 1862, wherein
he describes the beginnings of
the Oratory and the kind of
young people who first drew
his attention and his commit-
ment. Don Bosco wrote sev-
eral cenni storici as preambles
to major documents, e.g. to
the articles of the Constitu-
tions, to applications for both
diocesan and pontifical ap-
proval of the Congregation. In
the 1862 version Don Bosco de-
scribes the beginnings of the
Oratory as a response to the
situation of young people on
the streets, in factories, and in
prison – all at risk for want of
religious instruction.
Note the need to distin-
guish from Cenno istorico
Centro Catechistico Sale-
siano (Salesisan Catecheti-
cal Centre) Noun phrase, Proper
name • Founded in 1939 by the
then Rector Major, Fr Peter Ri-
caldone
Centro di animazione di
tempo libero (leisure centre)
Noun phrase • Not necessarily
the same entity as a youth cen-
tre, however.
Centro di formazione
(education centre) Noun phrase
• Usage: For translators, the
Italian term may be a ‘false
friend’. Rarely if ever does
it refer to a place for initial
or ongoing Salesian religious
formation (these are called
Study Centres). Instead the
term refers more to what we
in English would call ‘edu-
cation’. However, the term
may often be applied to a cen-
tre of Salesian formation (or
Christian formation) for lay
people. One might normally
expect Centro di formazione to
be followed by the adjective
professionale, or in other words
a vocational studies/training
centre.
Italian is much more likely
to speak of formazione where
English might use ‘educa-
tion’, but the terms formazione
and educazione are often inter-
changeable in Italian. See
also Formazione.
Centro di Studi Don
Bosco (Don Bosco Study
Centre) Noun phrase, Proper
name • Founded at the UPS
in 1973 as part of the post-
conciliar development of a sci-
entific historical study of the
Salesian charism.
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Centro giovanile
Chávez Villanueva, Pascual
Centro giovanile (youth
centre) Noun phrase • GC21
nos 121 ff.: An environment
for older youth (giovani as dis-
tinct from ragazzi), is attentive
to their needs, is based very
much on group relationships,
personal contacts and commit-
ment. It often has a variety of
activities like sports, cultural
activities.
Usage: Be aware that there
is actually a distinction in
theory between Oratory and
Youth Centre (cf. R. 11, 12)
but it rarely applies in prac-
tice. There is also, accord-
ing to GC21 a third term, the
combination of Oratory-Youth
Centre.This is an environment
open to all ages and appro-
priately managed for each age
group. GC21 nos 121 ff. offer
descriptions and definitions of
both entities. See also Orato-
rio.
CEP Comunità Educativa-
pastorale (EPC Educative
and Pastoral Community)
Acronym, Noun phrase • cf. C.
47; GC24, nos 149-179): the Sal-
esian way of animating, show-
ing leadership in every educa-
tional circumstance intended
to realise Don Bosco’s mis-
sion. It is not a new structure
added to other kinds of man-
agement and involvement in
works or pastoral sectors, nor
is it just organisational man-
agement or a technique for get-
ting people involved. It is a set
of individuals (young people
and adults, parents and teach-
ers or educators, religious and
lay, representatives from other
church and civic institutions
and can also include represen-
tatives of other religions, men
and women of good will) all
working together to educate
and evangelise young people,
especially the poorest of them,
in Don Bosco’s style. This set
of individuals is one of con-
centric circles, depending on
the degree of shared responsi-
bility individuals have for the
mission. See also the Youth
Ministry Glossary at the end of
this dictionary.
Ceria, Eugenio
(Ce-
ria, Eugene) Proper name • An
early biographer of St John
Bosco. See also Memorie Bi-
ografiche (early volumes) and
the Annali for which he was re-
sponsible.
Ceti popolari (ordinary
people) Noun phrase • Cate-
gory of citizens characterised
by a particular social and
civil condition, hence ceto popo-
lare the popular class. ‘Poor
people in general’ is the trans-
lation used in C. 29. Don
Bosco used other terms like
basso popolo or lower class.
Chávez Villanueva, Pas-
cual (Chávez Villanueva,
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Chierico
Cinque lustri
Pascual) Proper name • Fr. Pas-
cual Chávez Villanueva was
elected Rector Major by the
25th General Chapter, 3rd
April 2002; he was the ninth
successor of Don Bosco and
the first non-Italian of non-
Italian parentage to lead the
Congregation (Fr Vecchi was
Argentinian but of Italian
parentage).
Chierico (cleric) Noun
• 1. In the Church’s lan-
guage, a person with respon-
sibility for spiritually guiding
the faithful (as opposed to a
lay person) 2. In common
usage, a young man on the
way to the priesthood, having
donned the cassock or clerical
habit. In Salesian circles the
term ‘cleric’ has been applied
rather in the second definition
provided above rather than in
the strict canonical sense. Don
Bosco’s ‘clerics’ (who were not
officially clerics in canon law)
were often no more than 16
years of age. Even today, Sal-
esians refer to ‘clerics’ mean-
ing young men in stages of for-
mation leading to priesthood
(but they may not be ‘clerics’
in the strict canoncial sense, at
least not yet).
Usage: Note the abstract
noun ‘clericalism’, which has
negative connotations.
Cholera asiaticus [la]
(cholera (Asian strain)) Noun
phrase • An acute infectious
disease caused by the vibrio
bacterium. Carriers are crucial
to the spread of the disease,
individuals who are healthy
or who have recovered but
carry the bacterium in their in-
testines. Human faeces carry
the bacteria.
The cholera pandemic that
struck Turin in the 1850’s, sum-
mer 1854 to be precise, strik-
ing the Borgo Dora in a par-
ticularly bad way. 1,438 of
the 2,533 struck down, died.
The parish in which the Ora-
tory was located lost 53% of its
people.
Like the earlier pandemics,
cholera spread from the
Ganges delta of India (hence
the ’asiaticus’). It had high
fatalities among populations
in Asia, Europe, Africa and
North America. In 1854,
which was considered the
worst year, 23,000 people died
in Great Britain.
Cinque lustri
(Don
Bosco’s Early Apostolate)
Noun phrase, Proper noun •
Clearly, the title ‘Don Bosco’s
Early Apostolate’ is not a
translation of cinque lustri (a
lustro is a 5-year period, so 5
x 5 = 25 years). Cinque Lustri
di storia dell’Oratorio salesiano
fondato dal sacerdote D.Giovanni
Bosco was written by Fr Gio-
vanni Bonetti and first trans-
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Circoscrizione
Civiltà
lated into English under the
title ‘Don Bosco’s Early Apos-
tolate’ in 1908. It was then re-
published for the canonisation
as ’St John Bosco’s Early Apos-
tolate’. It has long been out of
print.
Circoscrizione (circum-
scription) Noun • “Normally
the circumscriptions of our So-
ciety are provinces and vice-
provinces, As regards other
eventual juridical circumscrip-
tions, their internal structure
and representation at the Gen-
eral Chapter will be defined
in the decree of erection, in
line with Salesian spirit and
tradition" (SDB Constitutions
C. 156).
The broader term found
in general ecclesiastical usage
is ‘ecclesiastical circumscrip-
tion’, but while in frequent use
(e.g. in the Annuario Pontif-
icio or in important commu-
nications such as Pope Bene-
dict XVI’s letter to Chinese
Catholics) it is so broad an un-
derstanding of limitation that
it begs for clearer definition.
Ecclesiastical circumscriptions
may be territorial or they may
be personal.They may be more
theological than structural in
intent – as for example the def-
inition of a Diocese as portio
populi Dei, implying a commu-
nity of people, a Bishop, a pres-
byterate, but not territory, at
least not essentially.
Circumscriptions can be
structural and juridical, or the
term might even be used in a
broad sense of a communal ec-
clesiastical grouping. The Sal-
esian C. 156 quoted above in-
dicates the eventual existence
of circumscriptions other than
provinces or vice-provinces.
These are called ‘special cir-
cumscription’ in English (cir-
coscrizione a statuto speciale in
Italian) and each is deter-
mined by the decree which
sets it in place.
CISI Conferenza delle Is-
pettorie Salesiane di Italia
(Conference of Italian Salesian
Provinces) Acronym, Noun
phrase, Proper name •
Civiltà (civilisation, de-
velopment, advancement, cul-
ture, progress) Noun • The par-
ticular form in which the ma-
terial, social and spiritual life
of a people manifests itself (or
possibly more than one people
strictly related to one another)
– be it for the entire extent of its
life or for a particular period of
its historical evolution. In the
more common and traditional
use of the term, it is often a
synonym of ‘progress’, by con-
trast with barbarism, pointing
to a degree of perfection in so-
cial order, institutions.
Linguistic note: The Italian
term civiltà, especially as used
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Clima di famiglia
Coadiutore
by Don Bosco (we find it as
early as 1848 in his Il cristiano
guidato), is not easily rendered
in English, other than by a
now archaic sense of ‘civility’.
Today, ‘civility’ is more an in-
dividual trait, something akin
to urbanity, but the meaning in
which we find it still, in Italian,
has a more collective, social
aspect, ‘civilisation’ then, but
even that does not quite do the
term justice.
Clima di famiglia (fam-
ily atmosphere, family spirit)
Noun phrase • A Constitu-
tional term (C. 47), synony-
mous with ‘family spirit’ and
descriptive of the educative
community.
CMB Comunità della
Missione di Don Bosco
(CMB Community of the Mis-
sion of Don Bosco) Acronym,
Noun phrase • A Private As-
sociation of the Faithful as
understood in Canon Law,
which gained membership of
the Salesian Family in 2010.
They describe themselves as a
new form of Salesian commu-
nity made up of lay people:
young adults, adults and fam-
ilies who seek to live accord-
ing to the inspirations of the
Gospel, following a Rule of
Life. The group has its gen-
eral headquarters in Bologna
at the Salesian Parish of the
Sacred Heart. It came into ex-
istence in 1988 in formal terms
(though founded in 1982 in
the Diocese of Bologna by a
group of lay people follow-
ing the intuitions of the Holy
Spirit) and was juridically set
up in 1994. The group is part
of the Salesian Youth Move-
ment in Italy, Madagascar, Bu-
rundi, Argentina. Its three key
features are unity, charity to-
wards the young and the poor,
and living simply in a Salesian
family style.
CNOS Centro Nazionale
Opere Salesiane (CNOS Cen-
tro Nazionale Opere Salesiane
or National Centre for Salesian
Works) Acronym, Noun phrase •
An entity with legal status in
Italy.
Coadiutore (coadjutor,
brother) Noun • The definitive
Regulations printed in 1877
make a clear distinction be-
tween a ‘coadjutor’ who might
have been simply a domes-
tic, and the Salesian coadju-
tor brother. The term ‘coadju-
tor’ is found for the first time
in the register of the names
of the pupils at Valdocco in
December 1854, where it ap-
pears next to the name of the
30-year-old Alessio Peano, but
apparently implies nothing of
a religious nature. It was a
delicate touch on the part of
Don Bosco in respect of those
whom others used call simply
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Cocca
Collegio
‘servants’. For Don Bosco this
person was something more, a
collaborator. There were coad-
jutors with vows and those
who were simply paid work-
ers, as time went on. It was
only in 1883 that GC3 reserved
the term officially for lay Sal-
esians.
Usage: ‘coadjutor’ is one
of several variants in use in
English today. Many English-
speaking provinces prefer just
‘brother’; occasionally one
hears ‘lay brother’. And yet
another variant is ‘coadjutor
brother’. The question of ter-
minology in this regard was
raised at the 3rd General Chap-
ter (1883). Its origins are
from the Latin Fratres coadi-
utores, an ecclesiastical term
from earlier times (glossed as
Lay Brother in English). It
fails to pick up Don Bosco’s
clever concept of the true Sal-
esian expressed by the lay di-
mension. The term ‘Lay Sal-
esian’ (Italian salesiano-laico)
has gained some currency in
recent times and seems more
adequate. See also Laico.
Cocca
(gang) Noun
• The term employed around
the 1850s, 60s to describe
the gangs in Turin and par-
ticularly around the Valdocco
neighbourhood. Hence the
Cocca Gambero (Crab Gang),
Cocca Moschino (the Moschino
district was one of the most un-
ruly).
Collaboratore (collabora-
tor, cooperator, associate, part-
ner, co-worker, colleague, con-
tributor, lay mission partner.)
Noun • Someone who works
together with others to pro-
duce something, bring about,
in development, carrying out
an activity.
Usage: Note that ‘collabora-
tor’ still carries negative con-
notations in some parts of the
English-speaking world. It is
helpful to look at the forums
in Wordreference.com, to re-
alise that collaboratore is almost
never glossed as ‘collaborator’
in English. An alternative
term could be ‘lay partner’ or
‘co-worker’ or even, depend-
ing on the degree of collabo-
ration, ‘lay mission partner’.
This latter term, sometimes ab-
breviated as LMP, is in com-
mon use among Salesians in
the Philippines.
Collegio
(boarding
school, college) Noun • Over
time, the term ‘college’ in
current Italian usage was in-
creasingly applied to educa-
tional institutions, including
secondary institutions, char-
acterised by pupils and of-
ten teachers, too, living under
the same roof. This type of
college developed during the
Counter-Reformation through
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Colloquio
Compagno
the work of various Religious
Orders and of a different na-
ture: educating children of
the poorer classes, forming the
leadership class, clerics, etc.
Don Bosco’s use of collegio was
typical of the definition pro-
vided above. ‘The Annex’
or ‘House Attached’ was effec-
tively the beginnings of the col-
legio for Don Bosco.
Usage: Be aware that in the
US, ‘college’ would be an inac-
curate rendition, applying as it
does only to a post-secondary
institution.
Linguistic note: collegio
gives rise to collegializzazione
in Italian, barely translatable
in English.
Colloquio (friendly talk)
Noun • In the strictly Salesian
sense colloquio is the friendly
(and regular) personal chat
between the Rector of the
community and his members.
What Salesians once called the
rendiconto. Some still use
this latter term, including its
English gloss ‘manifestation’.
See also Rendiconto.
Compagnia
(sodal-
ity, company) Noun • A tradi-
tional religious association, es-
pecially a parish form. Was
Don Bosco influenced by the
Compagnia di Gesù (Society of
Jesus or Jesuits) in his use
of this term? The term
‘company’ reflects the post-
Tridentine nomenclature of re-
ligious associations. English
favours such terms as ‘associa-
tion’, ‘society’ and ‘sodality’ to
express this, and possibly ‘so-
dality’ was the most common
in English-speaking Salesian
circles to express the groups
encouraged by Don Bosco at
his Oratory.
The youth associations
sponsored by Don Bosco fall
into two main periods, each
with its specific context. The
earlier associations were cre-
ated for the boys’ oratory, in
response to the needs of the
oratory population. The later
associations were created for
the Home Attached to the Or-
atory, with special (but not ex-
clusive) reference to the stu-
dent community and in re-
sponse to its spiritual and
educational needs. They in-
clude the following sodalities
or associations: St Aloysius
Sodality, the Immaculate Con-
ception Sodality, the Blessed
Sacrament Sodality, the St
Joseph’s Sodality, the Mutual
Aid Society, the Altar Boys So-
ciety. There was also the ‘Ad-
junct’ Conference of St Vincent
de Paul
Compagno (companion,
friend) Noun • Those who find
they are together with others
in particular circumstances, or
for a long time in their life, or
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Comollo, Luigi
Comunicazione sociale
carrying out the same activity.
Usage: While it is nearly al-
ways possible to translate com-
pagno with ‘companion’, the
sense of the term in English
can often be simply ‘friend’ or
‘schoolmate’, and this might
be the best way to go first off.
Comollo, Luigi
(Co-
mollo, Louis) Proper name •
John Bosco’s best friend as a
boy, whom he met in the 5th
year of high school (Retorica,
Ginnasiale) 1833-4. The first
biography from Don Bosco’s
pen is the life of Comollo,
whose burial site has been dis-
covered under the sanctuary
in the Church in Chieri next to
what was the seminary there
(now a government school).
Comune (municipality,
district, city, town) Noun • In
the Italian legal system the Co-
mune or Municipality is the ba-
sic territorial and representa-
tive body. See also Manda-
mento.
Comunicazione sociale
(social communication) Noun
phrase • Inter Mirifica, Vatican
II, introductory paragraph:
Among the wonderful tech-
nological discoveries which
men of talent, especially in the
present era, have made with
God’s help, the Church wel-
comes and promotes with spe-
cial interest those which have
a most direct relation to men’s
minds and which have uncov-
ered new avenues of commu-
nicating most readily news,
views and teachings of every
sort. The most important of
these inventions are those me-
dia which, such as the press,
movies, radio, television and
the like, can, of their very
nature, reach and influence,
not only individuals, but the
very masses and the whole of
human society, and thus can
rightly be called the media of
social communication.
A sector which constitutes
one of the apostolic priorities
of the Salesian mission (cf. C.
43). For Salesians, then, it
goes back to the charismatic
beginnings of the Congrega-
tion, Don Bosco’s work of the
oratories, which extended to
activities such as the spread-
ing of good literature, theatre,
academies, music. . . and pub-
lishing. At one point he said
“Our publications tend to form
an ordered system, broadly en-
compassing all classes form-
ing human society” (In his Cir-
cular on spreading good litera-
ture).
Usage: The Church, since
Vatican II, has regularly em-
ployed the term ‘Social Com-
munication’ (mostly in its cap-
italised form) where many
others would say just ‘com-
munication(s)’, but given the
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Comunità virtuale
Conferenza di San Vincenzo de Paoli
more profound content in the
Church’s understanding of the
term, we do well to stay with it
in a number of situations. So-
cial Communication as a term
also helps cover much of what
is intended by an even less
familiar term (in English at
least), ‘educommunication’.
Often we find the phrase
‘the means of Social Commu-
nication’ (including in many
Church documents). There
seems less need to stay with
this term – ‘means’ is proba-
bly a calque, a translation of
mezzi. A better expression is
‘Social Communication(s) me-
dia’. See also Social commu-
nication SSCS in the Glossaries
at the end of the dictionary.
Comunità virtuale (vir-
tual community) Noun phrase
• Social aggregations that
emerge from the Internet
when enough people carry
on public discussions long
enough and with sufficient
human feeling to form webs
of personal relationships in
cyberspace. A possible inven-
tor of this term and one of its
first proponents was Howard
Rheingold, who created one
of the first major Internet com-
munities, called ‘The Well’ In
his book, ’The Virtual Commu-
nity’ (1993),
Rheingold defines virtual
communities as social aggre-
gations that emerge from the
Internet when enough people
carry on public discussions
long enough and with suffi-
cient human feeling to form
webs of personal relationships
in cyberspace. ‘virtual com-
munity’ is what is known as
a blend, a new word whose
meanings combine the origi-
nal meanings of its component
words, virtual + community.
Confederazione Mondi-
ale Exallievi/e di Don Bosco
(Confederation of the Past
Pupils of Don Bosco) Noun
phrase, Proper name • See
also Exallievi (di Don Bosco).
Conferenza di San Vin-
cenzo de Paoli ([Adjunct]
Conference of St Vincent de
Paul) Noun phrase, Proper name
• The Conferences of St Vin-
cent de Paul were founded
in Paris in 1833 by Antoine
Frédéric Ozanam and seven
companions, and were first es-
tablished in Turin on 13 May
1850, with Count Carlo Cays
of Gilette and Caselette (later a
Salesian and a priest) as direc-
tor. In the summer of 1854 the
cholera epidemic reached its
high point in Turin, and was
particularly devastating in the
Borgo Dora district. On this oc-
casion volunteers from the St
Aloysius Sodality and a group
of boarders from the House At-
tached (John Cagliero among
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Conferenza ispettoriale
Confronto
them!) joined forces with the
local Conference of St Vincent
de Paul in caring for the vic-
tims of the epidemic. It was
a magnificent demonstration
of Christian charity and a rev-
elation of what young people
could accomplish.(Lenti, Don
Bosco: History and Spirit Vol
3). In 1857, the ‘Adjunct’ Con-
ference of St Vincent de Paul
absorbed the Mutual Benefit
Society, as it also later incor-
porated within its structure
the Conference of St Fran-
cis de Sales that had been
started in 1854. It should be
noted that Don Bosco wanted
the Conferences of St Vin-
cent de Paul established in all
his oratories (where they ab-
sorbed or united forces with
local charitable action groups).
The official Organisation of
the Conferences supported
Don Bosco’s work generously
everywhere.
Conferenza ispettoriale
(Provincial conference) Noun
phrase • A group of provinces
(term adopted first at the 19th
GC).
Conferenze di San
Francesco di Sales (Con-
ferences of St Francis de Sales)
Noun phrase • The term ‘confer-
ence’ in the present context (in
accordance with Italian usage)
is taken to mean an address
by a speaker to an assembled
group of people, usually fol-
lowed by a discussion. The
plural ‘conferences’ in this con-
nection implies that several
such addresses were given, in
one or more successive days.
The annual Conferences of St
Francis de Sales were held
on or around the feast of St
Francis de Sales (January 29
in those days). Should the
feast be shifted to the next Sun-
day or to some other day, the
Conferences would be sched-
uled accordingly. Occasion-
ally, the Conferences were de-
layed, even for months, to al-
low Don Bosco to be present.
(Lenti, Don Bosco: History and
Spirit Vol 7)
Confratello (confrere)
Noun • A member of a con-
fraternity, also used by reli-
gious. Linguistic note: The
English term ‘confrere’ (plu-
ral ‘confreres’) has been Angli-
cised from the French, with-
out accents, and is used in con-
nection with brothers in reli-
gious life. The female gender
works easily enough in Italian
(consorelle) but not so easily in
English, where a circumlocu-
tion is preferred.
Confronto (youth gath-
ering) Noun • In Italian sports
language, competitions, we
find terms like international
contest, two teams battling
it out for victory, but figura-
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Congregati
Congregazione
tively it applies to an open
and balanced discussion on
key ideas. We find both those
meanings in Salesian usage. In
the first instance the context
suggest ‘competition’ or ‘con-
test’, but in the latter context it
might well just be ‘youth gath-
ering’.
Congregati (associates)
Noun • Don Bosco indicated
that the congregati included:
workers, cooperators, collab-
orators, benefactors. It is
obvious that this term had
very extensive boundaries for
Don Bosco, going beyond the
consecrated Religious in his
houses. It is now only of his-
torical interest. See also As-
sociati.
Congregazione
(con-
gregation) Noun • Was his-
torically a term in broad use
(people who congregated, usu-
ally for prayer) but now refers
mainly to Institutes of Con-
secrated Life (Congregation
with a capital C), religious
with simple vows (as dis-
tinct from Orders with solemn
vows). The term also has a
different reference historically.
For Don Bosco, his ‘congre-
gation’, at least in the 1850’s,
was the first suggested mean-
ing, i.e. an association of
Christians united with him for
the good of the youth of the
Oratory. It is also interest-
ing to note that the term ‘con-
gregation’ in the Restoration
schools could mean a gath-
ering of students on Sunday
and Holy Days for religious
activities. Don Bosco makes
references to such ‘congrega-
tions’ in the Memoirs of the
Oratory when talking about
his own schooling in Chieri.
Don Bosco began to refer to
his congregation initially as
a ‘kind of congregation’ and
was unsure what to call its
members. He used vari-
ous terms: allies, associates,
benefactors, promoters, coop-
erators, and these were not
gender-exclusive terms, a re-
ality that would give him
some difficulty in dealing with
Rome.
The ‘Congregation of St
Francis de Sales’ pre-dates the
‘Salesian Society’ which dates
its formal existence to the
evening of 18 December 1859.
The former might be traced
back as far as 1841 in gen-
eral terms but received eccle-
siastical approval by a Decree
(Archbishop Fransoni) of 1852.
It was a mixed group, a con-
gregation of cooperators. We
can say, then, that the ‘Congre-
gation of St Francis de Sales’
becomes divided into two fam-
ilies in 1859: one bound by
vows and living in community
(The Salesian Society) and the
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Consacrazione
Consiglio
other, still known as the Union
or Congregation of St Francis
de Sales, Promoters or Cooper-
ators) as an extern group.
Consacrazione (conse-
cration) Noun • (1) The act
of dedicating something to
the divine (church, chapel) (2)
God’s initiative, through the
ministry of the Church, in ded-
icating someone to His ser-
vice. In its broadest and al-
most non-religious sense, ‘con-
secration’ means that some-
thing is destined for a certain
use. In its religious under-
standing, it used usually be
seen as a human act – so Fr
Rua, for example, established
the ‘consecration’ of the Soci-
ety to the Sacred Heart at the
beginning of the 20th century.
Salesians for many years
referred to the ‘act of conse-
cration to Mary Help of Chris-
tians’, which had its origins
in the final year of the First
World War when the then Rec-
tor Major, Fr Albera, conse-
crated Don Bosco’s Work to
Mary Help of Christians on
the 50th anniversary of the
opening of the Church (now
Basilica) of Mary Help of
Christians in Valdocco, Turin.
In 1980 the wording of this
prayer, recited daily after med-
itation around the Salesian
world, was changed to ‘we
entrust ourselves completely
to you’ instead of ’we conse-
crate. . . .’This reflects a change
particularly after Vatican II,
which recognises that it is God
who consecrates. See also
Affidamento.
Consigliere
generale
(General Councillor) Noun
phrase • A member of the
group which cooperates with
the Rector Major in the anima-
tion and government of the
Congregation (C. 130). Obvi-
ously, a General Councillor be-
longs to the General Council
which comprises (in addition
to the Rector Major):
the Vicar of the Rector Major,
Sector Councillors: the
Councillor for Formation, the
Councillor for Youth Ministry,
the Councillor for Social Com-
munication, the Councillor for
the Missions,
Regional Councillors for:
Africa-Madagascar, Central
& North Europe, Mediter-
ranean, South Asia, East Asia-
Oceania, Interamerica, Amer-
ica South Cone.
Secretary General, though
he is not normally referred to
as a general councillor.
Not strictly members of the
General Council but working
directly with it are:
Procurator General
Postulator General
Consiglio
(Council)
Noun • Expect this term to
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Consiglio della comunità
Consiglio della CEP
appear in Salesian literature
and parlance in at least the
following phrases: consiglio
generale, consiglio superiore or
superior council (now out
of use), consiglio ispettoriale
provincial council, consiglio
della casa/della comunità/locale
house/community/local
council, consiglio dell’opera
council of the work, consiglio
mondiale world council – Co-
operators
Consiglio della comunità
also Consiglio della casa
(House council, community
council, local council) Noun
phrase • Prior to General Chap-
ter 19, this body was called a
house chapter. GC19 altered
the term to house council. By
GC21, a synonym, council of
the community, existed side-
by-side with house council:
sometimes the document used
one, sometimes the other.
There appears to be no
formal indication regarding
this usage. By the time the
renewed Constitutions were
formally in place after GC22,
the official term became lo-
cal council, but in ordinary
conversation, house council
has continued until this day,
even occasionally creeping
into English translations of
more recent documents (e.g.
AGC 389). We occasionally
also find community council
rather than council of the com-
munity (GC24 no. 123).
One could surmise that the
persistence of ‘house council’
is to distinguish the term from
other kinds of local council
(Salesian Family, Cooperators,
EPC). ‘House’ makes it imme-
diately clear that it would re-
fer to the Salesian community.
See also the Youth Ministry
Glossary at the end of this dic-
tionary.
Consiglio della CEP
(Council of the EPC) Noun
phrase • cf. GC24, nos 160-161;
171-172: the body which ani-
mates and coordinates the im-
plementation of the Educative
and Pastoral Plan or Project.
Its function is to foster coor-
dination and shared responsi-
bility amongst everybody con-
cerned, as a service of unity
for pastoral planning within
a Salesian work or the EPCs
of the various sectors of more
complex works.
If there is only one EPC
then there will be a single EPC
Council which is also then the
Council of the Work. If there
are as many EPCs as there are
sectors then each has its own
council, and there will then be
a Council of the Work made
up of representatives of EPC
Councils. See also the Youth
Ministry Glossary at the end of
this dictionary and CEP Comu-
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Consiglio dell’opera
Convento
nità Educativa-pastorale.
Consiglio
dell’opera
(council of the work) Noun
phrase • This brings together
the religious community (or
at least its governing represen-
tatives: rector and local coun-
cil) and the individuals prin-
cipally sharing responsibility
for sectors of activity.
Animated by the same
charism and being part of the
same mission they take charge
of ensuring that the gift and
service of the Salesian charism
in all its significance is of-
fered in a particular neigh-
bourhood or area. They jointly
share the various responsibili-
ties that arise from managing
all the sectors of a work, and
they meet not only to organise,
decide, and govern but also to
be formed and create opportu-
nities for reflection. See also
the Youth Ministry Glossary at
the end of this dictionary.
Consulta (advisory coun-
cil, advisory board) Noun • A
meeting of a number of people
for consultation regarding de-
cision to be taken. In the
Salesian context, the advisory
council is an administrative
group which helps a sector or
its department to evaluate, re-
search, study, offer guidelines
and materials for regular up-
dating.
Linguistic note: The English
translation of the Constitu-
tions (1984) employs ‘consul-
tant board’ to translate con-
sulta, but this seems a little
odd and possibly determined
by wanting to stay close to the
actual Italian consulta. That
has led to some mistransla-
tions in the past.
Contemplazione (con-
templation) Noun • Profound
concentration of the mind in
meditation on divine or spiri-
tual things. In Catholic theol-
ogy, the lifting up of the mind
above any ordinary way of
knowing to a simple and affec-
tive knowledge of God. The
term appears among Desra-
maut’s 100 words of Salesian
spirituality. It can be found
in the language of both Fran-
cis de Sales and Don Bosco.
There is today a renewed un-
derstanding of Salesian life as
that of the ‘contemplative in
action’.
Convento
(convent)
Noun • House where male,
female religious belonging to
the mendicant orders live. At
times the term is used syn-
onymously with ‘monastery’
which more appropriately in-
dicates a community of monks
or nuns.
Usage: In the Philippines,
Japan and elsewhere in Asia,
Middle East it is often used
in reference to male religious
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Convitto
Coordinatore Generale
communities (possibly be-
cause Franciscan male commu-
nities are regularly referred to
as convents, hence ‘The Con-
ventuals’). In India, a convent
school is any English medium
school offering elementary ed-
ucation. This would not be the
case, for instance, in Australia
where a convent school would
normally be run by religious
women or under the auspices
(since now there are so few of
this category) of a women’s
religious community.
Convitto
(boarding
(school). . . , Pastoral Institute
(for the Convitto Ecclesiastico))
Noun • The term was com-
mon in the 19th Century to
indicate boarding or residen-
tial schools.Don Bosco often
uses ospizio, also a boarding
institution but generally for
the underprivileged. The con-
vitto developed into a convitto-
collegio or boarding school, for
Don Bosco, within a very few
years. The Convitto Ecclesias-
tico was where the newly or-
dained Don Bosco spent time
learning the practical side of
his priesthood under the guid-
ance of Fr Cafasso. We would
normally call it the ‘Pastoral
Institute’ in English.
Cooperatore Salesiano
Salesiano Cooperatore (Sal-
esian Cooperator) Noun phrase
• Member of the associa-
tion founded directly by Don
Bosco, to help him in ‘the work
of the oratories’, whose mem-
bers may be lay or clerical, but
who do not take any vow by
virtue of their membership.
Usage: The term in English
is ‘Salesian Cooperators’ or
just ‘Cooperators’. While the
change from Cooperatore Sale-
siano to Salesiano Cooperatore in
Italian appears not to be sig-
nificant for English, it is more
evidently so for Italian, where
Salesiano is understood in this
phrase to be a noun rather
than an adjective. Coopera-
tore then becomes the qualifier.
But a similar linguistically con-
sistent argument follows for
English: by rights the term
should now be ’Cooperator-
Salesian’ (the hyphen marks
the issue a little more, suggest-
ing that ‘Salesian’ is in fact be-
ing qualified by ‘Cooperator’
(as it is now in Italian).The per-
ception is not this, of course,
so in a sense the ‘problem’
has now been transferred to
English! See also ASC.
Coordinatore Generale
(Coordinator General) Noun
phrase • The term is applied
to the world leader of the Sal-
esian Cooperators and in this
form as as General Coordina-
tor, to several other leaders
of lay member groups of the
Salesian Family (Witnesses to
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Cortile
Criterio oratoriano
the Resurrection TR, based in
Italy, The Disciples, based in
India.)
Cortile (courtyard, play-
ground) Noun • As it func-
tioned at the Oratory: one
of Don Bosco’s original cre-
ations, an area (probably sur-
rounded by buildings and con-
nected to them large enough
to allow a great number of
young people to take part in
games. Don Bosco occasion-
ally used the term ‘recreation
park’ (giardino di ricreazione)
but only for pragmatic reasons
to help outsiders understand.
The typical playground those
days was small, too small for
Don Bosco’s purposes. His
concept of recreation made the
playground what it was: ac-
tive, choice, presence of the ed-
ucators through assistance.
See also giardino di ricreazione.
Cor unum et anima una
[la] (Of one heart and mind)
Idiom • We find the phrase
first of all in Don Bosco’s in-
troduction to the Life of St Do-
minic Savio. We then find
it again in the Letter from
Rome where he is address-
ing the problems of the Ora-
tory spirit.Again it appears in
his Spiritual Testament as a
description of the way mem-
bers of a community should
be in unity with their rec-
tor. Yet again in Don Bosco’s
letter ai soci salesiani on the
approval of the Constitutions
and which becamne the intro-
duction to the Constitutions at
the time. It was repeated by
General Chapters, especially
from GC20 onwards.No sur-
prise then to find the same
phrase in the renewed Salesian
Constitutions.
Costituzioni (Constitu-
tions) Noun • Can. 587 §1 To
protect more faithfully the vo-
cation and identity of each in-
stitute, the fundamental code
or constitutions of the institute
are to contain, in addition to
those elements which are to be
preserved in accordance with
can. 578, basic norms about
the governance of the insti-
tute, the discipline of the mem-
bers, the admission and for-
mation of members, and the
proper object of their sacred
bonds. The term came into use
from the 13th Century. Prior
to that it was simply called a
‘Rule’. Abbreviated in English
as C.
Cristologia
salesiana
(Salesian Christology) Noun
phrase • A term first coined
by Fr Pascual Chávez.
Criterio oratoriano (Or-
atory criterion) Noun phrase •
Fundamental criterion (or cri-
teria in plural) drawn from the
Oratory experience and codi-
fied in C. 40. From this we
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Cronaca della casa
CSJ
also get cuore oratoriano or or-
atorian heart, a part of com-
mon Salesian parlance since
Fr Viganò or more correctly
since GC21 (but still Fr Vigano
speaking).
Cronaca della casa
(house chronicle) Noun phrase
• In the Biographical Memoirs
we find a conference by Don
Bosco to Rectors on 2nd Feb
1876, where he recommends
the keeping of a chronicle in
each House. A chronicle is
a record produced at or near
the time of the event. Not to
be confused with ‘memoir’,
a record produced by an eye-
witness at times long after the
event.
Cronicchetta
(Little
Chronicle ) Noun (dim) • When
we speak of ‘chronicles’ in the
present context we are refer-
ring to contemporary written
reports authored by Salesians
close to Don Bosco who wit-
nessed what he said or did.
This initiative was no haphaz-
ard effort by some individ-
ual; on the contrary, it origi-
nated out of a common con-
sciousness and concern. Don
Bosco: History and Spirit (Vol1).
The Autograph “Little Chron-
icle” (Cronichetta,) is Barberis’
most important record. It is
a collection of reports dated
from May 10, 1875, to June 7,
1879. With the exception of
a few inserted items (in other
hands,) it is wholly in Bar-
beris’ own hand. It is, how-
ever, as he himself states and
as is generally evident from
the text, a good copy pro-
duced from original notes (not
extant,) surely aided by mem-
ory and perhaps also by other
people’s reports.
Cronistoria (Chronicles
of the Institute of the Daugh-
ters of Mary Help of Chris-
tians) Noun • History and
spirit of the Salesian Sisters as
recorded in the earliest histori-
cal documents, 1828-1888. The
term is more often left untrans-
lated as Cronistoria.
Criteri e norme di discern-
imento vocazionale salesiana
(Criteria and norms for Sal-
esian vocational discernment)
Noun phrase • A complement
to the normative text, ‘Forma-
tion of the Salesians of Don
Bosco. Principles and Norms.’
CSJ (Caritas Sisters of Je-
sus) Acronym • “Our Congre-
gation was founded through
the work of evangelising the
Salesian missionaries that ar-
rived in Japan in 1936 and it
was born in Miyazaki in 1937
as a female religious institute,
to which the name [Caritas]
was given by Antonio Cavoli,
which means [God’s free love
that is offered without bound-
aries]. In the name of the Con-
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CSMA
CSSMA
gregation, they have echoed
the Rector Major’s farewell
speech (then Fr Rinaldi) to
the missionaries sent to Japan,
where despite social civilisa-
tion being at a high level,
knowledge of Caritas as taught
by Jesus Christ was missing.
[Caritas as a unique means to
instil ourselves in the souls of
these people].”
There are currently 950 sis-
ters across 15 nations who
strive to spread [Caritas], the
merciful love of God. Follow-
ing this international expan-
sion, in 1998 the Congregation
was recognised as a Pontifical
Institute, in 2008 the Gener-
alate was transferred to Rome,
and in 2009 the name was
changed from [Caritas Sisters
of Miyazaki] to [Caritas Sis-
ters of Jesus] which better ex-
presses the charism.
CSMA (Congregation
of St Michael the Archangel,
Michaelites) Acronym • Reli-
gious Congregation of Pontif-
ical Right founded by Blessed
Bronislaus Markiewicz in
Poland in 1921; member group
of the Salesian Family. The
spirituality of this religious
family is summed up in two
sentences: One who is like
God! – Work and Temperance.
The first motto points to
God as the only meaning in
life. The second expresses the
charism and style of life of
the Michaelites. The Religious
Congregation of St Michael
the Archangel, in fact, re-
alises its calling through tem-
perance, understood as free-
dom from any interior or ex-
terior conditioning. Another
element that characterises the
Michaelites activity is three-
fold work: spiritual, intellec-
tual, manual. The Michaelites
show a predilection for pas-
toral work for the young and
for children, be it in parishes,
or in works for the orphaned
and abandoned. as well as
parishes, the Michaelites ex-
ercise their charism in pop-
ular missions, retreats, pub-
lishing activities, looking af-
ter priestly and religious vo-
cations, running a number of
Shrines.
CSSMA Zgromadzenie
Sióstr w. Michaa Archan-
ioa [pol]
(Congregation
of the Sisters of St Michael
the Archangel, Michaelites)
Acronym • Congregation of
the Sisters of St Michael the
Archangel, known popularly
as the Michaelites, is a reli-
gious institute in which the sis-
ters combine the attitude of
contemplative praise of God
with active apostolic love car-
ried out in educational, cate-
chetical, charitable and social
work, in parish pastoral work
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Curatorium
and missions.
Founder: Blessed Bronis-
laus Markiewicz and Servant
of God Mother Anna Ka-
worek
Curatorium [la] (curato-
rium) Noun • A board of cura-
tors or advisory board, (in cer-
tain European institutions). A
governing board elected or ap-
pointed to direct the policies
Curatorium
of an educational institution.
In Salesian usage the curatori
(board of curators) are provin-
cials from provinces which
share responsibility for a stu-
dentate (e.g. of theology).The
purpose is to define rights and
duties of provinces, the role of
the local provincial and the ar-
eas and forms of collaboration.
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Da mihi animas cetera tolle
DBI
D
Da mihi animas cetera
tolle [la] (give me souls,
take away the rest) Verb phrase,
Idiom • Often left in its Latin
form, this is the motto adopted
by Don Bosco from the time
he began the work of the Ora-
tories (his own claim), though
it did not become an official
motto until the debate, late in
his life, over the wording to
include in the Congregation’s
Coat of Arms, where he in-
sisted on this motto as one
which had characterised his
work from the beginning.
His claim, in his Life of Do-
minic Savio, that it was fre-
quently to be heard on the lips
of St Francis of Sales, has little
evidence behind it. In all of
the published writings of Saint
Francis of Sales we do not find
it once. Instead, Francis de
Sales’ close friend, the Bishop
of Belley (Jean-Pierre Camus),
in his Spirit of St Francis de
Sales, a book that no doubt
Don Bosco had read as a sem-
inarian at Chieri, quotes Fran-
cis as having said this in re-
sponse to a question whether
he would want to be the Prince
Bishop of Geneva, given that
circumstances did not allow
him to take possession of that
See. He answered along the
lines that all he wanted was
the souls of the people, not the
rest that went with such an Of-
fice.
The phrase itself is a direct
quote from Genesis 14:21 (the
king of Sodom’s response to
Abram).
Usage: Sometimes cetera is
spelled with another variant:
coetera or even caetera. There
is an argument that cetera is
the more original spelling, the
other being a corrupted form.
Very often the full term is
shortened to Da mihi animas.
See also Stemma.
DBI
(Don Bosco In-
ternational) Acronym • DON
BOSCO INERNATIONAL
(DBI) is a platform created
to facilitate a meaningful dia-
logue between the Salesians of
Don Bosco and the European
institutions and NGOs.
DBI represents the Salesian
Congregation in different in-
ternational organisations and
institutions as a:
* meaningful presence in
eu institutions and eu plat-
forms;
* communication channel
between Don Bosco projects
and policies dealing with edu-
cation, culture and youth that
are promoted by the eu institu-
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DBN
DBVG
tions;
* platform that promotes
and mentors initiatives and
projects planned by local Don
Bosco projects in cooperation
with various international in-
stitutions;
* coordinator of shared
projects and initiatives already
existing in several fields of sal-
esian presences.
Usage: The term is sourced
from English and not trans-
lated into other languages.
DBN (Don Bosco Net-
work) Acronym • Don Bosco
Network (DBN) is a world-
wide federation of Salesian
development NGOs founded
in 2010 whose vision, mis-
sion and actions are based on
the values and principles ex-
pressed by the Salesian tra-
dition of solidarity with the
poor.
The Federation, whose
headquarters are in Rome, be-
gan networking between 6
NGOs as founding members
(more have been added since):
VIS (Italy), Dmos-Comide (Bel-
gium), Jugend Dritte Welt
(Germany), Jovenes y Desar-
rollo (Spain), Salesian Mis-
sions (USA), Noi per Loro
(Italy). Its strategic and op-
erational fields are:
* policy building and gen-
eral coordination of the activi-
ties of associated members;
* lobbying / advocacy;
* training and education;
* communication.
Usage: The term is sourced
from English and not trans-
lated into other languages.
DBST (Don Bosco School
of Theology, Seminaryo ng
Don Bosco) Acronym • ‘We
are a Salesian Institution and
a theological-pastoral commu-
nity forming priests, religious
and laity to be youth minis-
ters and educators in the faith
in response to the challenge of
New Evangelisation.‘
The Don Bosco School
of Theology at Parañaque,
Manila, was established in
1972 (as the Don Bosco Cen-
ter of Studies) as a residence
for Salesian candidates to the
priesthood who were studying
theology at the Ecclesiastical
Faculties of the Pontifical Uni-
versity of Sto. Tomas, Manila.
It was renamed in 2019 as the
DBST or Don Bosco School of
Theology.
DBVG (Don Bosco Over-
seas Youth Volunteer Group)
Acronym • The DBVG was
founded in 1991 in Japan by
the late Bishop Francis Mi-
zobe, SDB (at that time, he
was the Provincial) and the
youth who wanted to do some
good for others. One feature
of the DBVG is that its mem-
bers, most of them not bap-
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Decretum laudis
Decuria
tised, carry out a volunteer ex-
perience in a Christian and Sal-
esian context, an evangelising
experience which allows them
to come into contact with Jesus
and his teachings.
Decretum laudis [la] (de-
cree of commendation) Noun
phrase • When a Congregation
has grown in importance and
when its spiritual and apos-
tolic maturity is observed, it
can be formally approved by
the Pope with the decretum
laudis, which transforms it
into a congregation of pontif-
ical right, subject to immedi-
ate and exclusive authority of
the Holy See (Drawn broadly
from the Dizionario degli istituti
di perfezione [Dictionary of the
Institutes of Perfection], vol.
III, (Milan: San Paolo Edizioni
[St Paul Editions], 1977.).
It is interesting to note that
Don Bosco was seeking ap-
proval for the Society of St
Francis de Sales precisely at
a time when the Church was
revising its approach. This,
along with certain difficulties
Don Bosco was facing in his
personal relationships with his
Archbishop (Gastaldi) in the
last part of the process partic-
ularly, meant it was 1874 be-
fore he finally gained the last
needed approval, the decre-
tum laudis. In 1863, the Holy
See decided to reform the pro-
cesses of approval for new
Congregations by introducing
what it called the Methodus,
which foresaw first a decree of
commendation, a form of en-
couragement to continue with
the process, then a decree of
approval for the institute, fol-
lowed finally by the decree of
approval of the constitutions.
Decuria [la] (group of
ten) Noun • In ancient Rome,
each of the 10 subdivisions of
the military contingent known
as the curia was made up of 10
soldiers. Historically, decuria
does not appear in the infantry
orders but in those of the cav-
alry.
From the Jesuit Ratio stu-
diorum we know that a class
(which might have 50-70 stu-
dents) had just one teacher,
so the Ratio indicated subdi-
visions in the classroom (de-
curie) and a hierarchical set
of relationships based on an-
cient Roman tradition. We
find the term referred to by
Don Bosco when he describes
his own schooling. But he later
used the same term for his
various lay associations (e.g.
for spreading good books, dis-
seminating the Catholic Read-
ings, running his lotteries), in-
cluding derivative terms, e.g.
decurione or ’decurion’.
In the scholastic instance,
every month the teacher
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Delegazione
Desramaut, Fr Francis
would establish the decurie,
that is, he would divide the
pupils into groups (decurie) ac-
cording to merit: there were
the primi eximi, the outstand-
ing group, then the mediocri
and finally the inacallidi.
Every decuria was led by
a decurione, that is, the best
pupil in each group, the one
who had received the high-
est points compared to his
classmates in that group. Ev-
ery decuria occupied places in
the classroom closer or fur-
ther away from the teacher,
according to merit, and the
worthiest pupils also sat on
a higher seat than the others
and wore a medal on their
chest (as a principe or censore
or console or decurione). They
also wore these medals out-
side school hours. Then, each
month there was the lavoro dei
posti, an especially demanding
assignment (perhaps a transla-
tion from Latin to Italian or
the other way around) which
was scored according to the
number of errors. The results
determined which decuria the
pupil went into for the coming
month and where he sat.
Delegazione
(delega-
tion) Noun • C. 156: It be-
longs to the Rector Major with
the consent of his council,
and after adequate consulta-
tion with the confreres con-
cerned, to divide the Soci-
ety into juridical circumscrip-
tions, erect new ones, combine
those already constituted, de-
fine them in a different way or
suppress them. . .
There is also C. 159 with ex-
plicit mention of delegations,
but it is C. 156 that is cur-
rently used as the basis for es-
tablishing a delegation. This
may change at a future Gen-
eral Chapter, since as things
stand, C. 156 is too broad and
C. 159 too narrow as a proper
basis for this phenomenon.
The term is especially im-
portant for the EAO Region,
since it currently has 5 of the
10 Delegations in the Con-
gregation: AUL-Pacific, FIS-
Pakistan, THA-Cambodia,
VIE-Mongolia, VIE-Vietnam
North.
Usage: Normally spelt with
a capital D in English, and like-
wise for the Delegate.
Desramaut, Fr Francis
(Fr Francis Desramaut (1922-
2014) Proper name • Fr Francis
Desramaut is included as an
entry in this dictionary since
frequent reference is made to
his ‘100 Words of Salesian Spir-
ituality’.
Fr Francis Desramaut,
of the Salesian province of
France, died on 1st September
2014. He was one of the three
giants of Salesian historical re-
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Destinatario
Dicastero
search from the 1950s to the
1990s. Fr Pietro Stella died in
2007, and Fr Pietro Braido also
died in 2014. In 2000, Fr Desra-
maut’s large volume Les cent
mots-clefs de la spiritualité salési-
enne (The 100 Words of Sal-
esian Spirituality) appeared, a
very useful synthesis for those
interested in the themes of
Salesian spirituality, and for
preachers.
Destinatario (The one[s]
to whom we are sent, ben-
eficiary, addressee) Noun •
In general terms, the person
to whom something is ad-
dressed. It is not so easy to
gloss this word with a single
word in English, depending
on context. More often than
not ‘the ones to whom we are
sent’ (destinatari) will suffice,
or ‘our charges’.
Devozione
(devo-
tion) Noun • ‘Devotion’ is dis-
tinguished from ‘devotions’
as ‘prayer’ is from ‘prayers’.
Note its history in Salesian (St
F de S) terms – a favoured
term of St Francis de Sales
with particular meaning, prob-
ably closer to what today
we would call ‘apostolic char-
ity’. In the longer Chris-
tian tradition the term has
a rich and also complicated
story. There have been long
periods when it has meant
mainly ‘devotions’, in the plu-
ral, and almost a substitute
for ‘true religion’. But devo-
tions were also reincorporated
or re-upholstered by Paul VI’s
Evangelii Nuntiandi as legiti-
mate popular spirituality.
Diaconus (D) [la] (Dea-
con) Noun • Term found in the
year book.
di Sales, Francesco (de
Sales, Francis) Proper name •
Born 21 August 1567 in the de
Sales castle at Thoren, Savoy.
Died 28 December 1622. The
term ‘Salesian’ is initially a ref-
erence to this Saint and his
spirituality. Which is why we
use the expression ‘Salesian of
Don Bosco’ to note the distinc-
tion. There is also a ‘Salesian
Family’, then, quite apart from
that pertaining to Don Bosco.
The term is originally French
(François de Sales). Italian has
Italianised the entire name.
English does not alter the or-
thography for the surname,
but Anglicises the Christian
name.
Dicastero
(depart-
ment) Noun • An organisa-
tional arrangement under a
sector. We do not use the
Vatican-English gloss, ‘dicas-
tery’, in Salesian discourse.
There are also what is known
as the dicasteri della missione
salesiana or ‘departments of
the Salesian mission’, a neol-
ogism arising out of GC26,
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Dimissione
Direttore
which decided to increase col-
laboration between three de-
partments in particular: Youth
Ministry, Social Communica-
tions, Missions. The Rec-
tor Major himself undertook
to oversee this collaboration,
and he also gave these ‘de-
partments of the mission’ the
task of working together for
‘Project Europe’. See also So-
cial communication SSCS in the
Glossaries at the end of the dic-
tionary.
There is an important dis-
tinction to be made between
between a ‘department’ (dicast-
ero), and a ‘sector’ (settore), the
latter being the superordinate
concept. Other matters below
a department might be called
‘areas’. By way of example, the
Social Communications sector
has a department which looks
after a number of areas. Cur-
rent departments are: Youth
Ministry, Formation, Missions,
Social Communication. The
Economy and Salesian Family
do not strictly have a ‘depart-
ment’ structure. See also
Ambito, Settore, Youth Ministry
Glossary.
Dimissione (dismissal)
Noun • Dismissal is the pro-
cess by which a member is
separated from the Congrega-
tion either by force of law
or by a decree of the Su-
perior General. According
to canon law there are three
cases of dismissal: 1. dis-
missal ‘ipso facto’ (‘automati-
cally’) (can. 694); 2. obligatory
dismissal (can. 695); 3. dis-
missal on the judgement of the
Superior (can. 696).
Direttore (rector, direc-
tor) Noun • The superior of a
local community. He must be
a priest, perpetually professed
for at least five years, and is ap-
pointed by the provincial with
the consent of his council and
the approval of the Rector Ma-
jor. He is first in order of re-
sponsibility for the religious
life of the community, its apos-
tolic activities and the admin-
istration of its goods. (C. 176,
177, SDB Constitutions). GC21
clarified the role and figure
of the Salesian Rector, recall-
ing the insistence of GC19 that
‘the rector constitutes without
shadow of doubt the centre
of unity and of initiative of
all Salesian work whatever its
type or composition.’ It noted
the complexity of a role involv-
ing religious and spiritual life,
apostolic and pastoral work,
educational and cultural di-
mensions, economic and or-
ganisational aspects.
Thus GC21 laid down a
number of clear criteria: the ec-
clesial and pastoral nature of
the Salesian community; the
kind of community spirit ex-
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Direttorio
Direzione Generale (Opere Don Bosco)
plicitly willed by Don Bosco
(who called himself the ‘first
rector’); Salesian tradition
which has as the guide of the
community one with priestly
ordination and pastoral ex-
perience. These criteria en-
abled GC21 to establish the
following priorities: he pre-
serves unity and is custodian
of Salesian identity; he is the
pastoral guide of the Salesian
mission; he directs the work
of education and human de-
velopment that results from
the community’s mission; he
bears principal responsibility
for the overall operation of the
work.
These criteria and priori-
ties eventually led to the for-
mulation of the renewed Con-
stitutions regarding the Rec-
tor, and the drawing up of a
Rector’s Manual, renewed as
of 2019.
Usage: rector (en-gb), direc-
tor (en-us). May often be capi-
talised as Rector, Director.
Direttorio
(directory)
Noun • The term has a juridi-
cal meaning for religious com-
munities – General Directory:
contains norms valid for the
entire Congregation; directory
on specific topics (e.g. the
Formation Directory, otherwise
known as the Ratio institutio-
nis et studiorum – FSDB). There
is also a directory at province
level, known as a Provincial Di-
rectory cf. C. 171): a prescrip-
tive text which the Provincial
Chapter draws up and revises.
The principal scope of the di-
rectory and its detailed set of
norms is to promote and guar-
antee the charism and Sale-
sianity of each work in the
provincial community. See
also the Youth Ministry Glos-
sary at the end of this dictio-
nary.
Usage: In the case of a
province list of personnel and
houses, some provinces also
call this a directory (it might
be better termed a year book in
that case).
Direzione
Generale
(Opere Don Bosco) (Sal-
esian General Administration)
Noun phrase • Also known as
the Sede Centrale. Fundamen-
tally made up of personnel
from the St Joseph’s Commu-
nity of the Generalate, whose
specific function is to assist, in
various forms of service, the
Rector Major with his council
in their mission of unity and
animation of the Congregation
and the Salesian Family. The
General Administration con-
sists of at least the following
services:
Rector Major and his Vicar,
with two secretaries;
Salesian Family administra-
tion: World Delegate (Coop-
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Diritto proprio (della Società)
Docile
erators), Confederal Delegate
(Past Pupils), Central Assis-
tant (VDB, CDB), ADMA Spir-
itual Guide and coordinator;
Departments belonging to
various sectors;
Economer General’s Office in-
volving: secretary, admin of-
fice, patrimonial office, Gerini
Foundation, Don Bosco in
the World Foundation, Post
Office;
Secretary General’s Office in-
volving: Records office, Juridi-
cal office, Archives, Transla-
tion;
Regions: a secretary for
each;
Historical Institute involv-
ing: Director, secretary and
one or more members;
Administration and Mainte-
nance: Bursar and general ser-
vices;
SDB Publishers (Editrice
SDB);
Central Library;
Documentation;
Official Spokesperson;
Press Office.
Diritto proprio (della So-
cietà)
(proper law of
the Society) Noun phrase •
Based on the Church’s uni-
versal law, it is made up of
the following: the Constitu-
tions, the General Regulations,
the Deliberations of General
Chapters, the General Directo-
ries (which includes the Ratio,
the Provincial Directories and
other Provincial Chapter delib-
erations.
Disciplina religiosa (re-
ligious discipline) Noun phrase
• Religious discipline means
basically a fidelity and consis-
tency in our journey of dis-
cipleship as consecrated Sal-
esians. It is a term that needs
to be tied to the word disci-
ple. Our sense of religious dis-
cipline is to be disciples of the
Lord and of Don Bosco.
One of Desramaut’s 100
words of Salesian spirituality.
However we also find the
term in adjectival form as a
single word (disciplinari, disci-
plinary) employed in a strictly
canonical sense as, for exam-
ple, when a Major Superior
may dispense from single dis-
ciplinary articles of the Con-
stitutions.Here disciplinary
means a norm or rule that does
not touch on the essential na-
ture of the Salesian Identity as
outlined in the Constitutions.
Docile (well-behaved,
obedient) Adjective • The more
common meaning is someone
who bends easily to the will
of the one guiding him or
her. While the word can mean
‘docile’ be aware that this may
be a ‘false friend’ in context.
Its normal translation would
be along the lines of ‘obedi-
ent’.
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Dispensazione
Don Bosco: History and Spirit
Dispensazione (dispen-
sation) Noun • The term is ap-
plied in Canon Law and in the
Proper Law of the Society in a
variety of instances. In effect
a dispensation is a formal re-
lease from certain obligations
that can only be granted by
the appropriate authority (Rec-
tor Major, Holy See, depend-
ing on circumstances. There
can be dispensation from tem-
porary profession or from per-
petual profession in the case
of a vowed religious; dispen-
sation from the diaconate or
from celibacy for deacon or
priest (requires an indult from
the Apostolic See and results
in cessation of all the obliga-
tions deriving from ecclesias-
tical celibacy, from the duties
of the diaconate and from reli-
gious vows in the case of a re-
ligious).
Don
(Fr) Honorific
• An honorific placed be-
fore the name or surname
of a member of the secular
clergy. Don Bosco preferred
‘don’ as a personal reference
(‘sac.’ or ‘sacerdote’ is what
he used in correspondence to
sign off).The choice of don over
padre is linked to the distinc-
tion in Italy between diocesan
clergy who use don, and reli-
gious priests who use padre.
Italian often writes the term
in lower case e.g. don Bosco.
It can also be capitalised, e.g.
Don Bosco.
Usage: Bosco, Rua, Albera,
Rinaldi and Ricaldone were
always referred to as ‘Don’
in English texts, without use
of first name and with ‘Don’
untranslated.From the time of
Ziggiotti onwards, reference
in English was often to Fr (or
Don) Renato Ziggiotti, Fr (or
Don) Luigi Ricceri etc. Today
the preference is to Anglicise
the reference, so, Fr Ángel Fer-
nández Artime.
British spelling rules indi-
cate that Fr does not take a full
stop after it. US spelling al-
ways includes a period (Fr.).
Don Bosco (Don Bosco,
St John Bosco) Proper name •
Born 16 August 1815, Casteln-
uovo d’Asti (now Castelnuovo
Don Bosco), Italy. Ordained, 5
June 1841, Turin. Died 31 Jan-
uary 1888, Turin. Canonised
1st April 1934. Feast day 31
January.
Don Bosco: History and
Spirit
(Don Bosco: His-
tory and Spirit) Proper name
• Title of a significant histori-
cal research by Arthur J. Lenti
from SUO, the Westeran US
Salesian Province. It is often
referred to in this dictionary
and is the source of several of
its definitions. As Lenti him-
self describes it:
‘The chapters that make up
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Don Bosco Mondo
Dottore
this series of volumes are a
survey of the life and times
of St John Bosco, framed
and punctuated by the events
that brought both the West-
ern Church and the Western
World into modern times.
‘I call this survey, “Don
Bosco, History and Spirit”–
“History,” because Don
Bosco’s life and work were
played out in the context of
the fateful events that created
a new religious and politi-
cal world, and thereby also
shaped his thinking and ac-
tion; “Spirit,” because through
discernment, interpretation
and acceptance he discovered
the meaning of this new world
and courageously responded
to its challenges: his vocation.’
Don Bosco Mondo (Ju-
gend. Hilfe. Weltweit)
(Don Bosco Mondo) Proper
name • Don Bosco Mondo is
a German-based non-profit or-
ganisation (NPO) committed
to supporting disadvantaged
youth worldwide. As their
advocate, the NPO mobilises
personnel, spiritual and finan-
cial resources, and it also aims
at spreading and increasing
the enthusiasm for their joint
efforts. Don Bosco Mondo
sees school education and vo-
cational training as the key
to empowering young people
to live independent lives free
from poverty. In close partner-
ship with the Salesians of Don
Bosco and the Salesian Sisters
of Don Bosco, assistance is pro-
vided to more than 15 million
children and adolescents.
DQM
(The Daugh-
ters of the Queenship of Mary)
Acronym • A Secular Institute
of Diocesan Right. Recognised
as members of the Salesian
Family on 12 July 1996.
Founded by Fr Carlo Torre
sdb in Thailand in 1954, the In-
stitute was admitted into the
Salesian Family on 12 July
1996.
The Institute of Daughters
of the Queenship of Mary is
a secular institute of dioce-
san right founded in the spirit
of the Apostolic Constitution
Provida Mater Ecclesia of Pope
Pius XII, issued on 2 February
1947. It was canonically ap-
proved by the Archbishop of
Bangkok on 3 December 1954.
The Institute has a special
relationship with the Salesian
congregation, both through its
founder and through the spirit
handed down to its members.
It recognises the Rector Major
as successor of Don Bosco, as
the father and leader of the en-
tire Salesian Family.
Dottore (doctor) Noun,
Honorific • Medically speak-
ing, a dottore is a doctor
(though also medico). But we
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Dottore
may meet it in an educational
context.
On a professional level
there is a wide difference be-
tween the use of dottore in
Italian and ‘Doctor’ in English.
In English an (academic) Doc-
tor is one who has attained
the Ph.D. In Italian, anyone
Dottore
who has earned his laurea (col-
lege degree) is dottore.Heads
of office departments may be
called dottore.It is also a mark
of respect for addressing indi-
viduals who may not be doc-
tors, neither medically nor aca-
demically speaking.
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ECG
Economo
E
ECG (EAO Coordinators
Group) Acronym • The ECG,
which came into existence as
a result of the 2015 study of
the EAO Region by the Gen-
eral Council, helps coordinate
the work of the main Salesian
Sectors in the region. It first
met on 24 August 2016 in
Manila. The group meets with
the EAO Regional Councillor
and draws up job descriptions,
guidelines and protocol for the
annual meetings of each sec-
tor, considers the EAO calen-
dar of events, and also looks to
strengthening communication
in the region through effective
use of existing media (e.g. aus-
traLasia and BoscoLink. See
also austraLasia.
Economia
(economy,
finance, financial administra-
tion) Noun • One of the sec-
tors of Salesian activity repre-
sented by a General Council-
lor.
Economo
(economer,
bursar, administrator, trea-
surer) Noun • The person
whose task it is to adminis-
ter the material goods of the
community in dependence
on the Rector. ’Economer’ is
a loan term in English, bor-
rowed directly from Italian.
The term ‘economer’ is found
in very few English dictionar-
ies (it will not be found in
Oxford, Macquarie, Merriam-
Webster. . . ), and is a case of a
loan term, effectively a calque.
Usage: Salesian Provinces
where English is spoken
as a first language tend
not to use the term (except
for ‘Economer General’ and
‘Provincial Economer’ which
are too ingrained now to al-
ter) and instead, terms like
‘bursar’ or ‘administrator’
or ‘treasurer’ are employed,
according to local custom.
Many other provinces where
English is one of the princi-
pal languages, remain with
‘economer’ even at local level.
Linguistic note: The base
morpheme ‘econ’ is recognis-
able, but a translator some-
where along the way has mis-
selected the suffix, possibly
thinking of a calque (transla-
tion of a loan term) on the
Italian economo (A calque is
a direct translation of a loan
term). The Italian term goes
back to the origins of the Con-
gregation, however. While
the term will always be un-
derstood within the confines
of Salesian discourse, it may
not be so easily understood be-
yond it.
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Ecosistema comunicativo
Educatore
Ecosistema comunicativo
(communications ecosystem,
Salesian Social Communica-
tion System (SSCS)) Noun
phrase • The gamut of involve-
ment and personal attitudes
of those who agree to create
an environment which is a
real community of sharing ide-
als, values, relationships at the
level of daily living in a com-
munity and a neighbourhood.
(From a footnote in the origi-
nal edition of SSCS).
No 2.1 of the SSCS (Sal-
esian Social Communication
System) says, of communica-
tion, that ‘Today, however,
we can use a more effective
metaphor: we can speak of
an “ecosystem”. The quality
of communication in a deter-
mined context is guaranteed
by a plurality of interacting
factors. It follows that every-
one, and also every organism,
communicates in a truly effec-
tive way if there is consistency
between the intentional mes-
sage and the messages actu-
ally sent via what is done and
what in fact is.’
Usage: The term ‘com-
munications ecosystem’ (or
‘communicative ecosystem’ in
some instances), is not just
a Salesian one. Communica-
tive ecology (cf. Wikipedia)
is a conceptual model used in
the field of media and com-
munications research, to anal-
yse and represent the relation-
ships between social interac-
tions, discourse, and commu-
nication media and technol-
ogy of individuals, collectives
and networks in physical and
digital environments.
There is also Marshall
McLuhan’s 1962 research on
‘media ecology’. See also
SSCS and Social communication
SSCS in the Glossaries at the
end of the dictionary.
Editore (publisher) Noun
• The one who sees to the
printing, publishing of works
by other people (books, music,
magazines, etc.) Beware of the
‘false friend’. Editore is not an
editor but a publisher. Edito-
ria is the publishing industry,
while editrice is the publishing
house.
Usage: Note that Editrice
SDB is more a name than a re-
ality, in the sense that mate-
rial published under the aus-
pices of the Secretary General
are usually ascribed to the Ed-
itrice SDB (Salesian Publishing
House) even though this is not
a physical reality. See also
Social communication SSCS in
the Glossaries at the end of the
dictionary.
Educatore
(educator,
teacher, pedagogue) Noun •
Someone who educates, espe-
cially the young, a guide, in-
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Educomunicazione
Educomunicazione
structor, teacher, pedagogue,
tutor. When we find the
term ‘educator’ in Salesian dis-
course, and we find it of-
ten, we need to bear in mind
that the concept in Italian
(from which language most
of the references have de-
rived) is wider than in English.
Whereas in English the con-
cept has a + specialist fea-
ture (hence teacher, adminis-
trator of a school, someone
who has studied the theory,
etc.) in Italian, an educatore
could be a parent, parish priest
or other non-specialist in the
field of education as such. A
Salesian is an educator (and
pastor) by dint of profession,
not because of some particular
study of the field, though in al-
most every instance this latter
would eventually apply.
Linguistic notes: There are a
number of associated terms in
Salesian discourse which are
traps for the unwary, since
they tend to be somewhat spe-
cial usages. The normal adjec-
tival form in English is ‘edu-
cational’, whereas Salesian dis-
course may often have ‘educa-
tive’, as in ‘educative and pas-
toral community’.
It might also be worth not-
ing here that, especially for
derivatives, the Italian concept
of education is broader than in
English. Italian synonymous
terms are istruzione and for-
mazione. Hence we have ‘edu-
cation to love’ (The term finds
its basis in the Salesian Consti-
tutions on chastity where the
vow renders the person ‘capa-
ble of educating them to love
and to purity’, but the precise
term comes from GC23. 192);
‘education to faith’, a term
which was given its particular
contemporary force by GC23.
And finally, a defining feature
of ‘belonging’ as a Past Pupil
of Don Bosco is because of
the ‘education received.’ Here
again, the idea derives from
the wider concept in Italian
– which means that someone
who has attended an oratory
has equal standing with some-
one who went to a Salesian
school in this regard.
Educomunicazione
(educommunication) Noun •
The complex of policies and
activities inherent in the plan-
ning, putting into practice
and evaluation of processes
and products aimed at creat-
ing and strengthening com-
munications ecosystems in
educational settings, be they
face to face or virtual. A
term popularised by Ismar
Soares (Brazil) and in wider
use in Latin American nations,
and in some parts of Europe
(France and Belgium particu-
larly).
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Elementi Giuridici
Erezione canonica
In English it is akin to
though not the same as ‘me-
dia education’ understood in
the wider sense of that lat-
ter term as interested in much
more than just the question
of media literacy. The term
has now found its place in Sal-
esian discourse in two ways:
in the Salesian Social Commu-
nication System, though more
by description of its contents
than by actual use of the term,
and in the constant use of the
term by the Salesian Sisters.
They have strongly promoted
the use of this term and the ap-
plication of its content.
Usage: There is strong resis-
tance to the use of this term
in English generally, not only
amongst English-speaking Sal-
esians but also amongst educa-
tors. The preferred terms are
either ‘media education’ un-
derstood in its widest sense, or
‘communication education’.
See also Social communication
SSCS in the Glossaries at the
end of the dictionary.
Elementi Giuridici (Ju-
ridical Elements, also known
as ‘The Red Book’) Proper name
• The full title is: Elementi
Giuridici e Prassi Administra-
tiva nel Governo dell’Ispettoria,
or ‘Juridical Elements and Ad-
ministrative Praxis in Govern-
ing the Province’. Handbook
on juridical matters – also pub-
lished in an English version.
Elenco (year book, list)
Noun • See also Annuario.
Episcopus (E)
[la]
(Bishop) Noun • This Latin
term with its abbreviation as
‘E’ is found in the Year Book
listing all members of the Sal-
esian Society who have been
nominated bishop.
Epistolario (collection
of letters) Noun • Collection of
letters written by or received
by an individual, especially an
outstanding individual. Refer-
ence to the Epistolario (in fact
several volumes of such, with
critical commentary) is often a
reference to the collection of
Don Bosco’s letters.
Équipe [fr] (team, com-
mittee) Noun • A French term
but also a loan term in Italian,
an équipe is a collection of
people who collaborate in the
same sector of activity.
Usage: Could occasionally
be glossed as ‘committee’.The
plural is équipes even in Italian,
since it is a borrowed term. It
is best translated as ‘team’ or
similar in English.
Erezione
canonica
(canonical erection) Noun
phrase • A juridical act by
which a Salesian presence is
recognised as a domus religiosa
or religious house. We distin-
guish between a simple open-
ing and canonical erection.
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Esclaustrazione
Exallievi (di Don Bosco)
Once a house/community is
canonically erected, it then be-
comes a legitimate juridical
person under the authority of
a superior. Can. 608.
Esclaustrazione
(ex-
claustration) Noun • In Canon
Law, the faculty granted by
the Holy See or the Ordinary
of a place for a member of
a religious institute of pontif-
ical or diocesan right to live
temporarily outside the clois-
ter, putting aside the religious
habit but still bound to ob-
servance of the vows and du-
ties of state. It is a form of
absence from the community
granted by the Superior Gen-
eral or Apostolic See.
Esercizi spirituali (re-
treat, Spiritual Exercises) Noun
phrase • An ascetical practice
consisting in temporary with-
drawal from ordinary occupa-
tions in order to dedicate one-
self to prayer and meditation,
in particular the method out-
lined by St Ignatius Loyola in
his Ejercicios espirituales (1854).
While the term is some-
times glossed as ‘spiritual re-
treat’, the more normal term
is simply ‘retreat’. Context
makes it clear that it is a spir-
itual exercise. The term ‘Spir-
itual Exercises’ is normally re-
stricted to a retreat that fol-
lows the Ignatian method.
See also Ritiro.
Esercizio della buona
morte (Exercise for a happy
death, monthly recollection)
Noun phrase • A spiritual prac-
tice that Don Bosco adapted
from spiritual and ascetic prac-
tice of the time, essentially a
monthly examination of con-
science followed by confession
and communion. The current
practice of a monthly recollec-
tion has replaced the former
practice – and the term.
Usage: Might occasionally
be found in its Latin form Bona
Mors See also Ritiro.
Estasi dell’azione (ec-
stasy of action) Noun phrase •
Going out of oneself towards
the other.
Originally a term from St
Francis de Sales.The term was
taken up again by Fr. Viganò
in AGC 332 and 338. He sug-
gests it is the interior side of
the da mihi animas. Action
sanctified by prayer. It is the
Salesian interpretation which
leads to art. 12 of the Consti-
tutions: ‘contemplative in ac-
tion’.
Eurobosco (Eurobosco)
Proper name • Congress of Sal-
esian Past Pupils from Europe.
Exallievi (di Don Bosco)
(Past Pupils (of Don Bosco, Sal-
esian Past Pupils, Old Schol-
ars, Bosconians, Alumni))
Proper name • Originally, boys
who frequented the Oratory
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Exallievi (di Don Bosco)
at Valdocco in Don Bosco’s
time, hence ’Past Pupils of
Don Bosco’ is the complete
term, still today. The first local
Past Pupils Association was
formed in Turin in 1870 for the
purpose of organising a yearly
feast day in honour of Don
Bosco.
After Don Bosco’s death,
the group continued to do the
same in honour of Fr Michael
Rua, keeping the same date of
June 24. For many years this
was the only Past Pupils Asso-
ciation in existence.
The date 24 June was in
fact a mistaken date, Don
Bosco’s boys at the time think-
ing he was named ’John’ after
John the Baptist. In 1896, a sec-
ond Past Pupils Association
was formed at Parma (Emilia).
Between 1896 and 1908 many
similar associations came into
existence in places where the
Salesian were active.
Although not federated, all
these groups were inspired by
the idea of keeping alive the
principles of their Salesian ed-
ucation and working as ac-
tive Christians in their vari-
ous walks of life. In 1908,
Exallievi (di Don Bosco)
the idea of forming a world
federation was launched, to
unite all Past Pupils Associ-
ations which had sprung up
in Europe and the Americas.
In 1909, statutes of federation
were drafted and circulated
and some 100 local associa-
tions formed the World Feder-
ation of Salesian Past Pupils.
Usage: While they always
remain officially Past Pupils of
Don Bosco, the terms used lo-
cally, as indicated in the syn-
onyms above, vary. With
regard to the term ‘alumni’,
the colloquial term ‘alums’
can be heard in the US. In
Britain, Australia and places
where British English reigns,
‘past pupil’ (often capitalised)
is more common.The Philip-
pines uses ‘alumnus’, but one
also hears ‘Bosconian’ in ref-
erence to past pupils. Anti-
gos Alumnos (TLS), Old Boys
(CIN), Salesians (KOR) are
terms used in the respec-
tive Provinces of Timor Leste,
China, Korea. There are also
Exallieve delle Figlie di Maria
Ausiliatrice or Past Pupils of
the Daughters of Mary Help of
Christians.
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Famiglia apostolica
F
Famiglia salesiana
Famiglia
apostolica
(apostolic family) Noun phrase
• Apostolic (in general): the
ardent desire to reproduce the
apostolic ideal in which “the
company of those who be-
lieved was of one heart and
one soul. . . had everything
in common, [and] devoted
themselves to the apostles’
teaching and fellowship, to the
breaking of the bread and the
prayers” (Acts 4:35; 2:42).
The Salesian Family is an
apostolic Family. The Groups
which make it up are all re-
sponsible subjects of the com-
mon mission, although to dif-
ferent degrees and in different
ways. Don Bosco founded the
Society of St Francis de Sales
and the Institute of the Daugh-
ters of Mary Help of Chris-
tians and set them up as Re-
ligious Congregations, by this
stage not contemplative but
‘apostolic’. He also founded
the Association of Salesian Co-
operators as part of the apos-
tolic family.
According to the intentions
of their Founders, Don Bosco’s
spiritual sons and daughters,
all the other Religious Congre-
gations which belong to the
Salesian Family today have a
clear apostolic orientation and
are part of those Religious In-
stitutes known as ‘apostolic’
institutes. In virtue of each
ones particular vocation, indi-
viduals belonging to the dis-
tinct Groups are ‘sent’, thus
called to carry out the com-
mon mission according to the
role they are entrusted with,
and their own abilities and
possibilities.
With regard to canonical
norms, the Salesians, the Sal-
esian Sisters and the other Re-
ligious Institutes take up the
apostolic mandate from the ec-
clesiastical authority and carry
it out in the context of the
provincial or local communi-
ties which are the primary sub-
ject of the mission.
Famiglia
carismatica
(charismatic family) Noun
phrase • A gift of the Spirit to
the Church in view of a mis-
sion (Charter of Identity Art
5.). Its deepest and truest roots
are found in the Mystery of the
Trinity, meaning in the infinite
love uniting Father, Son and
Spirit, source, model and goal
for every human family.
Famiglia salesiana (Sal-
esian Family, apostolic family
of Don Bosco, spiritual and
apostolic family of Don Bosco)
Noun phrase • Don Bosco in-
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FCMN
Fernández Artime, Ángel
spired the start of a vast move-
ment of persons who in differ-
ent ways work for the salva-
tion of the young. He him-
self founded not only the Soci-
ety of St Francis de Sales but
also the Institute of the Daugh-
ters of Mary Help of Chris-
tians and the Association of
Salesian Cooperators. These
live in communion with each
other, share the same spirit
and, with specifically distinct
vocations, continue the mis-
sion he began. Together with
these groups and with others
born later we make up the Sal-
esian Family. (C. 5).
For further information
cf. also Carta della Mis-
sione. . . and Carta di comu-
nione. . . and the most recent
document (2012) the Carta di
Identità. . . . This document in
particular makes it clear that
the term ‘family’ as used in
‘Salesian Family’ describes the
links that connect the various
Groups, even though with dif-
ferent intensity. It is not sim-
ple affinity, or generic sympa-
thy but an institutional expres-
sion of inward, charismatic
and spiritual communion. It
can be described in terms of
different levels.
Usage: Normally, in
English, the term is capitalised
as Salesain Family.
FCMN Fraternidad con-
templativa Maria de Nazaret
[es] (The Contemplative Fra-
ternity of Mary of Nazareth)
Acronym, Proper name • Pub-
lic Association of the Faithful.
Founder: Archbishop Nicolas
Cotugno SDB (1934-), Arch-
bishop of Montevideo (1994).
Founded: 31 May 1983. Mem-
bership of the Salesian Family,
18 July 2016.
Fernández Artime, Ángel
Rector Major, 10th Succes-
sor of Don Bosco (Fr Án-
gel Fernández Artime) Proper
name • Ángel Fernández Ar-
time was born 21 August 1960
in Luanco-Gozon, Asturias,
Spain; he made his first pro-
fession on 3 September, 1978,
the perpetual vows on 17 June
1984, in Santiago de Com-
postela, and was ordained a
priest on 4 July 1987, in León.
A native of the Province of
Leon, he earned a degree in
Pastoral Theology and a Licen-
tiate in Philosophy and Peda-
gogy.
He was a Provincial Dele-
gate for Youth Ministry, Direc-
tor of the School of Ourense,
a member of the Provincial
Council and the Provincial
Vicar, and from 2000-2006, he
was the Provincial Superior.
After being part of the
Preparatory committee which
prepared the 26th General
Chapter in 2009, he was ap-
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Fioretti
FMA
pointed the Provincial Supe-
rior of South Argentina, based
in Buenos Aires. In this ca-
pacity he also got to know
and work personally with the
then Archbishop of Buenos
Aires, Cardinal Jorge Mario
Bergoglio, today Pope Francis.
On 23 December 2013, he
was appointed Superior of
the new Province of Mediter-
ranean Spain, dedicated to
Mary Help of Christians. But
before he could take on this
new role, on 25 March 2014 he
was elected by the 27th Gen-
eral Chapter as the new Rector
Major of the Salesian Congre-
gation and the 10th Successor
of Don Bosco.
Fioretti (good actions,
small acts of sacrifice, little sto-
ries ) Noun (pl) • The term
has a range of meanings in
Salesian use – probably today,
the last of the three mean-
ings, ‘little stories’, is the most
common.Fioretti salesiani are
the kinds of little examples,
brief personal edifying stories,
mostly, that visiting Superiors
like to tell the community.
Figli di Maria
(Sons
of Mary) Noun phrase • The
reference is to late vocations
and the Opera dei Figli di Maria
or ‘Sons of Mary Program’.
More accurately, the Sons of
Mary (young men between
16-30) were the fruits of the
Opera di Maria Ausiliatrice or
Work of Mary Help of Chris-
tians, presented to Pius IX in
1874 along with the proposal
for the Salesian Cooperators.
Both projects were approved
in May 1876 by the Pope.
Hence the ‘Sons of Mary’ were
the fruit of the group’s effort
to recruit and educate priestly
vocations.
FLASH (FLASH) Proper
name • A technical Salesian
term for the annual written
collection of statistics sent to
the General Administration
from the provinces.
FMA Figlie di Maria
Ausiliatrice (FMA Daugh-
ters of Mary Help of Chris-
tians) Proper name • “Through
a gift of the Holy Spirit and the
direct intervention of Mary,
Saint John Bosco founded our
institute as a response of sal-
vation to the profound hopes
of young girls. He endowed
it with a spiritual heritage that
had its inspiration from the
charity of Christ the Good
Shepherd, and imparted to it
a strong missionary impulse.”
(FMA Constitutions art. 1).
This religious family has
its origins in the heart and
mind of St John Bosco and in
the creative fidelity of St Mary
Domenica Mazzarello. Don
Bosco chose the name ‘Daugh-
ters of Mary Help of Chris-
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FMA
FMA
tians’ because he wanted a liv-
ing monument of gratitude to
his Madonna.
At the persistent request of
many people in Turin and as a
result of his own perceptions,
Don Bosco resolved to take
steps in setting up an institute
that would reach out to many
poor and abandoned girls. He
was inspired to do so from
his many contacts with fe-
male institutes, his deep Mar-
ian devotion, the encourage-
ment received from Pope Pius
IX and the many inspirations
he had in this regard, through
‘dreams’ and significant hap-
penings.
It so happened that in the
township of Mornese, situ-
ated in the hills of Monfer-
rato, a young woman by the
name of Mary Domenica Maz-
zarello was accompanying a
group of young women who
along with her were dedicated
to helping young girls learn
a trade, and while doing so
these girls were also guided in
their faith development. There
were two significant signs con-
veying the same message: that
an educative environment sim-
ilar to the one for boys at Val-
docco, Turin, should be set
up for children and young
girls. Mary Domenica Maz-
zarello was a co-foundress
who gave life and form to this
newly founded institute. On
5 August 1872, the first group
of young women, following
the example of Mary, in declar-
ing their ‘Yes’ to God’s call,
committed themselves to be
‘helpers’ of young people.
Usage: In many if not most
English-speaking countries
where they are present, the Sis-
ters refer to themselves as ‘Sal-
esian Sisters’ rather than by
the longer title of ‘Daughters
of Mary Help of Christians’.
In German-speaking countries
(which also use English) they
are more often referred to as
‘Don Bosco Sisters’.
Linguistic note: ‘Daughters
of Mary Help of Christians’
is a shorter form. The com-
plete reference is ‘Institute of
the Daughters of Mary Help of
Christians’.
The Institute of Mary Help
of Christians “is a living part
of the Salesian Family which
throughout history relives in
different ways the spirit and
mission of Don Bosco thus ex-
pressing its perennial adapt-
ability. The Rector Major of the
Society of St Francis of Sales
– as successor of Don Bosco -
is its animator and centre of
unity.” (FMA C. 3).
Reference is made to ‘In-
stitute’ rather than ‘Congrega-
tion’, when speaking of the or-
ganisational entity.
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Fondazione Don Bosco nel Mondo
Formazione
Fondazione Don Bosco
nel Mondo (Don Bosco in
the World Foundation) Proper
name • A body belonging
to the Salesian Congregation
whose purpose is the pro-
motion, support and devel-
opment of Salesian Missions
and work around the world.
The group is based at Salesian
Headquarters in Rome.
Fondo di solidarietà del
Rettor Maggiore (Rector Ma-
jor’s Solidarity Fund) Noun
phrase • Monies usually sent
to The Centre by the provinces
and disbursed according to
need, directly by the Rector
Major (though after hearing
from the province where the
request comes from). In practi-
cal Salesian language we find
the term solidarity used in ref-
erence to aid, mostly of the fi-
nancial kind, or as represented
by NGO, Mission Office activ-
ity, or as a ‘fund’ (e.g. the Rec-
tor Major’s Solidarity Fund).
Perhaps we need to be careful
not to overly restrict the term’s
application in this sense. It is,
by now an established princi-
ple of Catholic social teaching
(Solicitudo Rei Socialis no. 40).
In fact, we find in the Salesian
Charter of identity a helpful
description of Salesian solidar-
ity which is much broader
than that of financial aid:
1. Education, which is the
highest form of solidarity, con-
ceived of and realised accoring
to criteria which Salesian assis-
tance suggests.
2. Civil, social and mis-
sion voluntary service, much
widespread amongst young
people today.
3. Social and political in-
volvement.
Fondo Don Bosco (fondo
Don Bosco) Noun phrase • In a
library, groups or sets of books
or documents collected on a
particular topic. A division of
the Central Archives referring
to material on/by Don Bosco.
Linguistic note: usually
lower case fondo rather then
upper case Fondo, to distin-
guish from a financial resource
or Fund, as in the case, for ex-
ample of the Fondo Missioni,
an official channel via the Gen-
eral Administration for dis-
tributing mission funds.
Formazione (formation,
education) Noun • 1. The act
of forming. 2. The process of
forming. 3. The manner in
which something is formed. 4.
(Theol):
Considered in its essence it
is the spiritual extent the hu-
man being can reach by per-
fecting his or her God-given
gifts, and by developing the
spiritual heritage, both past
and present in which he/she
finds himself.
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Formazione
Formazione
Each of the definitions
listed here becomes important
for understanding Salesian for-
mation, since it is active (in-
volving agents), a process, a
method and clearly has a theo-
logical principle involved.
That said, and because it
is such a broad topic, it may
best be understood by look-
ing at the several particular as-
pects under which it is treated
(initial formation, ongoing for-
mation, personal life plan)
amongst others). If we con-
sider formation from an insti-
tutional and ecclesial perspec-
tive, we need to include the
widest sense of integral forma-
tion of the human being (hu-
man promotion, education to
the faith), then catechism, edu-
cation more broadly speaking,
the catechumenate, for those
beginning a life of faith in the
Catholic Church, the forma-
tion of committed lay people
for ministries open to them to
exercise.
Then there is the question
of formation for religious and
Apostolic Life, or for Soci-
eties of Apostolic Life, Reli-
gious formation in general, for-
mation of candidates for dia-
conate and priesthood. . . .
Salesian formation takes its
starting points from both the
individual human being in-
volved, and the project which
is the Salesian mission as
passed on to us by Don Bosco.
Seen this way, Salesian forma-
tion continues the work of the
founder, and his spiritual fa-
therhood, fosters fidelity to the
unity of the charism and com-
mitment to its further develop-
ment, and places the gifts of
nature and grace in a balanced
perspective. Don Bosco is the
model (SDB Constitution 97
makes it clear that Don Bosco
is a ‘sure guide’) but we also
remind ourselves (C. 96) that
Jesus too ‘called his Apostles
individually to be with him’).
The chief agent of forma-
tion is always the individual
being formed, and his life ex-
perience which he learns from.
The method of formation is liv-
ing and working for the com-
mon mission. A valid plan of
life is essential for all this to-
happen. ‘To form’ someone
(seeing formation from the
point of view of the helping
agent) means to accompany
that person until he reaches
his full development, putting
him in active relationship with
the mission which he, along
with every other Salesian, is
entrusted with.This perspec-
tive responds to the question
‘formed for what?’
Usage: Italian is much
more likely to speak of for-
mazione where English might
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Formazione professionale
use ‘education’, but the terms
formazione and educazione are
interchangeable in Italian, and
refer especially to the gaining
of attitudes and understand-
ing. In the context of religious
life we would speak of ‘forma-
tion’. E.g. initial and ongoing
formation. In the context of
schooling – ’education’ (e.g. as
in Formazione professionale, for-
mazione dei giovani). See also
Formazione professionale
Educatore.
Formazione professionale
(vocational/technical educa-
tion) Noun phrase • It may
not always refer to ‘occupa-
tional’ training or education –
could be straight ‘technical.’
Formazione, Formazione Profes-
sionale are technical terms in
Italian education and educa-
tional legislation.
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gaku- ࿐
Giardino di ricreazione
G
gaku- ࿐ [ja] (study,
learning, science.) Affix •
This term is essential for
understanding the various
terms used for our educa-
tional works in Japan. The
romanised form and the Chi-
nese ideograph are used here
as part of the explanation.If
we add -en (or -in), mean-
ing essentially a garden or
pretty place, but then a build-
ing, we get gakuin࿐ ჽ or
school, hence Salesio gakuin,
Salesian school. kyu-gaku܋
࿐ is together-learn, or co-
education.Shugaku would be
primary school (school for
small ones). Kutugaku is Se-
nior High, a three year course.
Senmon gaku (from senmon,
special) is a Vocational Col-
lege. Daigaku (dai, big) is uni-
versity and daigakuin a post-
graduate course.
Garelli,
Bartolomeo
(Garelli, Bartholomew) Proper
name • A Salesian traditional
story not recounted before the
writing of the Memoirs of the
Oratory in the mid 1870’s but
first recounted in Bonetti’s se-
rialised version in the Salesian
Bulletin 1879. The story lends
belief to the symbolic date of
December 8th for the begin-
ning of Don Bosco’s work. In
the original draft for MO Don
Bosco had begun to write an
’N’, not a ’G’ for the surname.
Did this mean Nome, or was it
another surname?For the pur-
poses of the story it doesn’t
matter.
Generala
(The Gen-
erala) Proper name • A ‘mod-
ern’ correction facility for ju-
veniles built in 1845 as part
of King Charles Albert’s re-
forms. It was located some 10
miles south west of Turin, on
the road to the little town of
Stupinigi.
Loitering, vagrancy and
begging accounted for over
50% of the cases referred to
the Generala.On the whole, it
could be said that in the 1840’s
Turin was a city of ‘poor and
abandoned’ rather than crimi-
nal juveniles.
Giardino di ricreazione
(recreation park) Noun phrase
• Don Bosco employed this
term occasionally for public
authorities when describing
the playground at the Oratory.
It was a term in current use
for playgrounds at the time
but represented a different
concept – a small space usu-
ally, where youngsters stood
around in small groups play-
ing relatively non-physical
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Ginnasio
Giovani
games under a teacher’s su-
pervision.
Don Bosco’s idea of the
playground was very active,
where boys could choose their
own games, and where the
teacher was expected to take
part actively, without failing in
his/her supervisory role. Don
Bosco himself would appear at
most recreations – he did so
until the 1860s. See also Cor-
tile.
Ginnasio
(secondary
school) Noun • In the cur-
rent Italian school system,
a course of higher educa-
tion, consisting of a two-year
course (fourth and fifth ’gym-
nasium’), which can be ac-
cessed after obtaining a mid-
dle school certificate, and at
the end of which one be-
gins upper secondary; until
1940 there were two secondary
school courses, one lower, of
three years, corresponding to
the subsequent middle school,
and a higher one, remaining in
the current system, in which
the study of Greek is under-
taken. But the sense in which
it appears in texts relating to
Don Bosco’s time or the ‘pre-
1940 period’ referred to above,
namely, the five year course of
secondary studies called gin-
nasio in the Casati Reform of
1859.
Giorno della comunità
(community day) Noun phrase
• Established as a regular
weekly practice in Salesian
communities from GC23 on-
wards.
Giovani (young people,
adolescents, youngsters) Noun
(pl) • For Don Bosco, the term
had a male only reference.But
depending on the context it
was a term that might have
much more attached to it. An
example comes from the fa-
mous saying Ho promesso a
Dio che fin l’ultimo mio respiro
sarebbe stato per i miei poveri gio-
vani (I have promised God that
I will be for my poor boys until
my last breath).
N. Cerrato (Vi Presento
Don Bosco LDC 2005) points
out that Desramaut’s com-
ment that the original formu-
lation employed poveri orfanelli
rather than poveri giovani does
not thus discredit the MB ver-
sion (Vol 18). Don Bosco,
he says, was almost certainly
speaking Piedmontese where
he would have used povri fieuj
not the unusual povri orfaneij.
Povri fieuj translates as ragazzi
or giovani in Italian but car-
ries the Piedmontese meaning
of ‘poor and abandoned’ and
probably orphaned.
Usage: Expect, especially
in texts wrtten by Don Bosco,
to find a range of terms such
as giovanetto, and/or giovan-
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Globalizzazione
otto. Indeed, a range of terms
that seem largely interchange-
able: fanciullini, fanciulli, gio-
vani, giovanetti, giovinetti and
even orfanelli, though this lat-
ter is more precisely of the
‘poor and abandoned’ type.
Opposed to these would be
giovani grandicelli which, in at
least one text by Don Bosco, is
determined as being from 16-
30 years of age.
Linguistic note: It is diffi-
cult to give precise age ranges
for the various Italian terms
relating to youth. Many texts
talk about bambini, adoloscenti
and giovani in the same sen-
tence, suggesting there are
three distinct age ranges,
whereas to say ‘children and
youth’ in English sounds a
bit forced: we would nor-
mally just talk about ‘young
people’, ‘teenagers’ and ‘small
children’ if we want to incude
the under tens.
In today’s understanding
in Italy, a bambino could be 2-
10 years, a ragazzo from, say,
11-19 years, while a giovane
might be from 20-30 years!
This means that the plural
term giovani is far more exten-
sive than its English equiva-
lent ‘young people’.
Globalizzazione (glob-
alisation) Noun • In the lan-
Globalizzazione
guage of economics, globali-
sation of the markets, a phe-
nomenon of unification of the
markets on a global level,
permitted by the spread of
technological innovations, es-
pecially in the field of telem-
atics which have pushed to-
wards more uniform and con-
vergent consumption and pro-
duction models; also, the polit-
ical and social consequences of
this unification.
When both globalizzazione
and mondializzazione appear to-
gether in our texts (e.g. ACG
387 p. 15) we have to assume
they are synonyms but distin-
guishable.
It is a relatively new term
in Salesian usage – only since
Fr Vecchi.There are attempts
to distinguish the two con-
cepts such that mondializ-
zazione emphasises the exis-
tence of the nation-state and
its need to have arrangements
with other nation-states. The
existence of the UNO then be-
comes an example of mondial-
izzazione.
Globalizzazione appears to
have a more negative feel
about it involving the worst as-
pects of economy, internet and
communications, language
etc.
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Harambee
H
HDS
Harambee
(Haram-
bee) Proper name (Verb in sw)
• Harambee is a Kenyan tra-
dition of community self-help
events, eg. fundraising or de-
velopment activities. Haram-
bee literally means ‘all pull to-
gether’ in Swahili, and is also
the official motto of Kenya and
appears on its coat of arms.
Harambee events may range
from informal affairs lasting
a few hours, in which invita-
tions are spread by word of
mouth, to formal, multi-day
events advertised in newspa-
pers.
These events have long
been important in parts of East
Africa, as ways to build and
maintain communities. Fol-
lowing Kenya’s independence
in 1963, the first Prime Min-
ister, and later first Presi-
dent of Kenya, Jomo Keny-
atta adopted ‘Harambee’ as a
concept of pulling the coun-
try together to build a new
nation. He encouraged com-
munities to work together to
raise funds for all sorts of
local projects, pledging that
the government would pro-
vide their startup costs. Under
this system, wealthy individu-
als wishing to get into politics
could donate large amounts
of money to local harambee
drives, thereby gaining legit-
imacy; however, such prac-
tices were never institution-
alised during Kenyatta’s pres-
idency.
Usage: Used by Salesians
since 1993 to refer to a mis-
sionary gathering, usually of
young people, for mission an-
imation.Normally capitalised
in English.
HDS Hijas del Divin Sal-
vador (HDS Daughters of the
Divine Saviour) Proper name
• Female Religious Institute
of Diocesan Right, founded
by Salesian Bishop Pedro
Arnoldo Aparicio (1980-1992),
as catechists and teachers they
are at the service of poor chil-
dren and youth whom they
aim to educate by the Pre-
ventive System. Don Bosco’s
motto, Da mihi animas caetera
tolle (give me souls, take away
the rest), has become Oportet
Illum regnare (it is necessary
for Christ to reign!).
“Through our educative
and pastoral mission we con-
tribute to the mission of salva-
tion at the service of the Partic-
ular Church and parishes, ded-
icating ourselves especially to
education of young girls and
young women. the Insti-
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HH.SS.CC
tute achieves these aims princi-
pally through religious educa-
tion and the apostolate of cate-
chetics. Our life and our evan-
gelising and educational activ-
ity gives Mary a special role.
We entrust ourselves to Her
as the ‘Help’ of children and
youth.
“The HDS live an attitude
of spiritual childhood made
up of simplicity and serene joy.
Bethlehem indicates our spir-
itual road: humility, poverty,
not desiring great things, mak-
ing ourselves always avail-
able, opening our souls, our
heart and our arms to children
and young people, in a Sal-
esian style. A special devo-
tion to the Child Jesus helps
the HDS to achieve this meek-
ness and humbleness of heart
as taught by Jesus. The wit-
ness to poverty, already in the
original founding group and
written into our purpose of ser-
vice of children and girls of or-
dinary people, especially the
needy, characterises our com-
mitment and witness.
“An interesting element of
formation and apostolic activ-
ity is the collaboration with
HR
the Salesians. In different
countries we share responsibil-
ity with the Salesians in educa-
tional and social works.”
Date founded: San Vicente
(El Salvador), Christmas 1956
HH.SS.CC Hijas de las
Sagrados Corazones de Jesús
y de Maria (HH.SS.CC
Daughters of the Sacred
Hearts of Jesus and Mary)
Proper name • A female reli-
gious institute of Pontifical
Right.
Founded by Fr Louis Vari-
ara at Agua de Dios 1904.
Members of the Salesian
Family.
HR Congregación de
Hermanas de la Resurrec-
ción [es] (Congregation of
the Sisters of the Resurrec-
tion, The Little Community)
Noun phrase • Religious Con-
gregation of Diocesan Right
founded in Guatemala by Fr
Joseph Puthenpura SDB on 15
September 1977 from a small
group of nine volunteers who
wished to serve their ‘fellow
campesinos’. Date admitted to
the SF: 16th July 2004 [Decree
31st January 2006].
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Identità carismatica
Immacolata (Concezione)
I
Identità
carismatica
(charismatic identity, Salesian
identity, vocational identity)
Noun phrase • Synonymous
with ‘Salesian identity’ or the
indole propria or special charac-
ter of the Salesian. ‘Vocational
Identity’ is an additional term
employed frequently in our
texts. In specific terms, the
charismatic identity of Sal-
esian of Don Bosco is to make
welcome and to share the life
of the young especially those
who are poorest. It was a term
often employed by Fr Viganò.
See also Carta di identità caris-
matica.
IJA Irmas de Jesús Ado-
lescente (IJA Sisters of Jesus
the adolescent) Proper name
• Female religious Institute
of Diocesan Right, founded
by Salesian Bishop Bishop Vi-
cente Priante on 8th Decem-
ber 1938. The Congregation
seeks to live out its mission
by offering an evangelising re-
sponse to the concrete prob-
lems of Particular Churches:
through popular education,
family ministry, social activi-
ties, and special attention to
children and the elderly.
The Congregation began
under the name of ‘The Little
Sisters of Jesus the Adolescent’
which officially began on 8th
December 1938. A group of
young girls, refused entry to
other Congregations because
their parents were in irregu-
lar marriages, were ready to
respond. The first seven of
the Sisters made their profes-
sion in 1939. They worked
at the seminary in Campo
Grande and the hostel for the
elderly and abandoned. They
ran two parish schools in Co-
rumbá as well as a hostel for
the elderly and abandoned.
Bishop Priante died on the
4th December 1944. The Sis-
ters had lost their father just
six years after the foundation.
His successor, Bishop Chaves,
also a Salesian, became their
guide,and in 1952 entrusted
them to Mother Josefina FMA,
who was the superior until
1967. A serious crisis followed
which reduced their numbers
from 74 to 28, but with the
General Chapter in 1975 they
reorganised themselves.
Date founded: Campo
Grande, 8th December 1938
Date admitted to the SF:
23rd December 1988
Immacolata (Concezione)
(Immaculate Conception)
Noun phrase • A dogma of the
Church concerning Mary’s sin-
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Incaricato
Inculturazione
gular grace in being conceived
without sin proclaimed on 8th
December 1854.
Often, in Don Bosco’s and
subsequent Salesian reference,
the term ‘Immaculate Concep-
tion’ is shortened to ‘The Im-
maculate’.
The dogma and the event
of its proclamation are espe-
cially significant in Salesian
history. In the first 20 years
of his life, before he had set-
tled on the term Help of Chris-
tians, his reference was always
to Mary Immaculate. The 8th
December, a good ten years
and more before the dogma
was proclaimed, was the date
he assigned to the start of his
work. See also Garelli, Bar-
tolomeo.
The proclamation date was
also the date Dominic Savio
wrote up his simple program
of life under Don Bosco’s tute-
lage at the Oratory. The So-
dality of the Immaculate Con-
ception, of which Dominic
was a co-founder, became a
school of preparation for boys
who eventually were the be-
ginnings of the Salesian Soci-
ety. At Mornese, the Daugh-
ters of the Immaculate group
of women were the basis for
what became the Salesian Sis-
ters.
Incaricato
(person in
charge) Noun • The person,
body or other who been as-
signed to look after some-
thing.
Usage: From time to time
one see this glossed as English
as ‘incharge’ or ‘in-charge’ as a
noun. In fact this is a calque, a
direct translation of the Italian
into a word that is unknown in
English (i.e. it does not exist in
any dictionary).
Inculturazione (incul-
turation) Noun • The integra-
tion of Christian faith in hu-
man culture(s).
Note that this is dis-
tinct from ‘enculturation’ in
English, but that there are lin-
guistic problems associated
with the term in translation.
The term begins to appear
in Church documents from
about 1979 onwards, with a de-
scription from Pope John Paul
II who saw it, in a comment he
made to the Pontifical Biblical
Commission, as a term which
expressed very well one aspect
of the great mystery of the In-
carnation.
Its appearance in Salesian
vocabulary can be owed in a
particular way to representa-
tives from Bangalore (India) at
the Special General Chapter 20
(1971-72), which is interesting
since it has been claimed that
the term really came into exis-
tence in 1973 from a Protestant
theologian teaching in New
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Internato
IRIMEP
York!
The Jesuits took it up at
their 32nd General Chapter
(1975) translating it as incul-
turatio (since Latin morphol-
ogy does not permit encultur-
atio). The term appears of-
ten in the Italian phrase incul-
turazione del Vangelo (incultur-
ation of the Gospel).
Usage: While the noun
form works easily enough in
English, there is still some re-
sistance to it as a verb.
Linguistic note: Italian only
has the word inculturazione
since, like Latin, en- is not a
prefix in that language. It may
use the word socializzazione to
express what English means
by ’enculturation’. However,
TRECCANI’s definition of in-
culturazione is: [der. di cul-
tura, col pref. in-, per traduz.
dell’ingl. enculturation]. – In
psicologia sociale, assimilazione,
da parte dell’individuo, della cul-
tura del gruppo sociale cui egli
appartiene, durante il processo
di socializzazione, che implica
adattamento e dialogo. [derives
from culture with the prefix in-
, translating the English encul-
turation].In social psychology, as-
similation by the individual of
the culture of the social group
to which that individual belongs,
during the process of socialisa-
tion, implying adaption and dia-
logue.
And therein lies the prob-
lem.
Internato (boarding es-
tablishment) Noun • The ar-
eas / rooms in a boarding
establishment where internal
pupils usually live.
Could be a hostel, even a
boarding school. Antonym to
esternato.
IRIMEP Instituto Reli-
gioso das Irmàs Medianeiras
da Paz [pt] (Religious Insti-
tute of the Mediators of Peace
IRIMEP) Proper name • A Re-
ligious Institute of Diocesan
Right.
The institute was founded
in 1968 by Archbishop An-
tonio Campelo, Salesian and
Archbishop of Petrolina (State
of Pernambuco, Brazil); on his
death, in 1984, the ‘Media-
trix Sisters of Peace’, religious
belonging to the Institutes of
Consecrated Life of Diocesan
Right, formally asked to be-
come part of the Salesian Fam-
ily.
In 1986 Fr Egidio Viganó,
then Rector Major, replied to
a letter from the same Sis-
ters, and wrote: “I rejoice in
your presence in the Church
and I congratulate you on the
progress you have made (in
the meantime) that this experi-
ence phase end with the best
results.”
As is clearly written in the
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Ispettoria
Ispettoria
Salesian Constitutions: “From
Don Bosco derives a vast
movement of people who, in
different ways, work for the
salvation of the young.” And
this institute “shares the mis-
sion of Don Bosco to work for
the poor, the abandoned, the
people in danger and in ar-
eas where poverty is extreme,”
said Fr Joan Lluis Playá, who
has visited some of the so-
cial works that the ‘Messen-
gers of Peace’ are developing
in Brazil.
Fr Eusebio Muñoz, Dele-
gate of the Rector Major for
the Salesian Family, expressed
his great joy in knowing that
“the Salesian Family continues
to grow, not only numerically,
but above all at the charis-
matic level, because where
there is a member who works
as Don Bosco, these work for
the salvation of the poorest
young people.”
Seventy religious are cur-
rently part of the institute, as-
sisted by about 300 collabora-
tors who share with the sis-
ters the pastoral and socio-
educational mission. “They
were born with the concern to
reach the most remote places
in the Church, where poverty
is really extreme,” added Fr
Playá. “I have visited, under
the direction of the Rector Ma-
jor, the places where they carry
out their apostolate and they
are evidently ’Salesians’, being
missionaries among disadvan-
taged young people.”
Ispettoria
(province)
Noun • C. 157 The province
unites the different local com-
munities in one large commu-
nity. It is canonically erected
when the necessary and suffi-
cient conditions exist for pro-
moting in a specific juridical
circumscription the life and
mission of the Congregation
with the autonomy that be-
longs to it according to the
Constitutions.
Salesian English has
chosen the more widely
known term ‘province’ to des-
ignate what is known in a tra-
dition stemming from Don
Bosco himself as ispettoria in
Italian.
In his earliest Constitu-
tions, Don Bosco made no
specific provision for estab-
lishing ‘provinces’ as we un-
derstand them (i.e. territo-
rial divisions under a canon-
ical major superior), but did
divide the Society as it was
then into four ‘inspectorates’.
Rome called this an ‘uncom-
mon practice’ and requested
‘provinces’ with due ecclesias-
tical (Holy See no less!) per-
mission. Don Bosco con-
tinued to argue that Pope
Pius IX had recommended the
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ISS
Istituto (religioso)
use of terms more consistent
with the spirit of the [secu-
lar] times: therefore, rather
than call our houses ‘monas-
teries’, he suggested the terms
‘house’, ‘schoo’l (collegio), ‘hos-
tel’ or ‘hospice’ (ospizio), or
‘orphanage’; likewise, not ‘Fa-
ther General’, but ‘Rector Ma-
jor’, not ‘Prior’, or ‘Guardian’,
but ‘Director’, not ‘Provincial’
or ‘Province’, but some equiv-
alent term.
The idea won out, stuck
and was reinforced by early
General Chapters.
Quite possibly for reasons
of the same kind that were
used by Don Bosco for choos-
ing ‘inspectorate’, Salesians in
an English-speaking context
decided that this latter term
would be inappropriate for
them and chose ‘province’ in-
stead. It is worth noting that
in Spain there is a preference
for provincia rather than inspec-
toría, and that France prefers
‘province’ also.
ISS Istituto Storico Sale-
siano (ISS Institute for Sal-
esian History) Proper name •
ISS has been a department of
the General Administration of
the Works of Don Bosco since
1981. It is a scientific service
organised by the Salesian Soci-
ety for the purposes of study
and research into the wealth
of spiritual and educational
legacy left by Don Bosco, and
developed by those who have
followed him.
As well as purposes de-
fined in the Statutes, the ISS
is called upon to continue the
half-yearly publication of the
series ‘Ricerche Storiche Sale-
siane’ and implement the deci-
sion of the 26th General Chap-
ter regarding Salesian sources,
‘Let the Rector Major and his
Council see to the publica-
tion and translation of a collec-
tion of the principal Salesian
sources.’
Istituto (religioso) ((reli-
gious) institute) Noun phrase •
In ordinary (non-juridical) ec-
clesiastical language, a generic
reference to religious congre-
gations and societies without
vows whose members are lay
people.
‘Institute’ is the more gen-
eral term used in Canon Law
applied to groups formed
around a particular charism.
Synonymous terms are ‘insti-
tutes of consecrated life’, ‘re-
ligious orders’, ‘religious con-
gregations’.
An ‘Order’ is, technically, a
group taking solemn vows. A
Congregation’s members take
simple vows.
Usage: The Salesian Sisters
(FMA) normally refer to them-
selves as an Institute. SDB’s
more often than not call them-
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IUS
IUS
selves a Society or a Congrega-
tion.
Linguistic note: In addition
to the term ‘religious institute’,
expect to find, in Salesian us-
age:
* istituto clericale or ‘clerical
institute’, a term taken directly
from Canon Law. indicating
that the service of government
of the community, in the Insti-
tute’s tradition, is entrusted at
all levels to a confrere who is a
priest;
* istituto di diritto pontificio
or ’institute of pontifical right’,
which gives the society an ex-
emption, which is not to be
seen in negative terms as ‘not’
being responsible to the local
ordinary, but in positive terms
as fostering the unity of the
Congregation worldwide. It
also underlines our availabil-
ity of service to the universal
Church.
* istituto magistrale or
‘teachers college’.
* istituto Ratisbonne or
‘Ratisbonne Institute’, Sal-
esian seminary and study cen-
tre in Jerusalem which used
to be located at Cremisan
near Bethlehem. Often we
see ‘Salesian Monastery Ratis-
bonne’ in the official title – this
is to fulfil Israeli law regarding
its financial status.
* Istituto Salesiano per le
Missioni or ‘Salesian Missions
Institute’, the juridical entity
known as the Istituto Sale-
siano per le Missioni (Salesian
Missions Institute), located
at Turin-Valdocco, Via Maria
Ausiliatrice no. 32, was the
wish of Bl. Philip Rinaldi, 3rd
Successor of Don Bosco.
* Istituto Secolare or ‘Secu-
lar Institute’. Amongst the
many possible forms of Re-
ligious Life in the Church,
the Secular Institute is a con-
temporary form.Part of Conse-
crated Life, members of a Sec-
ular Institute profess the evan-
gelical counsels discretely, al-
most in hidden fashion by con-
trast with the visible manner
of Religious profession.
Istituto Storico Salesiano ISS
or ‘Salesian Historical Insti-
tute’.
IUS
(IUS Salesian
Institutes for Higher Educa-
tion ) Acronym • The term
stands for study centres such
as the colleges, or centres
for higher studies that are
guided and administrated by
the Salesian Congregation (the
Salesians of St John Bosco)
around the world: 30 centres
in 18 American, Asian and Eu-
ropean countries. IUS does
not include all the other uni-
versity academic Salesian cen-
tres that are specifically meant
for the ecclesiastical formation
(philosophy and theology) of
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IUS
members of the Salesian Con-
gregation.
Linguistic note: IUS was
simply an acronym until 2001
when, until then, it was the
acronym for Istituzioni Uni-
versitarie Salesiane. The let-
ters have been retained, but
the preferred expanded term
IUS
no longer directly relates to
them acronymically, at least in
English, and the term is now
officially stated in its English
version rather than in Italian.
This phenomenon of retaining
an initialism but changing the
meaning behind it can also be
found in ANS.
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10.1 Page 91

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JTM
JTM
J
JTM Jóvenes del Tercer
Mundo (JTM Jóvenes del
Tercer Mundo) Proper name
• Jóvenes del Tercer Mundo
(JTM) is an NGO committed to
the education of youth in less
developed countries through
cooperation projects influenc-
ing integral formation.
Means ‘youth of the third
world’. Officially recognised
by the Interior Ministry since
December 1988, the centenary
of the death of Don Bosco.
Today it has numerous lo-
cal centres, spread through-
out the Salesian provinces in
Spain.The Headquarters is in
Madrid. From there it or-
ganises campaigns of support
and fosters a Christian com-
mitment in a serious struggle
against the causes of poverty
and social marginalisation in
the world. JTM is recognised
as one of the major Mission Of-
fices for the Salesian Society,
working in collaboration with
the Centre in Rome.
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K
(No entries as yet) •
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Laico
Laico
L
Laico
(lay (person))
Noun • (1) In contrast to ec-
clesial or religious (as in ‘lay
power’ contrasted with ‘reli-
gious power’. (2) The iden-
tity of the Christian without
any further additions. That
which pertains to the Christian
people.
In the 19th century and
for a good part of the
20th, throughout the Western
world, the concept of ‘lay’ had
a strong accusatory character
in reference to Church and re-
ligious symbols. This ‘lay’ ten-
dency was especially marked
in France and is still very
much present in the French
legal system and culture.
Within the ecclesiastical
context, ‘lay’ includes women
and men religious who are not
priests (not part of the hierar-
chical structure, therefore). In
this case it is a positive con-
cept, and enables us to speak
of lay consecrated, the layper-
son who has marked him or
herself in relation to God by a
public or ritual act (consecra-
tion).
It is worthy of note that
this term was used by Don
Bosco himself, e.g. in the first
constitutional text 1858 on the
scope of the society.It predates
the term coadjutor and in fact
in that text is more a refer-
ence to what Don Bosco called
his salesiani esterni (lay people
living in the world with his
spirit) than it is to coadjutors.
Within the ecclesiastical
context, ‘lay’ includes women
and men religious who are not
priests (not part of the hierar-
chical structure, therefore). In
this case it is a positive con-
cept, and enables us to speak
of lay consecrated, the layper-
son who has marked him or
herself in relation to God by
a public or ritual act (conse-
cration, but see also con-
sacrazione for a correct under-
standing of this term).
Usage: There is also a con-
cept of laïcité (French), laic-
ità (Italian), occasionally ren-
dered in English as ‘laicity’.
This English term is not a
happy one! English may pre-
fer ‘lay state’ but this would
not capture the sense of the
word as used by Fr Viganò for
example. Hence, we have to
stay with ‘laicity’. Fr Viganò
offers three levels of mean-
ing to the term – the most
general being that of the uni-
versal condition of creation,
a second level being that of
the Church’s mission, and the
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Laicus (L)
Letture Cattoliche
third as a lay form of religious
life, the Salesian Brother.
The problem here is that
the concept (as understood
from French society in partic-
ular) is more understood in
terms of separation of Church
and State, so its application
in the ecclesiastical (and Sal-
esian) context is a very re-
stricted one and would not
be well understood even by
many Salesians. In this context
the word ‘secularnmay be bet-
ter understood. See also Coa-
diutore.
Laicus (L) [la] (Brother,
Coadjutor) Noun • Term used
in the Year Book.
Lavoro e temperanza
(work and temperance) Idiom,
Motto • Motto of the Salesian
Society, originally expressed
in Latin as labor et temperantia.
Don Bosco called it la parola
d’ordine e il distintivo del sale-
siano (MB XII, 466) i.e. the
term which is most distinctive
of the Salesian, his badge, if
you like.
In contemporary Salesian
discourse it belongs to the
wider notion of asceticism
and the exercise of apostolic
charity, which requires de-
tachment, renunciation, sac-
rifice.An entire Constitution
(C. 18 of the SDB Constitu-
tions) is devoted to the con-
cept, in which it speaks of ‘tire-
less work’ and the ‘strength
to control his heart, to mas-
ter himself and remain even-
tempered’. The Charter of
identity speaks of an asceti-
cism of humility, of mortifica-
tion, of courage and patience,
and even of complete aban-
donment to God.
Lectio divina [la] (lectio
divina) Noun phrase • The term
is not usually translated. It lit-
erally means ‘divine reading’.
It has a long pedigree in the
Church’s experience.
The term refers in partic-
ular to a way of reading the
Word of God (hence the ‘div-
ina’) directly or via commen-
taries. Lectio divina has more
recently been encouraged in
Salesian spirituality, especially
by Fr Chávez.
Lettere
dimissoriali
(dimissorial letters) Noun
phrase • Letter from a Bishop
or Major Superior to the or-
daining Bishop of candidate
for ordination, giving the go-
ahead for the ordination.
Lettorato (Ministry of
Reader, Reader, Lector) Noun •
Note that English does not at-
tempt to call it ‘lectorate’. The
one who takes on this ministry
is ’Reader’. See also Accoli-
tato.
Letture
Cattoliche
(Catholic Readings) Proper
name • A periodical publica-
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Libellus supplex
tion of small books written for
common people, of an apolo-
getic nature, and published by
Don Bosco.
The Catholic Readings
were really the initiative of
Bishop Luigi Moreno of Ivrea,
but he saw Don Bosco as
the man who could carry the
project forward, as was in fact
the case. It began publication
in March 1853.
Libellus supplex [la] (li-
bellus supplex) Noun phrase
• The Libellus is the written
request with which the Pos-
tulator, in the name of the
petitioner, officially asks the
competent Bishop to initiate
the cause on the virtues or
the martydrom of the Servant
Luoghi salesiani
of God (Instruction Sanctorum
Mater, 2007). Also called Sup-
plex libellus. See also Positio,
Transunto.
Logo (logo) Noun • Not
to be confused with the stemma
or Salesian coat of arms.The
logo is of the General Admin-
istration, even though it has
now been adopted far more
widely as a general Salesian
logo. It is a combination of the
German and Brazilian Salesian
logos. See also Stemma.
Luoghi salesiani (Sal-
esian (holy) places) Noun
phrase • A reference to the ar-
eas where Don Bosco was born
and grew up and ministered –
Colle, Chieri, Turin etc.
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Maestro dei novizi
M
Martirio
Maestro dei novizi (Di-
rector of novices, Master of
Novices, Novice Master, Direc-
tor of novices) Noun phrase •
Officially novice director or di-
rector of novices (may be cap-
italised, does not need to be),
but people still commonly re-
fer to the novice master.
Madonna (Our Lady,
The Virgin Mary) Noun • A
favourite term of Don Bosco’s,
which continues to our own
time, for Mary.
Linguistic note: In origin,
the term was used in Italian
(before Don Bosco’s time) to
mean what today is Signora, or
a polite reference to a lady. To-
day it is always seen in refer-
ence to Mary. It will often be
simply ‘Our Lady’ in English,
or it may remain untranslated.
Mamma
Margherita
(Mamma Margaret) Proper
name • Mother of St John
Bosco and regarded as the
originator of the Salesian fam-
ily spirit.
It is important not to gen-
eralise the term family spirit
which each Congregation lays
claim to, but to retain the his-
torical individuality of the Sal-
esian family spirit as experi-
enced with Mamma Margaret
at Valdocco, as it is one of the
fundamentals behind loving-
kindness in the Preventive Sys-
tem.
Usage: We may find a
spelling variant in English,
where some use ‘Mama’ in-
stead of ‘Mamma’
Mandamento
(Dis-
trict or administrative divi-
sion) Proper name • The Sardo-
Piedmontese Kingdom at the
time of Don Bosco was made
up of Divisioni (correspond-
ing to the French Départ-
ments); every Divisione was
divided into a Provincia; ev-
ery Provincia was divided into
Mandamenti, and every Man-
damento was divided into Co-
muni. For example: Piedmont
was made up of 5 Divisioni
(Turin, Novara, Alessandria,
Cuneo, Nizz Mare): The Di-
visione of Turin was made up
of 5 Provincie (Turin, Aosta,
Biella, Ivrea, Pinerolo, Susa);
the Provincia of Turin was
made up of 30 Mandamenti.
Each Mandamento had its own
judge.
Martirio (martyrdom)
Noun • (1) General: the state
of one who endures suffering
and death on behalf of belief,
principle, a cause.
(2) “Martyrdom is not
something that takes place on
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Mazzarello, Maria Domenica
Memorie Biografiche MB
the spur of the moment” (Pius
XII, AAS 32 1950, p. 958). “It is
not brought about by the exe-
cutioner but is a grace worked
by the Spirit. Martyrdom is a
vocation and is prepared for
in mysterious fashion by the
whole of life.” (Fr Vecchi, AGC
368).
Mazzarello,
Maria
Domenica
(Mazzarello,
Mary Domenica) Proper name
• Co-foundress of the Daugh-
ters of Mary Help of Chris-
tians with Don Bosco.
1837-1854. Co-foundress of
the Daughters of Mary Help
of Christians with Don Bosco.
Canonised 24th June 1951. In
1981 on the centenary of St
Mary Mazzarello, Fr Vigano
wrote a special letter called
‘Rediscovering the Spirit of
Mornese’.
Usage: We usually Angli-
cise the first name only, Mary.
The term often appears in
its Italian form entirely, and
Maria Domenica is the form
with which most people refer
to her when using Christian
name only.
The term ‘Mother’ is ap-
plied usually to her and to
other superiors (provincials
and those at world adminis-
tration level). Today many
women religious prefer not to
use the term ‘Mother’, but it is
still used for the Superior Gen-
eral of the Salesian Sisters at
least. See also FMA Figlie di
Maria Ausiliatrice.
Memorie Biografiche MB
(Biographical Memoirs BM)
Proper name • An expanded bi-
ographical narrative concern-
ing Don Bosco, written in a
fairly chronological order and
amply documented. (Cf Lenti,
Don Bosco History and Spirit Vol
1, p. 89).
One of Don Bosco’s biog-
raphers, Fr Lemoyne, had be-
gun creating a reservoir of doc-
umentation (known as the Doc-
umenti).
He then shifted, probably
with the encouragement of Fr
Rua, to a further compilation,
ordered as a continuous narra-
tive, offering a coherent inter-
pretation of Don Bosco’s life,
work and spirit as Founder.
The first 8 volumes (there
are 19) appeared between 1898
and 1912. Fr Lemoyne’s ninth
volume was published posthu-
mously in 1917. The tenth vol-
ume was entrusted to Fr An-
gelo Amadei. Fr Eugene Ce-
ria completed volumes 11-19
in 1939.
In Lenti’s words, Lemoyne
and his successors “have pro-
duced an edifying and faithful
story for the Salesian Family.”
But it is not a critical biogra-
phy.
Memorie dell’Oratorio
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Memorie dell’Oratorio MO
Mensa
MO (Memoirs of the Ora-
tory MO) Proper name • Full
title: Memoirs of the Oratory of
st Francis de Sales.
“Therefore I am now
putting into writing those
confidential details that may
somehow serve as a light or be
of use to the work which Di-
vine Providence has entrusted
to the Society of St Francis de
Sales. . . Now what purpose
can this chronicle serve? It
will be a record to help people
overcome problems that may
come in the future by learning
from the past. It will serve
to make known how God
himself has always been our
guide. It will give my sons
some entertainment to be able
to read about their father’s ad-
ventures. . . ” (Don Bosco, in
his preface to the MO).
Internal evidence suggests
they were written between
1873 and 1875, the rest later
but by 1877. Don Bosco for-
bade publication of the work
and wrote that it was exclu-
sively for members of the Sal-
esian Society, but he must
have realised it would need
to be published – at least
for them, and gave permis-
sion anyway for Fr Giovanni
Bonetti to make use of parts
of it for his serialised ‘History
of the Oratory’ in the Salesian
Bulletin from January 1879 on-
wards.
Is it an autobiography?
Not formally. Don Bosco knew
that the story of the Oratory
could not be told without his
own story. Hence he begins
from his own childhood. As Fr
Lenti describes it, the MO “are
to be understood as the prod-
uct of a Founder’s concerns in
a period of consolidation of,
and reflection on, his work.”
(Don Bosco: History and Spirit
Vol 1 . 132).
The MO spans three peri-
ods, three decades. Despite
the third decade concluding in
1855, MO in fact ends with
1854 when, according to Don
Bosco’s own words, a new
story began which, if written
down, might have been enti-
tled, ‘Memoirs of the Society
of St Francis de Sales’. There is
other evidence that Don Bosco
actually saw 1854 as a divid-
ing point in the saga of the
founding.
The MO are historical but
at the same time not! They
might be regarded more in
terms of parable and metahis-
tory. The work of Fr Aldo Gi-
raudo in this understanding of
the MO is a significant contri-
bution.
Mensa (annual stipend)
Noun • Annual stipend that
the State paid to the bishop of
a diocese.
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MGS
Missione
The Mensa funding came
from large vacant ecclesias-
tical benefices (lands of an-
cient abbeys that had been
suppressed and were admin-
istered by the Economato eccle-
siastico, a body dependent on
the Ministero dei culti, di grazia
e di giustizia.
We find reference to this
Mensa in Don Bosco’s involve-
ment in the question of the exe-
quatur, that is, the government
approval for appointment of
a bishop, that gave the ap-
pointee access to the temporal-
ità (glossed as ‘temporalities’
in English), or in other words
allowed him to legally enter
into possession of his episco-
pal see and gain the mensa or
stipend.
MGS Movimento Gio-
vanile Salesiano
(SYM
Salesian Youth Movement)
Acronym, Proper name • Made
up of groups and associations
who recognise themselves in
and are raised in Don Bosco’s
and Mother Mazzarello’s Sal-
esian spirituality and peda-
gogy.
While maintaining their in-
dividual organisational struc-
ture in practice, together they
ensure an educational pres-
ence of quality, especially
in new areas where young
people socialise. The SYM
is a movement of ‘youth
for youth’, defined by refer-
ence to a common spiritual-
ity and communication be-
tween groups which ensures
that messages and values are
shared. It brings together
young people who can be very
different from one another in
spiritual terms – from those
for whom spirituality is a seed
yet to sprout to those who con-
sciously and explicitly accept
the invitation to Salesian apos-
tolic involvement. See also
the Youth Ministry Glossary at
the end of this dictionary.
Minervale (minerval)
Noun • The fee or levy that
every pupil had to pay at the
beginning of the school year.
While long gone in Italy, the
Minerval is still paid in France
and Belgium at university or
private schools.
Missione (mission) Noun
• In 1971, the Special General
Chapter explained the new
use of the term: “Why ‘mis-
sion’ rather than ‘purpose’?
The Church adopts the term
when speaking of its mys-
tery. . . to speak of the ‘mission
of the Salesians’ means high-
lighting from the beginning
the sense of their vocation and
presence in the Church. God
calls and sends them for a
specific service in the Church"
(Acts of the SGC no. 23).
The fundamental meaning
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Missione
Missione
of ‘mission’ comes from its
Latin root, missio, or ‘sending’,
and even while this would
have been appreciated by Don
Bosco in his time, the only way
he would have understood the
term would have been in the
sense we so often find him re-
ferring to it – foreign missions,
activity to convert benighted
savages, such was the theolog-
ical understanding of the day.
Until 1972 the Salesian
Constitutions spoke only of
‘foreign missions’. By the
time the renewed Constitu-
tions were published in 1984,
we learn that ‘the mission sets
the tenor of our whole life’
(C. 3). After the Second Vati-
can Council the Church came
to appreciate mission and mis-
sions as something to be seen
within the mystery of the
Church.
Mission today is now fur-
ther specified by speaking of
ad gentes (to the people (the
old foreign missions) or inter
gentes (the idea of incultura-
tion of faith in another cul-
ture).
Linguistic note: Note that
the term can be used adjecti-
vally, as in ‘mission territory’.
The Salesian mission can
be specified more directly by
speaking of ‘the mission to the
young’ (missione giovanile) or
‘our educational mission’ (mis-
sione educativa). Those who
work with us, including laity,
are referred to as correspons-
abili nella missione, those who
share our mission, as ‘mission
partners’, ‘lay mission part-
ners’. We also speak of the
‘common mission’ (missione co-
mune). The expression is
found frequently in the Sal-
esian Constitutions (e.g. C. 44)
where it refers to that which
calls on our complementary
and shared activity in achiev-
ing a common purpose. The
common mission is the basis
of pastoral planning in Chris-
tian life, either at the level of
diocese or parish or in the case
of a particular group with a
particular shared mission (e.g.
Salesian Family, the Salesian
educative community. . . ).
A further issue to note
is that the concept is of-
ten expressed as pastorale (in
Italian), hence pastorale gio-
vanile (youth ministry) for ex-
ample. In some Salesian doc-
uments, even in English we
find this term appearing as a
calque, that is simply brought
into English as if it were a
noun. ‘Pastoral’ can be a noun
in English but only with a very
different meaning: a poem,
play, or the like, dealing with
the life of shepherds, or sim-
ple rural life. Trying to force
a restricted religious meaning
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Missioni
onto that is not the best way to
go.
Missioni
(Missions)
Noun (pl) • Missions are those
“particular undertakings by
which the heralds of the
Gospel, sent out by the Church
and going forth into the whole
world, carry out the task of
preaching the Gospel and
planting the Church among
peoples or groups who do not
yet believe in Christ. . . The
proper purpose of this mis-
sionary activity is evangeliza-
tion” (Ad Gentes, no. 6). See
also Ad gentes.
Monsignore
(Bishop,
Monsignor (in context)) Proper
name • A title given to the
popes, kings and emperors,
and in France, to heirs to
the throne and certain princes.
From the 14th century until
1630, Cardinals had this title
and now it is given to patri-
archs, bishops, mitred abbots,
and all prelates of the papal
family.
Usage: In English ecclesias-
tical terminology a monsignor
is not a bishop but a domestic
prelate. It is better, therefore,
MSMHC
not to confuse the terms and
to refer to a bishop as a bishop
not as a monsignor.
In Italian, all bishops and
archbishops (and presumably
domestic prelates too) are
called monsignori. There is no
need to transfer this nomencla-
ture to English. The abbreiva-
tion in English can be Mgr or
Msgr but not Mons.
MSMHC
(Mission-
ary Sisters of Mary Help of
Christians) Acronym • Reli-
gious Congregation of Pontif-
ical Right, founded by Bishop
Stephen Ferrando SDB in
North East India in 1942. “The
Congregation devotes itself
firstly and especially to the
missionary apostolate, there-
fore evangelisation and reli-
gious education, especially of
women and children from the
villages will always be a prior-
ity amongst the apostolic and
charitable tasks of the Mission-
ary Sisters.”
The Congregation became
a Pontifical Institute on 21
March 1977. It was officially
recognised as belonging to the
Salesian Family on 8 July 1986.
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NANUM
Notiziario (ispettoriale)
N
NANUM (NANUM (Ko-
rean for ’sharing’)) Proper name
• Aside from mission project
fundraising, ’NANUM’ (in Ko-
rean ’Sharing’) Seoul Mission
Office is involved in mission-
ary animation, works closely
with the Provincial Delegate
for Mission Animation, and
promotes knowledge of the
missions on social media.
The Mission Office is work-
ing closely with the ‘Fr John
Lee Memorial Foundation’
that was begun after the
death of Fr John Lee, Sal-
esian missionary to South Su-
dan, on 10 January 2010, to
help the South Sudan mis-
sion. NANUM, which be-
gan with a simple focus on
SDB missionaries, is now also
open to Salesian Mission as-
sistance beyond this ‘original
destination’: Uganda, Kenya,
Malawi and Zambia, Mongo-
lia, Bangladesh, Cambodia,
Philippines, Vietnam, Peru
and East Timor.
Necrologio (necrology)
Noun • A list of persons who
have died within a certain pe-
riod of time, in the case of the
Salesians, from 1859 onwards.
The list is read out (tradi-
tionally it was daily) or oth-
erwise provided for each com-
munity (very often in digital
form these days and made
available for perusal by the
community).
Notaio (notary) Noun
• Someone who takes notes
during an address, in pri-
vate and public administra-
tion (also functions as secre-
tary). The legal recognition
of the role means that docu-
ments such as contracts that
he draws up have an official
status. One of the roles of
the provincial secretary. See
also Attuario, Cancelliere.
Notiziario (ispettoriale)
([Provincial] newsletter) Noun
• First formally encouraged af-
ter the Special General Chap-
ter, the province (or provin-
cial) newsletter is now more
than encouraged: it is virtu-
ally obligated as one amongst
many elements of the Sal-
esian Social Communication
System. The expectation is
that it becomes a planned
item within the province’s
overall plan. The Provincial
Newsletter is primarily in-
tended to enable an exchange
of news within the province.
Note the distinction between
the Provincialns (news)letter
(analogous to the RMns Let-
ter) and the Province Newslet-
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Nucleo animatore
Nuova evangelizzazione
ter. The former is normally
addressed to the confreres
while the latter provides in-
formation about the commu-
nities and their activities (usu-
ally provided by local corre-
spondents and possibly co-
ordinated centrally) and other
news from the Province for
more general consumption.
Usage: It was once a paper
item but in many if not most
instances now is digital.
Nucleo animatore (an-
imating core) Noun phrase •
A group of individuals who
identify with the Salesian mis-
sion, educational system and
spirituality and jointly take on
the task of calling together,
motivating, involving every-
one concerned with a work,
making up the educative com-
munity together with them
and carrying out a project of
evangelisation and education
of the young.
Although the current Reg,
5 speaks of the Salesian com-
munity as the animating nu-
cleus of the educative pastoral
community, the religious com-
munity, as the point of charis-
matic reference (cf. GC25,
nos.78-81) is not the complete
animating core in itself but one
of its integral parts; indeed it
needs to be capable of an ex-
panding dynamic which finds
various ways and means of in-
volving everyone who wishes
to contribute to the Salesian
work. There is only one an-
imating core for the entire
work, since it is not a ‘gov-
erning structure’ in itself. It
can coincide with the Coun-
cil of the Work and/or the
EPC Council, depending on
the complexity of the work
and the various sectors. See
also the Youth Ministry Glos-
sary at the end of this dictio-
nary.
Nuova evangelizzazione
(new evangelisation) Noun
phrase • Redemptoris Missio no.
33: “. . . where entire groups
of the baptised have lost a liv-
ing sense of the faith, or even
no longer consider themselves
members of the Church, and
live a life far removed from
Christ and his Gospel. In
this case what is needed is a
mnew evangelisation’ or a mre-
evangelisation.”’
Often attributed to Pope
John Paul II as one of the char-
acteristic terms of his pontif-
icate, that Pope actually at-
tributes the term to Pope Paul
VI in his Encyclical Evangelii
Nuntiandi.
It became a significant ec-
clesial movement through the
80’s and 90’s and was taken
up by Salesian General Chap-
ters. John Paul II first used
the phrase himself on March
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Novitius (N)
9 1983 in a speech in Port-
au-Prince, Haiti. He said the
500th anniversary of Christo-
pher Columbus required not
a re-evangelisation but a new
evangelisation. He clarified
the term in his 1990 encyclical
Redemptoris Missio, saying it re-
ferred to groups who had lost
a sense of the living faith. In
Novitius (N)
a letter of Pope John Paul II
to the Salesians, he adapts the
phrase to refer to Mary Help of
Christians as the ’Star of New
Evangelisation’.
Usage: Alternative spelling
(US): new evangelization
Novitius (N)
[la]
(Novice) Noun • Term found
in the Year Book
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Opera
Oratorio
O
Opera (work, presence,
community, setting, house)
Noun • Would not always be
glossed as ‘work’. After all at
the heart of it must be a ‘com-
munity’. Occasionally glossed
as ‘setting’. We often find it
glossed as ‘presence’.
Then there are the sev-
eral Opere (Upper case O) or
‘Works’ that are part of the
founding story of the Con-
gregation, including the very
‘Work of the Oratory’ itself,
and the ‘Work of Mary Help
of Christians’ or the ‘Sons of
Mary’. There is also the Opere
edite or published works of
Don Bosco, but here the term
refers to literature.
Linguistic note: opera is a
good example of the situa-
tion where the semantic range
of the Italian term is some-
what wider than for ‘work’ in
English. Of course, ‘work’
can be applied to an ‘apostolic
work’ in the sense of a par-
ticular mission of a commu-
nity, but perhaps the prefer-
ence would be to call it either
‘apostolic work’ or specify it
by some other term.
Oratorio (oratory, festive
oratory, youth centre, oratory-
youth centre) Noun • As de-
fined in classic Salesian terms:
‘a home, a school a church and
a playground.’
Don Bosco had before him
earlier experiences and pat-
terns in oratory work (Milan,
Rome, even Turin - Fr Coc-
chi’s Guardian Angels Ora-
tory). But his differed in im-
portant respects:
Valdocco was far from a
church, so his oratory was not
parish-based.
– Most oratories were ‘fes-
tive’, i.e. Sundays and holy
days, and then only for a short
period; he gathered the young-
sters all day, then extended
the action to day and evening
classes during the week.
– Traditional oratories
were defined from attendance
at church and in parish facil-
ities; instead the boys who
came to his oratory came
‘to spend the day with Don
Bosco’, wherever that may
happen to be.
– Traditional oratories had
selective membership; he
would have preference for the
truly poor and abandoned,
and sometimes difficult.
– Traditional oratories
gave little time to play and
recreation. For Don Bosco,
his oratory was a ‘recreation
park’.
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Organico
Organico
‘Festive oratory’ needs ad-
ditional comment: The term
implies non-working days,
weekends, long weekends and
the like. In fact, Don Bosco
took up a term already in exis-
tence – the oratory and the fes-
tive oratory already existed,
so what was the distinctive no-
tion that Don Bosco added? It
was the fact that in an Italian
parish context, the festive or-
atory was mainly for prayer,
and mainly just for an hour
or two in the morning or af-
ternoon. Don Bosco made it
play and prayer, and open
from early morning to late
evening! His oratory, then,
became truly festive as well
as being on Sundays and feast
days, the real meaning of fes-
tivo in Italian. The daily or-
atory was actually a slightly
later ‘invention’.
Usage: Would most usually
be capitalised in reference to
Valdocco.
The best description we
have of the term is to be
found in GC21 nos 121 ff.
The discussion notes that ‘or-
atory’ and ‘youth centre’ indi-
cate different realities in dif-
ferent areas, but both com-
ing from the same pedagogi-
cal intuition and spirit.It notes
that the two terms are some-
what imprecise even in norma-
tive texts.GC21 however, of-
fered its definitions: oratory
is aimed at younger children
(ragazzi), is for the most part
open to the masses with aims
and methods that are appro-
priate to this. By contrast the
youth centre is open to older
youth. But even this would
not be true in every circum-
stance.
Organico
(system-
atic, whole, overall, planned,
integral, structured) Adjective
• One among several defini-
tions for organico in Italian,
implying that something com-
prises distinct but correspond-
ing parts harmoniously ar-
ranged in view of the purpose
to which they are coordinated.
Usage: In many instances
this adjective may not need
to be translated and certainly
would be best glossed with a
term other than ‘organic’. Pos-
sible other terms are ‘struc-
tured’, ‘planned’, ‘integral’,
‘overall’.In the context of the
POI or Progetto Organico Ispet-
toriale, avoid ‘organic’ and ei-
ther gloss simply as ‘Province
Project’ or ‘Plan’, or ‘Overall
Province Plan’.
Linguistic note: organico as
‘organic’ sounds rather too
botanical in English! So, pas-
torale organico, if it were trans-
lated as ‘organic ministry’
might look as if it were an agri-
cultural venture! Instead, it is
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ONLUS
a holistic, structured, integral
ministry.
ONLUS
(ONLUS)
Acronym • An acronym in
Italian for a not-for-profit or-
ganisation, a Charity organisa-
ONLUS
tion. One might see NPO oc-
casionally, but this is problem-
atic, since NPO (nil per os= not
by mouth) is a common and
important medical acronym.
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Pareggiamento
Pastorale giovanile
P
Pareggiamento (equiva-
lent recognition) Noun • Equiv-
alent recognition of non-state
schools which ensures that
their results are considered to
be valid.
The term is usually found
in Salesian texts in reference
to the scholastic context, mean-
ing equal recognition (e.g.,
of results) between State and
Catholic schools.
Parolina
all’orecchio
(word in the ear) Noun phrase •
A simple ploy of Don Bosco’s
to pass on a word of com-
ment, encouragement or even
reproof in the midst of a game
or other activity. Now part of
tried and proven Salesian tra-
dition.
Passeggiate autunnali
(autumn walks, autumn out-
ings) Noun • Excursions or-
ganised by Don Bosco from
Valdocco to his birthplace and
surrounds, that took place
around the feast of Our Lady
of the Rosary (first Sunday of
October).
In 1848 Don Bosco began
taking a group of boys to
his birthplace at the Becchi
for the feast of Our Lady of
the Rosary, celebrated in the
chapel that he had set up in his
brother Joseph’s house with
external access. These yearly
outings (which included ex-
cursions into the country-
side around the Becchi), con-
tinued with ever-expanding
itineraries, including to Nizza
Monferrato, until 1864.
Pastorale
giovanile
(youth ministry youth aposto-
late, youth pastoral ministry)
Noun phrase • One of the key
sectors of the Salesian mission,
under the direction of a Gen-
eral Councillor.
Salesian youth ministry, as
central as it is, obviously cov-
ers very many areas. These in-
clude at least the following:
1. The Oratory and Youth
Centre: An environment of
broad acceptance, open to a
wide range of young people,
above all those most alienated.
This is achieved through a
diversity of educational and
evangelising activities charac-
terised by their focus on the
young and strong personal re-
lationships between educator
and youngster, capable of be-
coming a missionary presence
in the world of the young and
of civil society.
2. The school and Profes-
sional formation Centres for for-
mal education, inspired by
Gospel values according to the
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Pastorale giovanile
Pastorale giovanile
spirit and pedagogical style of
the Saleisans, in order to pro-
mote popular education atten-
tive to the most needy, to their
professional formation and to
accompanying their gradual
insertion into the world of
work.
3. Boarding and hostel ar-
rangements: A service for ac-
cepting young people with-
out family or who are tem-
porarily estranged from fam-
ily. Here they find personal
relationships, opportunity for
commitment and responsibil-
ity for young people in daily
life, and the life of the group
with its various formative ed-
ucative and Christian opportu-
nities.
4. A presence to the Ter-
tiary sector through institutes
of higher education inspired
by Christian values and with
a Catholic and Salesian style;
hostels and university resi-
dences, other services of pas-
toral animation at this level.
5. The parish: Characterised
by a special attention to young
people, above all to the poor-
est of them, the popular en-
vironment where it is to be
found, by the presence of a
Salesian religious community
at its animating heart, and by
activity of evangelisation and
education to faith strictly inte-
grated with the human devel-
opment of the person and the
group.
6. Social services and works
for youth-at-risk: A family at-
mosphere of acceptance and
education, animated by a com-
munity with ‘preventive’ crite-
ria according to the educative
style of Don Bosco. This is in-
spired by the Gospel and has
the aim to evangelise, open
to the transformation of real-
ities which are socially exclu-
sive and to the building of a
culture of solidarity, in collab-
oration with other social insti-
tutions.
7. Social communication:
Through education to an un-
derstanding and proper use
and utilisation of the media,
the development of the com-
municative potential of per-
sons through the new lan-
guages of music, theatre, art
etc. Formation to a critical, aes-
thetic and moral sense, promo-
tion of information and edito-
rial centres in press, radio, tele-
vision, internet etc. Finally, the
service of the Salesian educa-
tional and pastoral project.
8. Other new forms of Sal-
esian presence to the young
- The Salesian Youth Move-
ment: communion and connec-
tion between all youth groups
and associations which ac-
knowledge Salesian spiritual-
ity and pedagogy, and which
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Paternità
Patrimonio
take up an educative and
evangelising task and commit
themselves to share and coor-
dinate amongst themselves.
- The Salesian Voluntariate:
a voluntary activity commited
to the human and Salesian
development of the young,
above all the poorest of them,
and active amongst the com-
mon folk, according to the
style of Don Bosco’s Preven-
tive System and the values
of Salesian Youth Spirituality.
They carry out their activity
in view of the transformation
of society and the removal of
causes of injustice, and they
favour a community experi-
ence and the vocational devel-
opment of the volunteer.
- Services for vocational guid-
ance: meetings and centres for
vocational guidance, commu-
nities where this can occur, etc.
- Specialised services for
Christian formation: special ed-
ucation centres, houses of re-
treat and spirituality, centres
for pastoral and catechetical
formation etc.
Usage: The form ‘youth
pastoral’ is to be avoided,
since it is a calque (trans-
lated literally from Italian) and
would not be recognised eas-
ily outside Salesian circles.
English regards ‘pastoral’ as
an adjective in most instances,
and where it is a noun it refers
to things other than ministry.
Paternità (fatherliness)
Noun • This term is a ‘false
friend’ inasmuch as it should
not normally (unless context
were to suggest otherwise) be
glossed as ‘paternity’. In Sal-
esian discourse it pretty much
always refers to the attitude
of fatherliness which is part
of the Salesian spirit inherited
from Don Bosco.
It was a favourite term
of Fr. Rinaldi, who had
been a Superior for something
like 48 years, so naturally
enough saw Don Bosco’s qual-
ities through that prism.The
saying goes: Don Rua – la Re-
gola, Don Albera – la Pietà, Don
Rinaldi – la Paternità. Don Ri-
caldone – il Lavoro i.e. Don
Rua – the Rule, Don Albera –
Piety, Don Rinaldi – Fatherli-
ness. Don Ricaldone – Work.
Patrimonio
(heritage,
legacy, patrimony) Noun • In
English, the term‘patrimony’
is more often applied in a
canonical sense to material
goods (including land, build-
ings) of an Institute or House.
When we meet the term
in Salesian literature in Italian,
however, it almost always
means ‘heritage’ in the broad
sense of values, charism. . .
Hence we find: spiritual her-
itage, heritage of values, of
Saleisan holiness, precious Sal-
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PDO
PEPS
esian inheritance (or heritage),
cultural heritage etc. Patrimo-
nio-patrimony, then is a ‘false
friend’ to be wary of in transla-
tion.
PDO (Planning and De-
velopment Office) Acronym •
The PDO (Planning and De-
velopment Office) is an entity,
juridical or otherwise, insti-
tuted by the Salesian Provin-
cial Community, fully at the
service of the Salesian charism
in the province.
The PDO participates in
the restructuring, re-shaping
and re-dimensioning of the
Salesian works. It serves as
a link, a bridge, between the
consecrated Salesians and civil
society in the work of pro-
moting youth development
and empowerment, justice,
and holistic human develop-
ment. It is recognised in
the province’s Directory with
due approval of the Provincial
Chapter.
Not every province has a
PDO, and the PDO is not
the same as a Mission Of-
fice (sometimes, though in-
nacurately in linguistic terms,
called a ‘Procure’). The PDO
assists in the process of the
drafting, elaborating, imple-
menting and evaluating of the
Overall Provincial Plan (OPP)
and the Salesian Educative
Pastoral Plan (SEPP) ensuring
its sustainability. It under-
takes research in the field of
children and youth to continu-
ously make relevant the plans
and programs of the province.
PEPS Progetto educativo-
pastorale salesiano (SEPP
Salesian Educative and Pas-
toral Plan. Sometimes known
as EPP, without the ’Salesian’.)
Acronym, Noun phrase • A ba-
sis for planning and evalu-
ating works chosen in line
with the Congregation’s ba-
sic options: oratories, youth
centres, schools, centres for
young workers, parishes, mis-
sions, which involves objec-
tives, methods, features with
due regard to geographical
and cultural differences (Cf.
GC21 no. 105).
There is also the PEPS ispet-
toriale or Provincial level EPP
(or SEPP). It defines proce-
dures in the Province and indi-
cates objectives, strategies and
common educative and pas-
toral action guidelines which
align the pastoral activity of all
works, sectors and pastoral an-
imation settings. It serves as
a point of reference for their
planning and as an educative
and pastoral evaluation tool
over this period.
Since its inception in 1978,
the EPP (or Salesian Educa-
tive and Pastoral Plan/Project
SEPP, another variant) has
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Pericolante
Personal media
played a vital part in the Con-
gregation’s planning mental-
ity. The EPP was codified in
the Regulations in 1984 (R. 4).
Linguistic note: Be it the
SEPP, the OPP, the PDO (and
any range of acronyms, usu-
ally with ‘P’ in them, they
are tied into the concept ex-
pressed in Italian as progettual-
ità or ’planning mentality’ in
English. This planning men-
tality is ‘A progressive pro-
cess towards concrete and veri-
fiable objectives, with clear op-
tions regarding priorities and
orders of sequence’(Chávez,
AGC 407) See also the Youth
Ministry Glossary at the end of
this dictionary.
Pericolante
(at risk)
Adjective • Someone (or some-
thing) at risk, about to fall.
When Don Bosco first used
the term to describe a certain
group of young people there
was a decidedly negative reac-
tion. But he means those who
are at risk of becoming anti-
social because neglected. He
occasionally extended the ref-
erence to pericolanti e pericolosi,
meaning not only at risk but of
risk to others!
Personal media
(Per-
sonal media) Noun phrase • An
emerging digital communica-
tions media, incorporating in-
teractivity in its design, and
allowing users not only to
consume media products, but
also to create them, (Shiregu
Miyagawa, professor of lin-
guistics and communication at
the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology). We could proba-
bly say today that it has fully
emerged!
The term was introduced
into Salesian discourse by
GC26. In fact it came from
the floor during a discussion
on social communication, and
was offered by a German
Chapter representative. The
term then found its way into
the Chapter documents in a
somewhat negative comment:
La cultura della personal me-
dia può compromettere la mat-
urazione della capacità di re-
lazione. The culture of personal
media can compromise the devel-
opment of an ability to relate.
In the light of the definition
offered above however, the
discussion of personal media
as a formation theme should
not be limited to its negative
effects, but might objectively
consider several other factors:
creativity, and the fact that hu-
man beings with access to per-
sonal digital devices are now
creators. And perhaps the
most significant issue here is
to ask what personal media
are in function of. They are in
function of social media. The
term, as employed at GC26,
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Pia (Società)
POI
was occasionally extended by
reference to ‘personal and con-
vergent media’. See also So-
cial communication SSCS in the
Glossaries at the end of the dic-
tionary.
Pia (Società) (Pious (So-
ciety)) Adjective • The term col-
locates most typically with So-
cietà as in Pia Società or the
full term La Pia Società Sale-
siana. It was dropped from
any official reference to the
Salesian Society from 1926 on-
wards, given that by this time
‘society’ was not considered to
give any cause for wrong inter-
pretation. Don Bosco used to
add it in to make it clear that
his ‘society’ was not one of po-
litical or even of secret lean-
ings, but a society interested
only in good. The Superior
Chapter in 1925 decided that
Pia would be attached only to
the Pia Unione dei Cooperatori
Salesiani.
Piccolo clero (Compagnia
del)
(Altar Boys Soci-
ety) Noun phrase • Akin to
the Blessed Sacrament Sodal-
ity and almost a section of
it, the Altar Boys Society was
founded on 2 February 1858,
among students, by Seminar-
ian Joseph Bongiovanni. Its
purpose was to ensure that re-
ligious services were properly
performed and to foster voca-
tions to the priesthood among
the better students. “It was
dedicated to the service of the
altar on the feast of the Purifi-
cation of Mary.”
Linguistic note: These days,
the Italian term for ‘altar
boy’ has altered slightly to
chierichetto.
POI Progetto Organico
Ispettoriale
(OPP Over-
all Provincial Plan, Provincial
Plan, Structural Plan, Strategic
Plan) Acronym, Noun phrase •
The strategic plan for the ani-
mation and government of the
province, which takes an over-
all view of its life and mission
and presents the fundamental
choices that ought guide its or-
ganisation.
Usage: Philippines North
Province tends to use SPP
(Strategic Provincial Plan)
rather than OPP. Other
English-speaking provinces
may well also use other terms.
Linguistic note: The adjec-
tive ‘organic’ in English does
not sit well with the gen-
eral English-speaking popu-
lation. The term ‘Organic
Provincial Plan’ is a calque,
an item taken directly from
its source language (it) and
brought into English without
much thought to its meaning.
‘organic’ certainly conveys the
idea of structure and system-
atic arrangement. But it is
more likely to evoke the no-
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Positio
Povero e abbandonato
tion of biology and organic
compounds or even compost
heaps!
See also the Youth Min-
istry Glossary at the end of this
dictionary.
Positio (dossier) Noun
• A positio (Positio super Vir-
tutibus) is a document or col-
lection of documents used in
the process by which a per-
son is declared venerable, the
second of the four steps on
the path to canonisation as a
saint. It collects the evidence
obtained by a diocesan in-
quiry into a candidate’s heroic
virtues in a form suitable for
presentation to the Congrega-
tion for the Causes of Saints.
Upon presentation, the positio
is examined by a committee of
expert historians and theolo-
gians, and if they find the evi-
dence presented suitable, they
may then make a recommen-
dation to the Pope that the can-
didate be declared Venerable.
Usage: In his Don Bosco His-
tory and Spirit series, Arthur
Lenti calls it a ‘docket’. See
also Libellus supplex, Transunto.
Postulatore
Generale
(Postulator General) Noun
phrase • In Canon Law, the
ecclesiastical, and the consisto-
rial lawyer, who deals with
a cause of beatification and
canonisation in the competent
court, so called because he
‘postulates’, that is, asks for
the proclamation of the candi-
date as blessed or saint. In the
Salesian case, the Postulator
General is nominated by the
Rector Major.
Povero e abbandonato
(poor and abandoned) Noun
phrase • An expression typical
of Don Bosco which refers to
any kind of poverty: physical,
economic, spiritual cultural,
at its broadest. They may be
young people up to 25 years of
age, but mostly between 12-20.
In fact, Don Bosco’s definitive
vocational option.
Linguistic note: Don Bosco
History and Spirit Vol 4. In the
chapter on ‘Purpose’, the term
occurs in various grammatical
forms: The Latin forms pau-
peres, pauperiores, pauperrimi
(Italian poveri, più poveri, i più
poveri/poverssimi) constitute a
system having a twofold se-
mantic value.
These forms may be used
either in an ‘asbolute’ fashion
as quantifiers, or in a ‘rela-
tive’ fashion as classifiers. As
quantifiers they express the
quantity or intensity of a per-
son’s poverty ‘absolutely’, that
is without comparison to the
poverty of other persons. As
quantifiers the three forms ex-
press degrees of poverty by
reference to a social standard.
As classifiers the three forms
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Povertà
Povertà
express degrees of poverty in
relation to a person or group.
(where ‘poorer’ might mean
‘less well off’). ‘poor, poorer,
poorest’ in the chapter on ‘Pur-
pose’, and indeed throughout
the Constitutions, are used as
quantifiers, not as classifiers.
It was not Don Bosco’s inten-
tion to classify young people
by the criterion of poverty and
to choose the poorest of all to
the exclusion of others. See
also Abbandonato.
Povertà (poverty, sol-
idarity with the poor, pref-
erential choice for the most
needy, reesponsible manage-
ment of resources) Noun • 1:
the state of one who lacks
a usual or socially acceptable
amount of money or material
possessions. 2: voluntary re-
nunciation, as a member of a
religious order, of the right as
an individual to own property,
usually expressed as a vow.
3: an evangelical counsel, thus
‘evangelical poverty’.
All three meanings above
are particularly relevant for
Salesian life, since Salesians
more often than not and by
preference, live amongst the
world’s poor. But it is the third
meaning which comes most to
the fore in Salesian discourse
today.
The problem begins when
we have to explain what poor
and poverty mean – these are
quite elastic terms in our lan-
guages today, with implica-
tions not only economic and
social but psychological, cul-
tural. From Don Bosco him-
self, we retain in the re-
newed Constitutions the fol-
lowing reference: that we “fol-
low the Saviour who was born
in poverty. . . ”, in other words,
Don Bosco begins with a reflec-
tion on evangelical poverty,
and this is the term we use
most often today when speak-
ing of the vow of poverty.
Cardinal Raul Silva Hen-
riquez SDB, famously com-
mented at Vatican II on evan-
gelical poverty (fruit of grace)
and socio-economic poverty
(fruit of sin).
The theme of evangelical
poverty became central to the
26th General Chapter, where it
was closely linked to the cetera
tolle of da mihi animas cetera
tolle: “The detachment from
everything that makes us in-
sensitive to God and hinders
the mission.”
There are any number of
current terms which are effec-
tively synonymous with evan-
gelical poverty and which we
find in contemporary Salesian
literature: solidarity with the
poor, preferential choice for
the most needy, reesponsible
management of resources
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Progetto
Progetto personale di vita
Progetto (project, plan)
Noun • (1) An idea, mostly ac-
companied by a study relating
to the possibilities of realising
this idea in practice. (2) An ac-
tual plan.
In Salesian discourse, espe-
cially in Italian, there is a wide
variety of ‘projects’, drawing
substantially from the first def-
inition indicated above, i.e.
the emphasis on an idea pos-
sibly accompanied by plans
for its realisation. But there
are also much more concrete
plans. Certainly in English we
need to determine which of
the two definitions we are re-
ally talking about, in context.
Usage: It has to be said that
the English language prefers
to emphasise the second defi-
nition – the concrete plan, and
in fact to use the term ‘plan’ by
preference.
That said, we need to con-
sider what is at stake in each
use of the term in context:
the ‘Project of Life’ is a com-
mentary on the Constitutions,
and here ‘project’ is the term
that was used, so ‘Project of
Life’ exists in fact, and then
by extension we speak often
of a ‘personal project of life’,
though we might just as easily
speak of a ‘personal plan’.
The Italian POI or Progetto
organico ispettoriale seems bet-
ter rendered in English as OPP
or ‘Overall Provincial Plan’, es-
pecially as organico is not best
rendered literally in English
as ‘organic’, and ‘plan’ seems
more appropriate in this con-
text.
We have already had
‘Project Africa’ and it shall
remain as such. We have
‘Project Europe’ too. These
two ‘projects’ would seem
to draw more from the first
definition than the second.
But there are many more!
EPP, ‘Educative and Pastoral
Project’, or SEPP, ‘Salesian Ed-
ucative and Pastoral Project’,
the ‘Gospel project of life’, the
‘Project of animation and gov-
ernment of the Rector Major
and his Council’.
Progetto personale di
vita
(personal life plan)
Noun phrase • A way of bring-
ing together one’s desires, en-
ergies and values in a personal
project of life, in which one as-
sumes responsibility for one’s
growth and lives to the full the
deepest motivations of one’s
vocation (FSDB 69).
A (written) plan where the
individual depicts the kind of
person he wishes to be and
the process for achieving this.
This approach was mandated
by the Ratio and further em-
phasised by the 25th General
Chapter no. 16, but we al-
ready find it in the 1984 Con-
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Programmazione di animazione
Protomartire
stitutions and Regulations, R.
99, though not clearly defined
in this latter instance.
Programmazione
di
animazione
ispettoriale
(Provincial animation plan)
Noun phrase • The yearly appli-
cation of the Provincial SEPP
drawn up each year by the
Provincial Council, with col-
laboration from the works.
Serves as a provincial point of
reference for drawing up the
annual general plan for the
works. See also the Youth
Ministry Glossary at the end of
this dictionary.
Programmazione generale
dell’opera (General plan of
the work) Noun phrase • An-
nual application of the SEPP
of the work (or possibly of in-
dividual SEPPs for the vari-
ous sectors and settings of a
work). The Council of the
Work draws this up with col-
laboration from the EPC Coun-
cils of the various pastoral sec-
tors. See also the Youth Min-
istry Glossary at the end of this
dictionary and PEPS Progetto
educativo-pastorale salesiano.
Promessa di carità
(promise of charity) Noun
phrase • A proving period, des-
ignated by Don Bosco, dur-
ing which selected individu-
als would engage in the practi-
cal exercise of charity toward
neighbour, which would then
be a promise but with the in-
tention (on Don Bosco’s part)
that it would lead to a vow.
On 26 January 1854, ac-
cording to a note by Don Rua,
four young men along with
Don Bosco came together in
Don Bosco’s room and were
invited to undertake a prov-
ing period in the practical ex-
ercise of charity toward neigh-
bour, which would then be a
promise but ultimately would
be vowed.Instead of using the
word ’novitiate’ which may
have frightened them off, Don
Bosco cleverly used ‘proving
time’.
Protocollo (See Ufficio
anagrafico. . . ) •
Protomartire (Protomar-
tyr) Noun • The first martyr
in any cause, especially St
Stephen, the first Christian
martyr.
The Salesian proto-martyrs
are Saints Aloysius (Louis)
Versiglia and Callisto Car-
avario.
On 25 February 1930, Sal-
esians Bishop Louis Versiglia,
vicar apostolic of Shiu Chow,
China, and Fr Callistus Car-
avario, pastor of the Lin Chow
mission, were murdered at Li-
Thau-Tseul in the district of
Lin Chow by Communist pi-
rates while journeying in the
company of several female cat-
echists, whose human dignity
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PVA
they defended successfully at
the cost of their own lives. The
Salesian Family observes their
feast day every year on their
‘heavenly birthday.’
On 1st October 2000, St
John Paul II canonised 120
martyrs who shed their blood
for the Faith in China between
1648 and 1930. Of these,
87 were Chinese and 33 were
missionaries. Their collective
memorial day is 9 July.
Chronologically, the last
two of these martyrs – the only
PVA
ones after the Boxer Rebellion
of 1900 – were Bp. Versiglia
and Fr. Caravario.
PVA Progetto di Vita
Apostolica (PAL Project of
Apostolic Life) Acronym, Noun
phrase • Official document of
the Salesian Cooperators con-
taining the Statutes and Regu-
lations.
Previously known as the
Regolamento di Vita Apostolica
RVA or ‘Regulations of Apos-
tolic Life RAL’,
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Quadro di riferimento
Q
Quinquennio
Quadro di riferimento
per la pastorale giovanile
salesiana (Salesian Youth
Ministry Frame of Reference)
Proper name • A tool (set of
basic inspirations and action
guidelines) offered by the
Youth Ministry Department to
enlighten and guide the pas-
toral process for each Provin-
cial and local EPC. It guides
the pastoral activity of each
Provincial and local Youth
Ministry Delegate and their
teams. And it contributes to
the formation of everyone –
Salesians, educators – who
share responsibility for the Sal-
esian mission. See also the
Youth Ministry Glossary at the
end of this dictionary.
Quarto settore (fourth
sector) Noun phrase • The
‘fourth sector’ is an emerging
sector of the economy which
consists of ‘for-benefit’ organ-
isations that combine market-
based approaches of the pri-
vate sector with the social
and environmental aims of the
public and non-profit sectors.
Over the past few decades,
the boundaries between the
public (government), private
(business), and social (non-
profit/ non-governmental)
sectors have been blurring,
while a fourth sector of organ-
isations has been emerging.
Quinquennio
(quin-
quennium, five year period)
Noun • A period lasting five
years and typically applied to
the period of five years follow-
ing priestly ordination, but
could equally apply to Broth-
ers after Final Profession. Ef-
fectively, an extension of ini-
tial formation even though
that period is formally com-
plete.
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Ragione
Regione
R
Ragione (reason) Noun
• Part of the trinomial which
forms the basis of the Pre-
ventive System (reason, re-
ligion, loving-kindness), the
term refers to a sense of bal-
ance and measure in personal
relationships. See also
Amorevolezza, Religione.
Ratio [la] (Ratio) Noun
• Full term is Ratio Funda-
mentalis Institutionis et Studio-
rum which ‘sets out in an or-
ganic and instructive way the
complexus of principles and
norms concerning formation
which are found in the Consti-
tutions, General Regulations
and other documents of the
Church and of the Congrega-
tion’(R. 87).
The Ratio has a long his-
tory! Introduced by the Jesuits
in 1599 as a needed curricu-
lar guide for their rapidly ex-
panding network of schools,
the Ratio Studiorum laid out
the organisation of Jesuit insti-
tutions to the smallest detail,
while establishing a uniform
course of study over at least
13 years. Vatican Council II
mandated a Ratio for prepara-
tion of candidates to the priest-
hood, and subsequently for
the Permanent Diaconate. In
the renewal of consecrated life
that flourished after the Coun-
cil, all Congregations devel-
oped a Ratio. The first Sal-
esian Ratio was published in
1985 and revised in 2000, with
some subsequent minor addi-
tions since.
Regione (region) Noun •
A group of provinces assigned
to a General Councillor who is
therefore known as a regional
councillor. The constitution
of the groups of provinces is
made by the general chapter.
(C. 154 of the SDB Constitu-
tions).
Current Salesian regions
(2019) are:
Africa-Madagascar
America South Cone
East Asia-Oceanía
South Asia
Central & North Europe
Interamerica
Mediterranean
The regional structure,
from the definition, is clearly
very flexible since there is no
further determination of its
structure, and no specific cri-
teria for its make up in ei-
ther the Constitutions or the
Regulations. Indeed the pre-
cise term ‘region’ appears only
once in the Constitutions and
Regulations, and then in the
plural (C. 77). Certain pos-
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13.1 Page 121

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Regionale (consigliere)
Religione
sible, though not obligatory
features, however, can be in-
ferred from the tasks of the Re-
gional Councillor: interprovin-
cial structures, regional offices
of documentation. Curiously
this is not the case for an-
other structure known as the
‘provincial conference’, which
is given more precise descrip-
tion in the regulations.
Regionale (consigliere)
(regional (councillor)) Noun
phrase, Adjective • Member of
the General Council whose
task it is to “promote a more
direct liaison between the
provinces and the Rector Ma-
jor and his council. (They)
look after the interests of the
provinces assigned to them.
(They) foster in the general
council a knowledge of the
local situations in which our
mission is carried out.”
The Regional is a relatively
new institution in the Con-
gregation and pertains more
to the notion of animation
or fraternal communion than
of government; the Regional,
even though often termed ‘re-
gional superior’ in common
parlance, is not a superior per
se, canonically speaking. He
does function in this role by
specific appointment as a Visi-
tor on behalf of the Rector Ma-
jor, however.
Regionals (and therefore
regions) were introduced by
the 19th General Chapter.
Tasks of the Regional are (1)
to promote a more direct link
between provinces and RM
and council (2) look after in-
terests of provinces assigned
to them (3) ensure knowledge
of local situations in council
discussions. (C. 140)
Usage: The term ‘regional’
(without councillor) functions
as both a noun – the person
(the Regional) and an adjec-
tive. Very often capitalised as
Regional (Councillor). Alter-
native spelling (US) Councilor
Regolatore (moderator)
Noun • E.g. of General or
Provincial Chapter.
Linguistic note: Italian may
also speak of a moderatore, but
he is likely to be one who con-
trols a particular session under
the general direction of the re-
golatore. English is more likely
to extend the phrase to ‘mod-
erator of a session’ or simi-
lar, e.g. ‘chairman’, while still
saying ‘moderator’ for the one
who gives the Chapter its gen-
eral direction.
Religione
(religion)
Noun • The second term in
Don Bosco’s trinomial: Rea-
son Religion and Loving-
kindness.
The term indicates that
Don Bosco’s pedagogy is es-
sentially transcendent, in so
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Rendiconto
Responsabile (Maggiore) (Centrale)
far as the ultimate educational
objective at which it aims is
the formation of the believer.
For him the properly formed
and mature man was the citi-
zen with faith, who places at
the centre of his life the ideal
of the new man proclaimed
by Jesus Christ and who bears
courageous witness to his own
religious convictions.(JP II (Iu-
venum Patris 11).
It is evidently not a ques-
tion of a speculative and ab-
stract religion, but of a liv-
ing faith rooted in reality and
stemming from presence and
communion, from an attitude
of listening and from docil-
ity to grace. As he liked to
put it ‘the columns of an ed-
ucational edifice’, are the Eu-
charist, Penance, devotion to
Our Lady, love for the Church
and its pastors. His educa-
tional process was a pathway
of prayer, of liturgy, of sacra-
mental life, of spiritual direc-
tion: for some it was the re-
sponse to the call to a spe-
cial consecration (how many
Priests and Religious were
formed in the Saint’s houses!);
for all it was a perspective and
a path to holiness. Don Bosco
was a zealous priest who al-
ways referred back to its re-
vealed foundation everything
that he received, lived and
gave to others. This aspect
of religious transcendence, the
cornerstone of Don Bosco’s
pedagogical method, is not
only applicable to every cul-
ture but can also be profitably
adapted even to non-Christian
religions. See also Amore-
volezza, Ragione.
Rendiconto
(friendly
talk, manifestation) Noun •
‘Faithful to Don Bosco’s rec-
ommendation, each confrere
meets frequently with his su-
perior for a friendly talk’ (C.
70).
Be careful to distinguish
this use of the Italian term ren-
diconto from its other meaning,
namely, ‘financial report’.
Usage: rendiconto may
still be used among English-
speaking Salesians, but its ear-
lier gloss, ‘manifestation’ has
largely died out. See also
Colloquio.
Repertorio domestico
(house list) Noun phrase • The
’Repertorio domestico’ tells us
that people other than young
boarders stayed at Valdocco,
e.g. two priests and a seminar-
ian who paid their way. See
also Anagrafe.
Responsabile (Maggiore)
(Centrale) ((Central) Mod-
erator (General)) Noun phrase
• The person in charge of the
VDB or CDB, or CMB.
Usage: The term would be
impossible to gloss adequately
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Rettor Maggiore
Ricaldone, Pietro
in English by retaining the re-
sponsabile in some transliter-
ated English form (e.g. Re-
sponsible). So the solution is
to use the better understood
’Moderator General’ (but in
the case of the VDB they pre-
fer ’President General’) or, in
the case where the Italian term
is Responsabile Centrale, Cen-
tral Moderator.
Linguistic note: We have
become accustomed to ‘Rec-
tor Major’, but are definitely
not accustomed to ‘Responsi-
ble Major’! The problem is
that while ‘Rector’ is at least a
noun in English, ‘responsible’
is an adjective.
Rettor Maggiore (Rec-
tor Major, Superior General)
Noun phrase • Superior of the
Salesian Society, successor of
Don Bosco, father and centre
of unity of the Salesian Family
(C. 126).
Usage: The choice of this
term goes back to Don Bosco
himself, who wished to avoid
terms like ’Father General’ or
’Superior general’, since these
smacked too much of religious
organisation that was unpop-
ular in a rapidly secularising
united Italy. Hence he chose
an unfamiliar term.
Linguistic note: The plu-
ral form is probably ‘Rectors
Major’ but by analogy with
‘sergeant major’ could also be
‘Rector Majors’. However,
since ‘Rector’ is the chief ele-
ment in the term it most likely
receives the plural indicator.
Rettorato (term of of-
fice as Rector (Major) ) Noun
• The office of Rector (Major).
Should not be glossed as ‘rec-
torate’, but rather the longer
phrase suggested: term of of-
fice as Rector (Major). While it
is most often used of the Rec-
tor Major’s term of office, it
could also apply to the Rector
of a community.
Ricaldone, Pietro (Rical-
done, Peter) Proper name • Rec-
tor Major from 1932 to 1951.Pe-
ter Ricaldone, the fourth suc-
cessor of Don Bosco, governed
the Salesian Congregation for
around twenty years. A man
with notable gifts of intellect
and government, he gave con-
siderable impulse to the spir-
itual and professional forma-
tion of Salesians, to the devel-
opment of institutes of higher
culture (witness the Pontifi-
cal Salesian University – UPS),
missionary expansion, to cat-
echetical and apologetic an-
imation, to publishing and
Mass Media enterprises, and
to many other sizeable initia-
tives.
Faithful to the spirit of Don
Bosco, he was a man of ex-
ceptional religious and organ-
isational temperament. Twice
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Ricceri, Luigi
Ricceri, Luigi
he travelled the world, bring-
ing with that his depth of
direction, capacity for heart-
felt understanding, and the
gradual promotion of local
people as well as considera-
tion for emigrants. He mul-
tiplied the numbers of pro-
fessional institutes, assuring
them everywhere of the neces-
sary specialised technical per-
sonnel. His concern was for
the whole Congregation to the
point where he saw professed
numbers double over a few
short years, but always strictly
faithful to its origins.
During the ’30’s at the
time of the Spanish Revolu-
tion, he animated and com-
forted, often in secret, with
a heart and spirit that took
him beyond the divisions of
that event. He was also the
author of well-received publi-
cations. His publishing and
socially-minded work in this
respect shines out particularly
in an Agricultural Library (Bib-
lioteca Agrariana Solariana) of
140 volumes in which, from
the time of his leadership in
Spain, he had updated current
concepts in this arena. He
wrote for workers and contrac-
tors. And throughout his life
he published other works, re-
inforcing the notion of Don
Bosco the Educator not just in
theory but in practice.
In the difficulties of World
War II (1939-1945) he estab-
lished, in 1941, that in ev-
ery Salesian Province there
might be a house for young
orphaned or refugee children,
and that at least some very
needy youngsters be received
free of charge in each institu-
tion.
Ricceri, Luigi (Ricceri,
Luigi) Personal name • Rector
Major from 1965 to 1977, Luigi
Ricceri was a Sicilian. From
the moment of his election he
clearly and succinctly declared
what would become his basic
program of government: ‘For-
ward with Don Bosco alive to-
day, in order to respond to the
needs of our time and the ex-
pectations of the Church.’ He
pursued this intention consis-
tently through to the end of
his mandate, on the eve of
which Fr Ricceri again reaf-
firmed: ‘The objects of our mis-
sion is the young, thrust by
our era into a position of cen-
tral importance. They have be-
come an explosive and uncon-
tainable force.’
His period as Rector Ma-
jor, at a time of social and cul-
tural upheaval, was accompa-
nied by and tested right from
the start by the strong youth
reactions of the 60’s.
Besides the young them-
selves, these times also in-
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Rinaldi, Filippo
Rinaldi, Filippo
volved the many institutions
connected with them: schools
and associations, educators
and legislators, state and ec-
clesial bodies.This ‘dynamic fi-
delity’ to the spirit of the
Founder is a recurring and
emerging theme in the Su-
perior’s words and writings,
but above all in the concrete
initiatives offered in his fre-
quent and well-focused jour-
neys abroad, and in the meet-
ings with those responsible
for religious and other sec-
tors. Amongst other things,
Fr Ricceri transferred the Gen-
eral Administration of the Sal-
esian Society to Rome – bring-
ing to fruition an idea already
contemplated by earlier Rec-
tor Majors. In doing so he
split it off from the Mother
House in Turin and inserted
it more decisively at the spiri-
tual, geographic and organisa-
tional heart of the Church.
Rinaldi, Filippo
(Ri-
naldi, Philip) Personal name •
1856-1931. Followed Fr Al-
bera as Rector Major.We refer
to Fr Rinaldi by his Anglicised
Christian name. He was beati-
fied in 1990.
Fr Philip Rinaldi’s witness
of life was an embodiment of
the freedom he experienced in
the gift of self, the uncondi-
tional trust in the love of God
the Father of which he was a
tangible sign. The human and
spiritual events of his life were
marked, ever since he was
a boy at the Salesian school
at Mirabello, by the meeting
with Don Bosco. Don Bosco
was a father who would ac-
company his vocational jour-
ney and stamp the quite orig-
inal style of his entire life. Fr.
Rinaldi lived in the light of
Don Bosco, interpreting the
Salesian charism through the
category of fatherliness as an
expression of authenticity and
vocational fruitfulness.
From his youth, he rejected
every temptation to entrust
himself to occasional spiritual
fathers. Even as a young priest
he was given responsibility,
until in time he became the
successor of Don Bosco him-
self. And at all times he was
on guard against this tempta-
tion, confirming and consoli-
dating the educative and pas-
toral experience that had come
from the young people’s Saint.
Indeed, intimately shaped
by this charismatic experience
of a regenerating and liberat-
ing fatherliness, Fr Rinaldi im-
mediately became a point of
reference for many individu-
als and institutions to a point
where he had extended the
fatherly heritage he had re-
ceived from Don Bosco in a
truly prodigious way. The
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Ritiratezza
Rua, Michele
fact that as a young priest he
had been given great respon-
sibility, such as the accompa-
niment and formation of adult
vocations, is a sign of how he
lived and interpreted author-
ity in spiritual terms at every
stage of his life, across such a
range of duties and roles, from
Rector to Provincial, from Pre-
fect General to Rector Major.
We see a first side of this
spiritual fatherliness in his in-
tention and determination to
safeguard and preserve the
core of the Salesian charism as
it emerged from the cradle of
Valdocco and was embodied
in new and diverse contexts
and settings. It was not only
a good to be preserved, but
one that needed to flourish in
all its expressions, and he gave
strength and vigour especially
to translating the charism into
a lay setting, with special at-
tention to Past Pupils and Co-
operators, as well as inaugu-
rating a new form of secular
consecration with the planting
of the seed which would flour-
ish as the Secular Institute of
the Volunteers of Don Bosco.
Ritiratezza
(detach-
ment from the world, climate
of recollection, flight from the
world, withdrawal from the
world) Noun • Not a common
term today in Italian, but com-
mon enough In Don Bosco’s
time. It becomes a key in-
terpretative concept for Don
Bosco’s personal spirituality.
Ritiro (recollection, re-
treat) Noun • In Salesian us-
age the ritiro would normally
apply to the monthly or quar-
terly recollection.
Rua, Michele
(Rua,
Michael) Proper name • 1837-
1910, first successor of St John
Bosco. Beatified 1972.
Michael Rua was born in
Turin on 9th June 1837, the last
of nine children. His father,
who worked in a munitions
factory, died when he was
only eight. Michael would
have gone to work in the arms
factory in Turin, but in 1852 he
met with Don Bosco, who sug-
gested Michael join his school
at the Oratory and he did.
Michael Rua joined the
other first Salesians at seven-
teen, and, inspired by Don
Bosco’s example, he spent his
days at the youth club, morn-
ing and evening classes, su-
pervising theatre or music re-
hearsals, gymnastics, lively
outdoor games, solitary study,
along with frequent reception
of the sacraments.
Rua was Don Bosco’s clos-
est collaborator in the develop-
ment of the new Salesian con-
gregation over the next thirty-
six years. He made his first
profession in 1855, was the
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Ruota
first spiritual director of the
Society at the age of 22 years
(1859), was ordained priest
in 1860. At 26 he became
the rector of the college at
Mirabello in Emilia-Romagna,
the first Salesian foundation
outside Turin.
When Don Bosco died,
Pope Leo XIII, honouring his
request, designated Michael
as his successor. Nicknamed
‘The Living Rule’ because of
his austere fidelity, Fr Michael
Rua was also known for his
fatherliness and goodness.
As the numbers of members
and communities increased,
he sent Salesians all over the
world, showing special care
for the missionary expedi-
tions. When Michael Rua died
on 6th April 1910 at the age
of 73, the Society had grown
from 773 to 4000 Salesians,
from 57 to 345 communities,
from 6 to 34 Provinces in 33
countries.
Ruota (turntable) Noun
• Two disks at the ends of an
axle with the space between
Ruota
them divided by radial pan-
els. The definition only de-
scribes the physical appear-
ance. The ruota would have
been found in Salesian houses
where the Sisters did the cook-
ing and other domestic ser-
vices. It goes back to a canoni-
cal requirement of separation,
and the ruota ensured that
items (food, clothing, what-
ever) could be placed on one
side, then swung around to
be taken from the other side,
without the persons involved
seeing each other.
There is a rather darker his-
tory to what was also known
as the ruota degli esposti, a
’baby hatch’ where a new
mother would leave an un-
wanted infant for the nuns to
care for. The ruota can also be
found at the entrance to some
convents of enclosed nuns for
prayer intentions to be left.
A Piedmontese term for
the ruota that might be found
in Salesian historical texts is
tarabacola.
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Sacro Cuore
Salesian Theological Institute Ratisbonne
S
Sacro Cuore
(Sacred
Heart) Proper name • 1. A de-
votion. 2. A building.
In terms of the devotion,
Don Bosco mentions the de-
votion to the Sacred Heart in
his Giovane Provveduto, but it
is not a strongly prominent el-
ement in his spirituality. Fr
Rua, following the Church’s
leanings at the time (1900) is-
sued an instruction on the de-
votion for Salesians and conse-
crated the Congregation to the
Sacred Heart.
In terms of a building, the
church Built by Don Bosco in
Rome, and now the location of
the Rector Major and his Coun-
cil and the General Adminis-
tration of the Salesians of Don
Bosco.
SAL (Sisters Announc-
ers of the Lord) Acronym • Re-
ligious Congregation of Dioce-
san Right.
Founder: Bishop Ignazio
Canazei inspired by Bishop
Luigi Versiglia. Foundation
date: Shiu Chow (China), 30
May 1931. Salesian Family
membership: 28 July 2005 (de-
cree 31 January 2006) in AGC
393 (2006) 97.
Sala della comunità
(parish hall) Noun phrase •
The concept of the parish
hall (there could be a better
translation) as found in the
Italian term here, does not ex-
ist in English.It really means
a place where many things
could happen ‘film, video, the-
atre, music, tied to the role of
the parish as a community of
faith.’ Umberto Eco credits
Don Bosco as having founded,
in the Oratory, a concept akin
to what the sala della comunità
is intended to be.
Salesian Missions Aus-
tralia
(Salesian Missions
Australia) Proper name • The
Salesian Missions Australia of-
fice supports the vocational
teaching of underprivileged
young people in develop-
ing countries, in order that
they find employment and be-
come self-sufficient members
of their nation. The Australian
Salesian Missions Office was
established in the 1960’s to
support a variety of Salesian
education projects in develop-
ing countries.
Salesian Theological Insti-
tute Ratisbonne (Salesian
Theological Institute Ratis-
bonne, Salesian Monastery,
Studium Theologicum Sale-
sianum Sts Peter and Paul)
Proper name • Salesian Sem-
inary and Study centre in
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Salesiano
SALVO
Jerusalem which used to be
located at Cremisan near Beth-
lehem.
The building, 130 years
old, is the property of the
Holy See and was adminis-
tered initially by the Congre-
gation founded by a Jewish
convert to Christianity (he con-
verted in France), Fr Marie-
Alphonse Ratisbonne. The fe-
male branch of the Congrega-
tion is known as the Sisters of
Sion.
Often we see ‘Salesian
Monastery’ in the official ti-
tle in documents intended for
within Israel – this is to fulfil
Israeli law regarding its sta-
tus.The Houses at Cremisan
and at Beit Jamal are also
known as monasteries. The
administration at Ratisbonne
seems to prefer the second
designation: Studium Theo-
logicum Salesianum Sts Peter
and Paul, at least as an official
letterhead in Salesian circles.
Salesiano
(Salesian)
Noun, Adjective •
Salesiano esterno (ex-
tern Salesian) Noun phrase •
“Any person, even one living
in the world, in one’s house,
in the bosom of one’s fam-
ily, can belong to this soci-
ety. . . He takes no vows, but
shall try to practise those por-
tions of the present rule that
are compatible with his age
and condition.” (from the
appendix, later suppressed,
in Don Bosco’s Constitutions
1860-73).
Don Bosco’s original think-
ing and indeed his original in-
tention was to have ‘extern Sal-
esians’ who did not live in
community, did not take bind-
ing vows. Rome did not ac-
cept this idea as part of the
Constitutions. Fr Dominic Pes-
tarino of Mornese is a clear ex-
ample of such a person. Even-
tually these became the Sal-
esian Cooperators.
Usage: The use of the term
‘extern’ here is somewhat spe-
cial. As a noun today it would
refer to a professional place-
ment (such as occurs with doc-
tors in training), so the Sal-
esian use (although now only
of historical interest) is partic-
ular if considered as a noun.
Perhaps it is best seen as an
adjective, as in ‘external Sal-
esian’.
SALVO (Salesian Lay
Volunteers) Acronym • Lay vol-
unteer movement started by
the FIS province in 2009 on the
occasion of the 150th of the
Congregation, launched with
the assistance of Br. Carlo Ba-
calla (currently a missionary
in Laos, THA).
SALVO relaunched in 2016
with a long-term plan of
immersion programs in FIS
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Sandor Community
Scientifico
province, sending the volun-
teers to EAO region provinces
(so far Cambodia, Myanmar)
and in the future also aiming
to spread to other parts of the
Congregation.
Sandor
Community
(Full title: Blessed Istvan San-
dor Community) Proper name
• The Salesian Brothers’ For-
mation House – Blessed Ist-
van Sandor Community in
Parañaque, Philippines, was
established in 2013 to provide
the Brothers of the East Asia-
Oceania (EAO) region a venue
for their specific formation.
The EAO Salesian Brother
Formation Community is the
regional formation center for
Salesian Brothers in the East
Asia and Oceania Region. It
is the only English-speaking
centre for the formation of
Salesian Brothers. It is also
open to Salesian Brothers com-
ing from the regions of Africa-
Madagascar, South Asia and
Europe and to Salesian Broth-
ers willing to undergo the ex-
perience in English. The com-
munity offers Salesian Broth-
ers a two-year theological, pas-
toral and Salesian formation
in order to help them be edu-
cators and evangelisers of the
young in the spirit of St John
Bosco.
Santità salesiana (Sal-
esian holiness) Noun phrase •
(1) In the first instance, a ref-
erence to the spirituality of St
Francis de Sales. Francis was
ahead of his time: Vatican II
spoke of the “universal call
to holiness,” emphasising that
becoming a saint was every-
body’s business, not just the
professional job of priests and
religious. But St Francis de
Sales was preaching the uni-
versal call to holiness (which is
actually grounded in Leviticus
20:26 and Matthew 5:48) back
in the Counter-Reformation of
the 17th century.
(2) in the second instance,
a reference to Salesian spiri-
tuality as expressed through
the tradition of the Salesians of
Don Bosco.
Salesian holiness in terms
of the second definition above
stands out through the very
many figures of holiness of-
ficially recongised by the
Church in Saints, Blesseds,
Venerables and Servants of
God.
Scholasticus (S) [la]
(Seminarian) Noun • This term
is to be found in the Year Book
in reference to the Salesian stu-
dent at a seminary (philoso-
phy, theology).
Scientifico
(scientific
(general)) Adjective • By ex-
tension (of the basic meaning
pertaining to ‘science’, activi-
ties that apply the technical ap-
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Scrutinium
Scrutinium
proaches or various sciences
or procedures based on scien-
tific principles.
Usage: The English term
‘scientific’ is somewhat more
restricted in its application.
As seen from the definition
above, the Italian scientifico
may be applied to a general
range of well-prepared items
or discussions, not only sci-
ence or scientific in nature.
Congressi scientifici in the 19th
century often dealt with pol-
itics rather than strictly with
science. Some care needed in
translation of this term, then,
and in many instances it may
not even need to be translated.
Scrutinium [la] (scrutiny)
Noun • 1) close examination of
a voting procedure (e.g. cf C.
153 and the reference to voting
for a Rector Major at the Gen-
eral Chapter)
(2) juridical requirement
(Canon Law) for ordination,
regarding qualities required.
Cf. Can. 1051
(3) a more general process
of evaluation or assessment of
a candidate in initial forma-
tion
(4) a community process
of examen and evaluation (as
in scrutinium paupertatis, scru-
tinium castitatis, scrutinium ora-
tionis).
While the sense of evalua-
tion or assessment certainly ex-
ists, in the case of 2nd, 3rd and
4th meanings indicated above,
at least in the case of initial for-
mation it would be good not to
lose sight of the liturgical and
formative sense of the RCIA
scrutinium, which is for the
elect just prior to Baptism – in
other words the individual is
already chosen and accepted,
and the focus is on Christ and
forgiveness of sin.
There is no specific men-
tion of scrutinium castitatis,
‘scrutiny on chastity’, in the
C&R. It is mentioned in the
index to the Rectors Manual
1982 but not in the paragraph
it refers to – at least not in
the precise words. In the
planning outline of the RM
and Council 2002-8 under the
heading of ‘primacy of spiri-
tual life’ there is reference to
each province establishing pe-
riodic scrutinies on each of the
evangelical counsels.
There is no specific men-
tion of scrutinium orationis,
‘scrutiny on prayer’, in the
C&R.It is mentioned in GC21
however, which required each
community to make a period-
ical review of its prayer life
(GC21 60b).
With regard to the scruti-
nium povertatis, or ’scrutiny on
poverty’, the term finds men-
tion in a circular letter by Fr
Ricceri on poverty, and was
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SDB
SDB Salesiani di Don Bosco
then followed up further by Fr
Viganò. The concept, rather
than the precise term, is con-
tained in R. 65.In recent times,
the planning project of the
RM and Council 2002-8 specif-
ically indicated that the scruti-
nium paupertatis should be car-
ried out annually.
SDB
(SDB) Acronym
• Acronym: Salesians of Don
Bosco.
Until 1947 the members
of the Salesian Society used
SC in English-speaking coun-
tries (Salesiana Congregatio,
’Salesian Congregation’) or SS
in Italy and elsewhere (Societas
Salesiana). The 16th General
Chapter made the change to
SDB with the following com-
ment:
“The initials most in use,
S.S. (Societas Salesiana) are al-
ready in use by another Con-
gregation; the other, S.C. (Sale-
siana Congregatio) seems nei-
ther clear nor well-accepted.
We will adopt S.D.B. (Salesiani
Don Bosco), because this is
the name we are universally
known by, and it recalls the
Saint who gives us our name,
the Founder and Father. This
is also the title by which we
are officially recognised in the
Annuario Pontificio.” (ACS 143,
Acts of the 16th General Chap-
ter, p. 68).
Linguistic note: Clearly
the initials SS would have
had other problems as well!
The initials SDB are usually
used without full stops (pe-
riods), and often, in keeping
with changing customs where
lower case is preferred to up-
per case, we find them in
lower case. There is no hard
and fast rule for this.
SDB Salesiani di Don
Bosco
(SDB Salesians
of Don Bosco, Society of St
Francis de Sales (complete of-
ficial title), Salesian Congre-
gation, Pious Salesian Society
(of historical value but out
of use), Pious Society (also
out of use), Salesians of Don
Bosco (the most common ti-
tle in ordinary use today), Sal-
esians (normally understood
as SDBs, within the context
of the Salesian Family of Don
Bosco, but when ’Salesian’ is
understood as an adjective, it
could apply more generally
to the inspiration of St Fran-
cis de Sales as expressed by
many religious and lay soci-
eties)) Proper name • Cf. SDB
Constitution 1:
‘With a feeling of hum-
ble gratitude we believe that
the Society of St Francis de
Sales came into being not as a
merely human venture but by
the initiative of God. Through
the motherly intervention of
Mary, the Holy Spirit raised
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Secolarità
Secolarità
up St John Bosco to contribute
to the salvation of youth. . .
to ensure the continuation of
this mission, the Spirit in-
spired him to initiate various
apostolic projects, first among
them our Society.’
C. 2: ‘We, the Salesians of
Don Bosco (SDB), form a com-
munity of the baptised. Sub-
missive to the bidding of the
Spirit we are resolved to carry
out the Founder’s apostolic
plan in a specific form of reli-
gious life to be in the Church
signs and bearers of the love
of God for young people, espe-
cially those who are poor.’
At Pope Pius IX’s sugges-
tion, Don Bosco, who up un-
til then (1859), referred to the
congregation of St Francis de
Sales as involving both ‘in-
terns’ and ‘externs’, adopted
the term ‘Pious Society of St
Francis de Sales’ to describe
the ‘interns’. The Salesian
Society in that understanding
came into being on December
9/18, 1859.
We know that Don Bosco’s
original concept (in a Rule
he had sketched out and pre-
sented to Pius IX in March
1858), was for a society or con-
gregation which allowed its
members to be ‘a religious for
the Church and a free citizen
in civil society.’ Even as late
as 1880 he was still claiming
that the Salesians were not a
religious congregation but a
charitable religious organisa-
tion to help abandoned young
people and that the Latin word
‘vow’ might be understood as
‘promise’ in Italian! (Cf. Lenti,
Vol 3, Don Bosco History and
Spirit, p. 289).
The founding document
of the Salesian Society was
drawn up on 18 December
1859. It is interesting to note
that its wording speaks of “a
society or congregation. . . .”
Whatever Don Bosco’s real
intentions, thwarted in some
ways by his being gradually
forced into the ecclesiastical
structure, this new ‘society
or congregation’, which we
should really recognise as ‘The
Salesian Society’ was distinct
from the ‘Congregation of St
Francis de Sales’.
Secolarità (secularity)
Noun • The generally posi-
tive employment of this term
in Salesian literature is a phe-
nomenon of Vatican II.Prior to
that, the term had the sense
of fuga mundi, flight from
the world, and was gener-
ally a negative thing.Salesian
secularity is a phenomenon
that we now see in groups
such as the Volunteers of Don
Bosco VDB and the Volun-
teers With Don Bosco CDB.It
does not stop there – there
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Secolarismo, secolarizzazione
Sede apostolico
are many other groups along
these lines.As used in Salesian
texts from Fr Ziggiotti on-
wards. In Fr Ricceri’s period
of leadership the SGC took
up consideration of the range
of terms:‘secularisation’, ‘secu-
larity’, ‘secularism’. The first
of these is indicated as an his-
torical process by which men
and women take up responsi-
bility in the world. Note that
‘secularity’ most often collo-
cates with consecrated or conse-
cration, in post-Vatican II texts,
therefore is seen as a posi-
tive dimension of human ex-
istence. Not to be confused
with secularisation (as now un-
derstood in negative terms)
or with secularism which, in
both English or Italian are per-
ceived to be negative.
Secolarismo, secolariz-
zazione (secularism, secu-
larisation) Noun • This group
of terms, as used in Salesian
texts, has a negative sense,
the opposite to the primacy
of the religious dimension in
our lives. Secularism is seen
as a radicalisation of seculari-
sation, the elimination of the
sacred from things.
Secolarizzione (secular-
isation) Noun • A term with
specific meaning in Canon
Law. The form of an ‘Indult
to leave the Institute’ through
which the Salesian priest or
deacon passes to the secu-
lar clergy and is incardinated,
with or without a period of
probation, in a Diocese.
It may be ad experimentum,
for a period up to five years
or it may be pure et sempliciter
(pure and simple), by which
the Bishop states that he is
willing to incardinate the re-
ligious immediately without
waiting for any time of proba-
tion.
Sede centrale
(cen-
tral office, headquarters) Noun
phrase • A term frequently
used to refer to Salesian cen-
tral headquarters in Rome.
See Direzione Generale.
Sede apostolico (Apos-
tolic See, See of Peter) Noun
phrase • In Canon Law, the
terms ‘Apostolic See’ and
‘Holy See’ refer to the Roman
Pontiff and the Roman Cu-
ria together as the form of
Government of the Catholic
Church. A synonym, the ‘See
of Peter’, is more personalised
but the reference is still admin-
istrative.
‘Apostolic See’ is theoreti-
cally more embracing in that it
could originally have applied
to five Sees founded by the
Apostles, Rome, Jerusalem,
Antioch,
Constantinople,
Alexandria.
Certainly within Salesian
documentation its main ref-
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Selvaggi
Sensus ecclesiae
erence is to the Roman See.
While in practice, Vatican City
and the Holy See appear to be
identical entities, they are not.
Ambassadors are accredited to
the Holy See, not to Vatican
City. The Holy See does not
dissolve on the death of the
reigning Pope.
Selvaggi (savages, tribal
peoples) Noun (pl) • A defini-
tion from a dictionary in Don
Bosco’s own time (Dizionario
di cognizioni utili, Torino 1864)
attempts to describe ‘savages’
as having broad shoulders,
enormous heads, black curly
hair, short beard, expression-
less face, and around three me-
tres tall!
People in a primitive and
uncivilised state; wild and
fierce; cruel and hostile; brutal
and barbarous. (Oxford Refer-
ence Dictionary (1980).
Don Bosco retained the
term in his reference to some
of the native populations he
wished to evangelise, draw-
ing his anthropological and
ethnographic data most likely
from Romantic literature and
nineteenth-century encyclope-
dias.
Linguistic note: The ques-
tion is how to translate this
term today, since ‘savages’
sounds too strong. The term
did have an ambiguous feel
even for Don Bosco, since
there was still the Romantic
period sense of the noble sav-
age in the literature of the
time, nor should we forget
that the concept first came to
Don Bosco in the context of
a dream about peoples who
could be saved, and that one
of these people, Ceferino Na-
muncurá, has already been be-
atified! Today we might con-
sider glossing the word as
‘tribal people’ or something
similar.
Sensus ecclesiae [la] (sen-
sus ecclesiae) Idiom • Our
awareness of being in, and
of the Church (from Message
of members of 19th General
Chapter to confreres, 1965).
Though he may not have
used the precise phrase, there
is every indication, as Pietro
Stella points out in his Pre-
venire non reprimere, that the
‘sensus ecclesiae’ and fidelity
to the Pope were an important
aspect of Don Bosco’s work
of initiating young people into
faith. Catechetics, apologet-
ics, pedagogy all converge for
Don Bosco on the importance
of young people understand-
ing that only in the Catholic
Church will they find salva-
tion, the means of grace: reve-
lation preserved in its fullness
and integrity, sacraments ad-
ministered with the fullness of
grace and validity. For Don
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Sequela Christi
Servo di Dio
Bosco extra ecclesiam nulla salus
was at the heart of his writ-
ing: the Storia ecclesiastica, the
Avvisi ai cattolici, the Cattolico
istruito, his many apologetic
works.
Sequela Christi [la] (dis-
cipleship, following Christ,
walking in Christ’s footsteps)
Idiom • An ancient term in
Christian spirituality, in refer-
ence to either the apostolic fol-
lowing of Christ, or the imitatio
christi in general Christian life.
Today the term is clearly recog-
nised for its use within the con-
text of Consecrated Life.
The Apostolic Exhortation
Vita Consecrata does not deal
separately with each of the
evangelical counsels. It unites
them in the single grace of the
sequela Christi, limiting itself
here and there to the particu-
lar significance, values or de-
mands of each. In this way
it emphasises the character of
a personal rapport with the
Lord which belongs to pro-
fession and the spiritual di-
mension of the vows. Each
counsel implies specific atti-
tudes and commitments, but
ultimately includes the other
two as well. It is difficult to
think of a consistent and lumi-
nous chastity detached from
the poverty which consists in
the total offering of one’s per-
sonal and material goods, or
from the obedience of heart
which makes one available for
the mission, cost what it may.
And vice versa. (Fr Vecchi in
his letter on Chastity. 1999).
Sermon de charité [fr]
(charity sermon) Noun phrase
• A term used to describe ser-
mons (in France during the
19th century) aimed at inspir-
ing the congregation to donate
to charitable works.
Don Bosco employed this
approach to gain support for
his youth works in France in
the late 1800s. His most fa-
mous sermon de charité was at
the Patronage opened in Nice.
To its printed version he at-
tached his summary, for the
first time, of the Preventive
System. Don Bosco gave the
sermon de charité his own typi-
cal structure.
Usage: The term could be
glossed as ’charity sermon’
but more often than not it is re-
tained in its original French.
Servo di Dio
(Ser-
vant of God) Noun phrase •
The Catholic whose cause of
beatification and canonsation
has been initiated. (Instruction
Sanctorum Mater, 2007).
A cause can only be in-
troduced if the person has
gained fame already for holi-
ness (in general opinion), has
practised Christian virtues to
an heroic degree and if there
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Settore
Settore
are no insuperable obstacles
to canonisation. Naturally all
these have to be established
and eventually proven, hence
the ‘process.’
Usage: The term is capi-
talised in English as ‘Servant
of God’. See also Beatifi-
cazione.
Settore (sector) Noun •
A key area of Salesian mission
as defined formally by the Sal-
esian Constitutions (cf. Italian
edition C. 133, 134).
The growth of the ‘sec-
tor’ concept in the Congre-
gation is of particular inter-
est for a number of reasons.
The concept is one that has al-
ways been defined at the high-
est level of authority (General
Chapter) to begin with. Up
until the 19th General Chap-
ter a sector tended to be deter-
mined by one or other work
(schools, technical schools, or-
atories, catechetics. . . ), or was
even based in people (past
pupils, cooperators. . . ). From
the 20th General Chapter on-
wards, an even more essential
factor predominated – aspects
and dimensions of the life and
mission of the Salesians which
touch on the entire Congrega-
tion.
Thus GC 20, 21, 22 de-
fined effectively six sectors
(Youth Ministry, Formation,
Social Communication, Mis-
sions, Economy, to which we
need to add the Salesian Fam-
ily as a sixth), which are rep-
resented by a member of the
General Council. If we wanted
to think in terms of a seventh,
we would group the Regional
Councillors into a ‘sector’,
since they respond to an over-
all concept touching the en-
tire Congregation which com-
bines elements such as decen-
tralisation and unity, dialogue,
shared responsibility, the in-
culturation of the charism in a
determined area. Be they ‘sec-
tor’ or ‘regional’ councillors,
they play an equal part in the
General Council.
The Salesian Sisters do not
speak of ‘sector’ but of am-
bito or ‘sphere of activity,
field’, but for practical pur-
poses probably best glossed as
‘sector’ in English.
Usage: Of particular note:
the English translation of C.
133 is in error. It refers to the
councillors in charge of ‘spe-
cial departments’, thus intro-
ducing a terminological and
indeed a conceptual confusion
(cf. the note below). The
Italian original clearly and de-
liberately speaks of settore at
this point. The mistranslation
of the Constitutions then led to
a continuation of this termino-
logical confusion in English:
the GC25 documents speak
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Settore d’animazione pastorale Settore d’animazione pastorale
of ‘Departmental Councillors’
e.g. no. 108 and then no. 112
tries to address problem areas
that arise ‘between the various
sectors’. Part of the problem is
the very lack of clarity in ter-
minology!
[As background material:
cf ‘The Project of Life. . . ’ pp
910-11]. Cf. also the letter of
Fr Martin McPake introducing
the English Translation of the
renewed Rule of Life. The orig-
inal text was approved by the
Apostolic See on 25 November
1984; the translation was ap-
proved by the Rector Major Fr
Egidio Vigano on 8th Decem-
ber 1984. A second edition
incorporating several changes
introduced by General Chap-
ters(23,24,25) was presented
by the Rector Major Fr Pascual
Chavez on 24 May 2003.]
It is important here to
make a clear distinction be-
tween ‘sector’ and ‘depart-
ment’. The ‘sector’ is tied di-
rectly to the charism (an as-
pect, dimension of), while a
‘department’ is an administra-
tive necessity. One might ex-
pect far more flexibility with
the notion of department – in-
deed whether one or other de-
partment exists or not) than
with a ‘sector’. It might also
be said that some care needs to
be taken to see that the subor-
dinate concept of ‘department’
does not, in practice, pretend
to be its ‘superordinate’, the
‘sector’. See also Dicastero.
Settore d’animazione pas-
torale (pastoral sector) Noun
phrase • Refers to the educa-
tional and pastoral structures
in which the Salesian mission
is carried out, according to a
specific educational and pas-
toral proposal. Each of these
sectors in its own way creates
a climate and employs a style
of relationships as part of the
Educative and Pastoral Com-
munity.
The sectors are as follows:
The Oratory-Youth Centre;
the school and Professional
Formation Centre, (what we
would often term, in English,
the Vocational Training Cen-
tre and could include the
pre-vocational training cen-
tre and hostel accommoda-
tion); higher institutes of edu-
cation (possibly academic cen-
tres, colleges – in the North
American understanding of
this term – and university stu-
dent residences); parishes and
shrines entrusted to the Sal-
esians (may include public
churches); various social ser-
vice works for young people
at risk. A Salesian work may
well comprise further sectors
working together to better ex-
press the Salesian mission.
See also the Youth Ministry
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Significatività
Sistema preventivo
Glossary at the end of this dic-
tionary.
Significatività (signifi-
cance, meaningfulness) Noun
• Mandated by GC23 as a cri-
terion for evaluating the value
and impact of each Salesian
work. The word had appeared
earlier during Team Visits.
Linguistic note: The Italian
word, significatività, borrowed
from the world of statistics,
refers to statistical signifi-
cance, but Fr Vecchi in his
comment on the significatività
della presenza salesiana, links it
to ‘signs’. The word and its
use as a criterion gained cur-
rency in Salesian usage in the
six years preceding GC23. Vi-
ganò at one point said that it
sums up our global effort at re-
newal in the Congregation, to
become signs (of God’s love)
again for young people.
Silsila [ar] (chain, con-
nection, link, spiritual genaol-
ogy) Noun • Silsila or Silsilah,
means chain, link, connection
often used in various senses of
lineage. In particular, it may
be translated as ‘(religious) or-
der’ or ‘spiritual genealogy’
where one Sufi Master trans-
fers his khilfat to his spiritual
descendant. In Urdu, Silsila
means saga. (Wikipedia).
This term was applied by
Fr Sebastiano D’Ambra PIME,
the founder of the Christian-
Muslim dialogue movement
(1984) to the dialogue between
Christians and Muslims.
The term perfectly fits the
aim of the movement. The
key word is ‘DIALOGUE’. Cre-
ating a culture of dialogue
is the only way to connect
people torn by conflict because
of culture and religion. Plant-
ing the culture of dialogue is
the only path to peace. In
the mind of the founder, such
mculture of dialogue’ leading
to peace must necessarily be
a spirituality one should em-
brace. As spirituality it is a life-
in-dialogue with God, with
self, with others, and with
creation. These four dimen-
sions of dialogue reminded
me of the disharmony brought
about by original sin [Gen 3:8-
19], man’s disharmony with
self, with God, with neigh-
bour, and with nature.
Usage: The term may be
found in use in the south-
ern Philippines, in the context
of Christian-Muslim dialogue,
and in Pakistan, which comes
under the FIS Province.
Sistema preventivo (Pre-
ventive system) Noun phrase
• ‘An integration of beliefs,
attitudes, actions, interven-
tions, means, methods and
structures which have progres-
sively constituted a character-
istic general way of being and
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SMA
SMI
acting, both personal and in
community, of Don Bosco, of
individual Salesians and of the
Family.’ (Viganò AGC 290,
p.10).
Little Treatise on the Preven-
tive System(March-April 1877).
First published by Don Bosco
as an appendix to the ad-
dress composed in 1875 on
the occasion of the dedication
of the Salesian orphanage in
Nice (France). It sets forth
concepts and principles that
are fundamental in his educa-
tional praxis. In spite of the
title ‘preventive’, which Don
Bosco probably chose in order
to situate his method within a
general educational category,
this little work embodies some
(not all, by any means) of
the insights gained over many
years of experience in educa-
tion.
If asked to give a brief prac-
tical description of the task
of the educator, Don Bosco
would have compared it to
the task of good Christian par-
ents with respect to the edu-
cation of their children. For
at the philosophical and con-
sequent environmental levels,
Don Bosco based his educa-
tional method on such an af-
fective relationship between
educator and pupil as may
be found in a good fam-
ily. This succinctly describes
Don Bosco’s way with young
people, no matter in what sit-
uation he found them. In ef-
fect, the key ‘operative’ words
of the method were familiarity,
affection and trust.
Usage: Often capitalised as
Preventive System.
SMA (Sisters of Maria
Auxiliatrix) Acronym • Con-
gregation of Diocesan Right
founded by Fr M.C.Antony
SDB on 13 May 1976, in Tamil
Nadu, to “look after poor and
abandoned young girls.” The
group gained membership of
the Salesian Family in 2009
(decree 28 July 2009).
SMI (Sisters of Mary
Immaculate) Acronym • Reli-
gious Congregation of Dioce-
san right, founded by Bishop
Louis La Ravoire Morrow 12,
December 1948 in Krishnagar,
India. They were founded
originally under the name
‘Catechist Sisters of Mary Im-
maculate’ in 1922 then re-
founded as Catechist Sisters
of Mary Immaculate Help
of Christians but more com-
monly known as Sisters of
Mary Immaculate.
“Our Founder gave us the
spirituality of St Teresa of the
Infant Jesus, the ‘little way’
of spiritual childhood, and the
spirit of Don Bosco: initiative,
practice of the preventive sys-
tem, penance expressed as ‘al-
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Società di Mutuo Soccorso
Società di Mutuo Soccorso
ways upright and smiling.’. Fr
Egidio Viganò wrote: ‘Learn-
ing through life and reflection
about the encounter between
Don Bosco mthe Salesian’ and
St Teresa mthe Carmelite’ can
be a common good for all of
Don Bosco’s familylIt points
out that it is possible and
how it can be so for the Sal-
esian charism to be enriched
when it draws values from
the mlittle way’ and offers
all Groups in the Family fur-
ther reason for giving thanks
to God for the inestimable
gift that Don Bosco’s spiritual
experience represents for the
Church.’ What binds us to the
Salesian Family most of all is
the person of Don Bosco and
his educative system, his love
for the young, charity.”
Admitted to membership
of the Salesian Family on 10
June, 1992
Società d’allegriaSociety for
a Good Time, Happy Times
AssociationNoun phraseThe
Happy Times Association was
a club of (mostly) teen-age
lads. The founding of this soci-
ety is preferably to be dated in
1833. In his Memoirs, however,
Don Bosco dates it in 1832. But
at this point his dates are still
one year off.
It is in the context of choos-
ing friends, while in Chieri for
his secondary schooling, that
the Association came into be-
ing. John was helping com-
panions with their homework,
and he quickly found him-
self surrounded by a group
of youngsters who were at-
tracted to him, “as had been
those of Morialdo and Castel-
nuovo.” Out of this group the
Society is formed. Its two ba-
sic regulations specify exem-
plary Christian moral conduct
and exemplary performance
of scholastic and religious du-
ties. There’s wholesome fun
too, but it isn’t just a ‘Society
for a Good Time.’ John is ac-
knowledged as “the leader of
a small army,” and his pop-
ularity is such that he is in
demand to provide entertain-
ment and to tutor other stu-
dents (for a consideration.).
Linguistic note: This term
is a good example of how
it is often the case that one
should not translate a title lit-
erally: ‘Society of cheerful-
ness’ would sound corny in
English.
Società di Mutuo Soc-
corso (mutual aid society,
mutual benefit association)
Noun phrase • This Society
was an association of work-
ing youngsters, established
within the St Aloysius Sodal-
ity, as insurance against tem-
porary unemployment or sick-
ness.(Lenti, Don Bosco: History
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Società Salesiana
Società Salesiana
and Spirit, Vol 3.
Members paid an enrol-
ment fee of 1.50 lire and a
membership fee of 5 soldi (1/4
lira) per week. These con-
tributions were built up as a
fund out of which members re-
ceived benefits in time of sick-
ness or unemployment. Don
Bosco established this society
to remove working youngsters
from the moral and religious
dangers that youngsters en-
countered in mutual aid soci-
eties or workers’ unions in the
city.
In 1857 the Mutual Aid So-
ciety joined the ‘Adjunct’ Con-
ference of St Vincent de Paul
established at the Oratory).
See also Conferenza di San Vin-
cenzo de Paoli.
Società Salesiana (Sal-
esian Society, Society of St
Francis de Sales (complete of-
ficial title), Salesian Congre-
gation, Pious Salesian Society
(of historical value but out
of use), Pious Society (also
out of use), Salesians of Don
Bosco (the most common ti-
tle in ordinary use today), Sal-
esians (normally understood
as SDBs, within the context
of the Salesian Family of Don
Bosco, but when ’Salesian’ is
understood as an adjective, it
could apply more generally))
Noun phrase • "Our Congrega-
tion is approved...We are no
longer private individuals but
a Society, a visible body." (BM
IX, 26).
A more formal description
of an alternative term, ‘Sal-
esians of Don Bosco’ (rather
than a definition, though it
contains elements of such) is
found in Constitution 2 of
the SDB Constitutions: “We,
the Salesians of Don Bosco
(SDB) form a community of
the baptised. Submissive to
the bidding of the Spirit we
are resolved to carry out the
Founder’s apostolic plan in a
specific form of religious life
to be in the Church signs and
bearers of the love of God for
young people, especially those
who are poor.”
At Pope Pius IX’s sugges-
tion, Don Bosco, who up un-
til then (1859), referred to the
congregation of St Francis de
Sales as involving both ‘in-
terns’ and ‘externs’, adopted
the term ‘Pious Society of St
Francis de Sales’ to describe
the ’interns’. The Salesian
Society in that understanding
came into being on December
9/18, 1859. We know that
Don Bosco’s original concept
(in a Rule he had sketched out
and presented to Pius IX in
March 1858), was for a soci-
ety or congregation which al-
lowed its members to be ‘a reli-
gious for the Church and a free
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Solidarietà
SOSC
citizen in civil society.’ Even as
late as 1880 he was still claim-
ing that the Salesians were not
a religious congregation but
a charitable religious organisa-
tion to help abandoned young
people and that the Latin word
‘vow’ might be understood as
‘promise’ in Italian! (Cf. Lenti,
Vol 3, Don Bosco History and
Spirit, p. 289).
The founding document
of the Salesian Society was
drawn up on December 18,
1859. It is interesting to note
that its wording speaks of ‘a
society or congregation. . . .’
Whatever Don Bosco’s real in-
tentions, thwarted in some
ways by his being gradually
forced into the ecclesiastical
structure, this new ‘society
or congregation’, which we
should really recognise as ‘The
Salesian Society’ was distinct
from the ‘Congregation of St
Francis de Sales’. See also
Pia (Societa).
Solidarietà (solidarity)
Noun • In the broader sense of
the term:
(1) General: Community
of interests, feelings purposes,
or fellowship that arises from
such;
(2) a Christian virtue. It
seeks to go beyond itself to to-
tal gratuity, forgiveness, and
reconciliation. It leads to a
new vision of the unity of hu-
mankind, a reflection of God’s
triune intimate life (Solicitudo
Rei Socialis no. 40).
Other than the definitions
given above, often in practical
Salesian language we find the
term used in reference to aid,
mostly of the financial kind, or
as represented by NGO, Mis-
sion Office activity, or as a
‘fund’ (e.g. the Rector Major’s
Solidarity Fund).
In fact, we find in the ‘Char-
ter of identity’ a helpful de-
scription of Salesian solidarity
which is much broader than
that of financial aid:
1. education, which is the
highest form of solidarity, con-
ceived of and realised accord-
ing to criteria which Salesian
assistance suggests.
2. Civil, social and mis-
sion voluntary service, much
widespread amongst young
people today. . .
3. Social and political in-
volvement. . .
SOSC Salesiane Oblate
(Full name, Salesiane Oblate
del Sacro Cuore, or Salesian
Oblates of the Sacred Heart)
Proper name • Religious Con-
gregation of Pontifical Right
founded by Salesian Bishop
Joseph Cognata, the Salesian
Oblates of the Sacred Heart
are a Congregation of active
life with a missionary pur-
pose: “the coming of the
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Spirito di famiglia
Spiritualità giovanile salesiana
kingdom of God in the most
needy places.” They ded-
icate themselves particularly
to the education of children
in pre-schools, and to for-
mation of youth, particularly
in regard to catechetics and
helping youth groups together
with the parish priests.
Spirito di famiglia (fam-
ily spirit) Noun phrase • The
Salesian style of life which
had its origins firstly at The
Becchi and then especially
at Valdocco from the time
Don Bosco brought his mother
there to be with him in his
work for poor children.
For Don Bosco family spirit
was the result of familiarity,
family-style relationships and
a home-like way of living and
working together. He would
say that without familiarity
there is no affection, without
affection there is no mutual
trust and without mutual trust
there is no personal contact
and therefore no education.
Spirito salesiano (Sal-
esian spirit) Noun phrase •
In the letter to the Coopera-
tors the Rector Major wrote:
‘When the Regulations speak
of “Salesian spirit” they are de-
scribing the characteristic fea-
tures of the Gospel experience
tested in the school of Don
Bosco as an original style of
life. a synthesis of criteria of
judgment and of methodology
of action.’
It is not a conceptual anal-
ysis of relationships with God
and one’s neighbour. and nei-
ther is it the doctrinal presen-
tation of the spirituality of a
state or ministry, but the de-
scription of the spiritual fea-
tures which identify the Sal-
esian vocation. AGC 318.
1986, p. 28.
While the primary refer-
ence is to the foundational ex-
perience and to the ‘spirit of
Don Bosco’, it also includes
this spirit as lived and shared
over time in his Family. In
fact ‘Salesian spirit’ is a crite-
rion for membership of the Sal-
esian Family (ASC 304, 1982,
p. 61 ff.).
The Constitutions (espe-
cially Chapter 2) speak more
of ‘Salesian spirit’ than they
do of ‘Salesian spirituality’,
since this latter would seem
to deal more with the re-
lationship between the Sal-
esian and God, while ‘Salesian
spirit’ involves not just the
Covenant with God but apos-
tolic consecration, activities of
the mission, the life of commu-
nion, practice of the evangel-
ical counsels, formation, ani-
mation, government.
Spiritualità giovanile sale-
siana
(Salesian Youth
Spirituality) Noun phrase •
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SSCS
Stemma
GC23 produced a brief outline
of Salesian Youth Spirituality
with its important dimensions
of daily life, encounter and
friendship with Christ, grad-
ual introduction to the life of
the Church and a life of ser-
vice.
The term gained promi-
nence through the work of
the 23rd General Chapter in
1990.It is a spirituality that
is also applicable to adults.
Not mentioned explicitly in
the GC23 outline, but of foun-
dational importance, it would
seem, is the role played by mu-
tual confidence between the
young person and his or her
spiritual guide.
Usage: May be capitalised
as Salesian Youth Spirituality.
SSCS Sistema Salesiano
di Comunicazione Sociale
(SSCS Salesian Social Com-
munication System) Acronym,
Proper name • An integrated
and unified communication
project. (Fr Martinelli to Sal-
esian Bulletin editors, 1998).
The SSCS is also a book,
first produced in 2005 by the
Department of Social Commu-
nication, Rome.
The term ‘system’ was
used by Fr Vecchi (2000) to call
attention to the pervasive as-
pect of Social Communication
throughout Salesian presence:
“Our communities, our works
and activities, to which we
give rise like every institution,
become part of a much wider
system of communication. . . ”
See also Social communica-
tion SSCS in the Glossaries at
the end of the dictionary.
SSIHM (Sisters Servants
of the Immaculate Heart of
Mary) Acronym • Religious
Congregation of Diocesan
right. Founded in Bangkok
Thailand 1937 by Bishop
Pasotti.Members of the Sal-
esian Family.
Strenna (strenna) Noun
• A gift given to relatives,
friends, acquaintances, or a
firm’s gift to clients or employ-
ees for the New Year.
A Salesian tradition from
Don Bosco himself whereby
the Rector Major offers a ‘gift’
by way of a word or two for
the New Year.These days it is
usually an ecclesial comment
in a sentence or two followed
up by a commentary tradition-
ally given to the FMAs on
New Year’s Eve.
Usage: It should not be
translated as a ‘motto’ or ‘slo-
gan’, since this misses the
‘New Year gift’ aspect of the
original term. It is also seen
by the Rector Major as a pro-
posed plan of action for the
Salesian Family during the
coming year.
Stemma (coat of arms)
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Stemma
Stemma
Noun • The Salesian Coat of
Arms (not to be confused with
the Logo), designed by Pro-
fessor Boidi, appeared for the
first time ina circular letter
of Don Bosco on 8 December
1885.
Up to the year 1884 the
Salesian Congregation, unlike
other religious families, had
no official coat of arms of
its own. However a seal
was used on official docu-
ments and letters before Don
Bosco’s letter of 1885 men-
tioned above. This seal was
a round die one-inch and a
quarter in diameter. The fig-
ure of St Francis of Sales (bust
in frontal view) appeared at
the centre, framed round by
two laurel branches joined at
the bottom. Above the fig-
ure, around the rim, were the
words, ‘Salesiana Societas.’ Be-
neath the figure, also around
the rim, a text read, ‘Discite a
me quia mitis sum’ [Learn of
me, for I am meekp(Mt 11:29)
– here applied to St Francis de
Sales]. In 1884 a proper coat of
arms was devised. A prelimi-
nary sketch was submitted to
the Superior Chapter (General
Council) by Father Anthony
Sala on September 12, 1884.
Fr. Sala was the Society’s fi-
nancial administrator and was
at the time supervising the
building of the church of the
Sacred Heart and connected
boarding school in Rome. The
move was prompted by a sug-
gestion from the ecclesiasti-
cal authorities there. It was
thought appropriate and im-
portant that the Salesian coat
of arms should appear be-
tween those of Pius IX and Leo
XIII, in the Basilica of the Sa-
cred Heart.
The original sketch itself
was the work of Professor
Boidi. It showed a shield
on which the escutcheon or
field was divided vertically
by a large anchor. At the
anchor’s right (the viewer’s
left) stood the bust of St
Francis of Sales, lit by rays
from above, and at its left
stood a flaming heart. Below
the anchor was a wood with
snow-capped mountains visi-
ble in the background. Two
branches of palm and laurel
with stems entwined at the
bottom framed the oval shield.
At the very bottom a waving
streamer bore the legend, Si-
nite parvulos venire ad me (Al-
low little children to come to
me [Mt 19:14; Mk 10:14; Lk
18:16]).
When the matter was taken
up in the Superior Chapter
the motto, ‘Let little children
come to me’, was quickly set
aside as already in use by
others. Father Giulio Bar-
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SYA
beris, Catechist General, sug-
gested that it be changed to
‘Temperance and Work’, Fa-
ther Celestino Durando, Pre-
fect General of Studies, would
have preferred Maria, Auxil-
ium Christianorum, ora pro no-
bis. Don Bosco ended the de-
bate by saying, “A motto was
already adopted in the very
early days of my work while
I was still attending the Con-
vitto Ecclesiastico (Pastoral In-
stitute) and visiting the pris-
ons – Da mihi animas, cetera
tolle.pEverybody agreed and
applauded, and the historic
motto was adopted. See also
Da mihi animas. . . , Logo.
SYA (Salesian Youth As-
sistants) Acronym • SYA Na-
ture and Rationale Document
(2019): The SYA is a group of
single young men and women
who have spent many years
as members and leaders of the
Don Bosco Youth Center in the
Archdiocesan Shrine of Our
Lady of Lourdes. They may
no longer hold positions of
leadership in their respective
youth groups and in the Parish
Youth Coordinating Council
(PYCC) but they are still will-
ing to serve the young. They
are still influential contribu-
tors, especially in terms of giv-
ing advice, peer-to-peer coun-
SYA
seling, and general assistance
to various youths, whether a
member of a youth group or
not. They still serve the young
but in a more inclusive and
mature way.
The group was formed in
September 2018. The first few
members were only six but
eventually three more were
added. Soon the members
elected their officers. They
were officially installed, and
consequently recognised as
an official parish organisation,
during the 6:00 PM mass of
27 January 2019, a Sunday.
The founding of the group
is not just to offer these for-
mer leaders an opportunity
to continue their service but
also to introduce them to the
Salesian Family. By becoming
members of the SYA they are
included in the Salesian Fam-
ily as Past Pupils under Bro.
Louie D. Domasian, SDB inso-
far as they have been under
the Salesian system of educa-
tion in the youth center envi-
ronment. This makes them
truly Salesian pupils under the
Salesian way of education.
The group may also be con-
sidered a “bridge that con-
nects Youth Ministry to the Sal-
esian Family.”
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Teatrino
The Disciples
T
Teatrino (little theatre)
Noun phrase • Little theatre, es-
pecially puppets. . . for chil-
dren.
The term is both a com-
mon one in Italian (e.g. ‘pup-
pet show’) and a rather special
one in Salesian history for the
importance Don Bosco gave it
in his educational approach.
He often referred to and in fact
encouraged teatrino in con-
trast to teatro, possibly be-
cause he considered the large
scale theatre as too worldly.
This would be consistent with
his view (from first meeting
Cafasso as a young seminar-
ian) that worldly shows are
not for the priest or religious
person.His understanding of
teatrino, however, was also
conditioned by necessity – es-
pecially during the time of the
wandering Oratory, or on the
autumn walks.
Usage: Perhaps the term
can remain untranslated, since
‘little theatre’ does not really
convey the intentions of Don
Bosco, and there is really no
equivalent for it in English.
‘Puppet show’ is not what
he meant. ‘Small dramatic
scenes’ would be closer to his
understanding. ‘Skits’ and the
like, so typical of youngsters
efforts on stage. . . but then,
we also need to think of the
digital age today and how this
concept might be conveyed in
video and similar.
The Disciples
(The
Disciples, female branch also
known as the Don Bosco Sec-
ular Sisters) Proper name • As-
sociation for men and women
of diocesan right waiting to be
approved as a secular institute
of pontifical right. The Dis-
ciples, a Secular Institute of
women, were founded by Fr
Joseph D’Souza SDB in India
in 1973. In January 2009, the
Rector Major and his Council
recognised the association as a
member of the Salesian Fam-
ily.
The institute consists of
two principal branches (men
and women) having their own
separate juridical structure.
The institute has a President,
who is elected by the Gen-
eral Assembly. He is assisted
by his Council formed up of
the General Coordinator and
the respective General Coun-
cils of each of the branches.
Like other secular institutes,
they make the profession of
the evangelical counsels. The
sisters are sent two by two
mostly to the villages for their
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Titoli di appartenenza
TR
apostolate. They teach cate-
chism, help in the parishes,
run balwadis, etc. The broth-
ers are sent to work mainly
in the institutions. They are
also working in many of the
bishops’ houses. They follow
a simple life style based on the
Gospel values and are ready
to do any work given to them
especially in the remote areas.
Titoli di appartenenza
alla famiglia salesiana (cre-
dentials for belonging to the
Salesian Family) Noun phrase
• A first degree of belong-
ing is that of the Salesians,
Salesian Sisters and Salesian
Cooperators – the first three
groups founded by Don Bosco
and which inherit his work di-
rectly. These three are a ref-
erence point for all the other
Groups with regard to spirit,
field of mission, apostolic and
pedagogical method and activ-
ity.
A second degree of belong-
ing involves the many Groups
of consecrated life be they re-
ligious or secular, and certain
Catholic Associations founded
by Don Bosco’s ‘sons and
daughters’.
A third degree of belong-
ing applies to circles which are
part of the vast Salesian move-
ment. They include Friends
of Don Bosco, the Salesian
Youth Movement SYM, volun-
tary service groups which take
their inspiration from the Sal-
esians/Don Bosco, then teach-
ers, catechists and a whole
range of collaborators and co-
workers.
The degree of juridical be-
longing is determined by an
official letter of recognition
from the Rector Major in re-
sponse to a specific request.
See also Famiglia salesiana.
TR Testimoni del Risorto
(TR Witnesses to the Resurrec-
tion ) Proper name • Lay Spir-
itual Movement. On 8th De-
cember 1984 the Easter Project
was born: TR 2000 (Testes Res-
urrectionis – Acts 1:21) with
its own charter. Thus the
TR Movement came about as
a place where friends who
shared the same ideal and de-
sire could meet: to experience
more closely in daily life and
in the circumstances of each
day, the good news of the Res-
urrection, as a source of life
and happiness.
As a movement it is open
to everyone, without limits of
age, culture or origin; those
who join have a particular ex-
perience of faith and friend-
ship, and make up a “family
of families”, where together
they are formed in a culture
of life in order to be more ef-
fective wherever the Lord calls
them. Fidelity to the Risen
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Transunto
TVET
Christ, then, is the basis of TR
spirituality and the style of its
membership as expressed in
an Easter joy nurtured in the
heart, by optimism and hope,
in the service of Christ who is
present in the poor. This inte-
rior attitude is at work deep
down and sustains people in
their difficulties of real life.
Spirit and life of the move-
ment.
The TR Movement (Wit-
nesses to the Resurrection)
comprises local cenacles in
various parts of Italy that carry
out the inspirational princi-
ples and aims of the move-
ment. These local cenacles are
organised into three divisions:
youth, adults, volunteers. The
adult division has within its
ranks a group of consecrated
lay women. At national level
each division is represented by
a National Coordinator, who
refers to the Movement’s Gen-
eral Coordinator. A notable
group, in as far as it takes care
of matters of particular inter-
est, is the youth division.
Founder:
Fr Sabino
Palumbieri SDB. Date admit-
ted to the SF: 25th March 1999.
National recognition: by the
Permanent Council of CEI at
its meeting on 22-25 Septem-
ber 2008.
Transunto [la] (Tran-
sunto, Transumptum) Noun •
The original acts (proceedings)
of the Diocesan Inquiry into
the cause of beatification and
canonisation.
A collection of papers, or a
folder which has the seal of the
Congregation for the Causes
of Saints on it and which con-
tains the Acts of the Diocesan
investigation into the heroic
virtues of the person in ques-
tion.
Usage: The term is rather
specialised and tends to be
used more often in its original
form, since ‘summary’ seems
rather too broad. See also
Positio, Libellus supplex.
TVET
(TVET Tech-
nical Vocational Education
and Training ) Acronym • In
ASEAN countries there are 41
Don Bosco TVETs and 15 in
other EAO countries – 9 in the
Pacific (Oceania), 2 in South
Asia (Pakistan) and 2 in East
Asia.
Don Bosco Tech ASEAN is
the body that coordinates Sal-
esian Technical Vocational Ed-
ucation and Training Centres
in Myanmar, the Philippines,
East Timor, Indonesia, Cam-
bodia, Laos, Thailand and
Vietnam. There are other
Don Bosco Tech groups in
other regions: since 2008, DB
TECH INDIA, since 2014 DB
TECH AFRICA. The DB TECH
ASEAN came into existence in
2019.
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16.1 Page 151

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Ufficio anagrafico e statistico
U
Urna
Ufficio anagrafico e statis-
tico (Registry and statis-
tics office) Noun phrase • Does
all the work of gathering and
preserving documentation re-
garding confreres, houses and
Provinces in the Congrega-
tion.
Usage: Note that there is
also an ufficio protocollo or reg-
istry office which links the uffi-
cio anagrafico at the Salesian ad-
ministrative centre (Direzione
Generale) to the Salesian Cen-
tral Archives.
Additionally, there is an uf-
ficio giuridico, or ’juridical of-
fice’.
Linguistic note: Some care
needs to be exercised in any
translation of the term proto-
collo in English. Normally it
would not be rendered by ‘pro-
tocol’. A protocollo can be a file
which registers all correspon-
dence, for example, or it could
be a file number or code as-
signed to an item.
Urna (casket) Noun • The
coffin or container for bodily
remains intended for display
purposes.
In Salesian discourse, this
term would immediately
point to the glass container,
effectively a reliquary, contain-
ing the body of a Salesian Saint
such as John Bosco, Dominic
Savio, Maria Mazzarello. . . It
is also a ‘false friend’ in the
sense that if it is unthinkingly
translated as ‘Urn’, this is
not at all in keeping with the
meaning of the English word
‘urn’ which is a kind of vase, a
receptacle which may hold the
ashes of the dead (or of a cer-
tain cricket match!), or liquids
such as water or tea.
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Vademecum
V
VDB
Vademecum
(hand-
book) Noun • Name and ti-
tle of a small-format, often
pocket-sized volume contain-
ing a handbook of ideas relat-
ing to a particular subject, and
most often to a technique or
practical activity.
It may refer to an his-
torical document, the Vademe-
cum, written for novices by
Fr Barberis. This is accepted
as part of the Salesian Tradi-
tion. The General Council has
its own vademecum or ready
reference describing its vari-
ous functions for internal use
only. A small booklet contain-
ing general procedures, regu-
lations of an administrative na-
ture.
VDB Volontarie di Don
Bosco ((Women) Volunteers
of Don Bosco) Acronym, Proper
name • A Secular Institute of
Pontifical Right. ‘The Don
Bosco Volunteers, in response
to the Lord’s call, seek to inte-
grate in their lives three char-
acteristic elements of their vo-
cation: consecration, secular-
ity, Salesianity. Fr Viganò de-
scribed them as “a novel incar-
nation of the Salesian spirit of
Don Bosco.”’ (from descrip-
tion in The Salesian Family of
Don Bosco 1999).
The institute recognises the
Rector Major of the Salesians,
successor of Don Bosco, as
the leader of the Salesian Fam-
ily. The institute is structured
on three levels: central (Gen-
eral Council), regional (Re-
gional Council) and local (Lo-
cal Council). The legal head-
quarters are in Rome. Like
most members of secular in-
stitutes, the volunteers do not
live in community, but live
in communion of life, united
by a strong sense of belong-
ing to the institute. In par-
ticular, they find in the group
to which they belong, the
best environment in which to
put communion into practice.
It is supported financially by
the contributions of the volun-
teers. Because of its specif-
ically secular nature, it does
not have any works of its own.
The Salesian ecclesiastical
assistant offers his priestly
ministry to all levels of the in-
stitute, collaborating in the ini-
tial and permanent formation
of the volunteers.
The Holy Reserve:
A requirement of the mis-
sion of a consecrated secular is
to live unobtrusively. The vol-
unteer does not disclose that
she is consecrated. This per-
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Vecchi, Juan Edmundo
Vecchi, Juan Edmundo
mits her to live an ordinary
life like other people. Pro-
fessing and living the evangel-
ical counsels, the volunteer ex-
presses her fundamental op-
tion for Christ while living in
the world, and with nothing
to distinguish her from others.
The Women Volunteers of Don
Bosco, responding to the call
of the Lord, seek to integrate
in their lives the three char-
acteristic elements of their vo-
cation: consecration, secular-
ity, Salesian character. Blessed
Philip Rinaldi played a key
role in their formation and de-
velopment. See also CDB
Volontari Con Don Bosco.
Vecchi, Juan Edmundo
(Vecchi, Juan Edmundo)
Proper name • Rector Major
from 1996–2002. Juan Ed-
mundo Vecchi Monti, was
born at Viedma (Argentina)
on 23 June 1931, the youngest
of seven children of a family
of Italian emigrants who be-
tween 1898 and 1906 moved
from Emilia Romagna to Ar-
gentina in a period in which
many Italians dreamed of es-
caping from the poverty of
their own country by finding
work and tranquility in for-
eign parts.
His father, Albino Vec-
chi, came from Boretto (Reg-
gio Emilia), and his mother
Maria Monti from Montes-
cudo (Forlì).They became ac-
quainted in Argentina and
were married there.Juan was
a nephew of the Blessed
Artemide Zatti, a Salesian
Brother. Juan got to know the
Salesians in Viedma and de-
cided to follow a salesian vo-
cation. He made his first vows
at Fortín Mercedes, 29 January
1947, and studied theology at
Turin-Crocetta, where he was
ordained priest on 1 July 1958.
In the same year at Turin he
obtained the licentiate in the-
ology.
On his return to Argentina
he was Rector at Viedma from
’65 to ’72. In the same year he
began his long service - some
30 years - to the Congregation
as a member of the General
Council.From ’72 to ’78 he was
Regional Councillor for the At-
lantic part of Latin America;
from ’78 to ’90 he was Gen-
eral Councillor for Youth Min-
istry; from ’90 al ’96 Vicar Gen-
eral; and finally from 20 March
1996 he was the eighth succes-
sor of Don Bosco.
He will be remembered as
an innovator in youth pastoral
work, but also for his outstand-
ing gifts of government.He
could listen and give due
weight to all suggestions and
opinions, and to individual
needs.He had a strong sense
of fatherliness and of fidelity
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VIA Don Bosco
Vicario
to the founder’s charism, and
was moreover a competent
leader and animator of team-
work, sensitive and open to
signs of the times. As Rec-
tor Major from the time of the
GC24, the Chapter on the laity,
Fr Vecchi always believed in
them and kept up a trusting
and sharing relationship with
the thousands of lay people
who take part in different
ways in Don Bosco’s mission
for the service of the young.
Noteworthy too was his
post-conciliar sensitivity, in
which he followed his pre-
decessor Fr Egidio Viganò
in believing in a ’Church-
communion’ and in a ’Church-
mission’ for the service of the
poor, in a Congregation in-
carnate in all cultures and
reaching out to the poorest
and most marginalised of ev-
ery continent. But as dis-
tinct from Fr Viganò, what
stands out in Fr Vecchi is the
prominence of the anthropo-
logical and educative aspect
over the theological and spiri-
tual, while the latter character-
istic remains high in his per-
sonality (cf. his many letters
and publications on this latter
aspect). The eighth successor
of Don Bosco was also a man
of communication, a pastoral
sector in which he firmly be-
lieved and to which he gave
strong encouragement.
In the program of his
six years as Rector Major,
the communication dimension
entered every environment,
and found concrete expres-
sion, among other items, in
the renewal and relaunching
of the 52 editions of the Sal-
esian Bulletin.
VIA Don Bosco (Via
Don Bosco) Proper name •
VIA Don Bosco is a recog-
nised Belgian NGO that sup-
ports educational institutions
and youth employment initia-
tives in Africa and Latin Amer-
ica. As a Belgian and Sal-
esian NGO, VIA Don Bosco
seeks to contribute to the re-
alisation of the right to educa-
tion for disadvantaged young
people and marginalised com-
munities in both the North
and the South of the world.
VIA Don Bosco has been in
existence for 50 years. Un-
til 2011, the organisation was
called DMOS-COMIDE. 2005
– Don Bosco Network (DBN):
VIA Don Bosco, under its for-
mer name, became one of
the founding fathers of the
Don Bosco Network (DBN),
through which European Sal-
esian NGOs join forces. See
also DBN Don Bosco Network.
Vicario (Vice (provin-
cial, rector),Vicar of. . . ) Noun
• Someone who exercises au-
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Vicuña, Laura
Vicuña, Laura
thority or substitutes for or
represents another person
higher up. In ancient times
and the Middle Ages, it was
the title for a public official.
The Vicar of the Rector Ma-
jor is the first collaborator of
the Rector Major in the govern-
ment of the Society (Cf. C. 130-
132).
Note that vicario, in its
wider application, but still as-
sociated with Don Bosco, was
the title of the public official
responsible for law and order
in Turin. Michele Benso di
Cavour was the Vicario of the
city, or City Vicar.
The Salesian vicario is
always a priest (since he
can take the place of the
RM/Provincial/Rector who
will always be a priest. Only
relatively recently (after the
renewal of the Constitutions)
was the role of vicario also ap-
plied at the local (house) level.
Usage: The Italian term vi-
cario as applied in Salesian
government and animation
usually needs to be specified
since it applies to three lev-
els – world level (of the RM),
Province level, vice provin-
cial, and local level (vice rec-
tor).In each case the vicario is
the first collaborator of the
RM/provincial/rector, and
can take his place when that
person is absent or impeded.
Vicuña, Laura (Vicuña,
Laura ) Proper name • A signifi-
cant example of holiness in the
Salesian Family and as a result
of the work of the Salesian Sis-
ters.
Laura was born in Santi-
ago, Chile, in 1891. Her fa-
ther was a soldier. When civil
war broke out, her father took
Laura and her mother to an-
other town across the moun-
tains in Argentina so that they
would be safe. Laurana father
died when she was only two
years old.
Laurans mother, Mercedes,
had to find some way to sup-
port Laura and her new baby
sister. After working as a cook
for several years, she met a
wealthy ranch owner named
Manuel Mora. Mora promised
Mercedes that if she came to
live with him, he would send
Laura to a boarding school
taught by nuns. Mora did
not promise to marry Laurans
mother.
Laura loved school. She
was smart and did well. She
loved learning about her faith
and spent a great deal of time
in prayer. On the day of her
First Communion, she wrote,
‘Oh, my God, I want to love
and serve you all my life’ in
her notebook. Some of her
classmates shunned her for
her piety.
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VIDES
Viganò, Egidio
But her happiness at school
turned to worry when she re-
turned home for a visit. Her
mother and Mora were living
as a married couple. Laura
knew that this was a sin. She
prayed that her mother would
leave Mora and begin to live
Godns Commandments again.
Mora stopped paying for
her education, but given a
scholarship, Laura returned to
school. She told a priest that
she wanted permission to join
the convent. Although the
priest believed the girl had a
true calling from God, he told
her that she was too young
and would have to wait until
she was older to make such an
important decision.
As Laura grew older, Mora
turned his attention from Mer-
cedes to her. Laura refused his
advances and, angered, Mora
beat her badly in 1904. Weak-
ened from the beating and al-
ready in frail health, she died
just a week later at the age of
13.
Seemingly in answer to
Laurans prayer to God, her
mother returned to the Church
when her daughter died.
On 3 September 1988,
Laura Vicuña was beatified by
Pope John Paul II.
Usage:The term remains in
Spanish and works easily in
English that way – but efforts
should be made, given the
ease of word-processing and
font choice today, to retain the
ñ. Beatified in 1988 at Colle
Don Bosco.The event gave rise
to another term, the Hill of the
Beatitudes.
VIDES VIDES Volon-
tariato Internazionale Donna
Educazione Sviluppo (In-
ternational Volunteer Move-
ment for Development and
the Education of Women)
Acronym • International asso-
ciation of youth volunteers un-
der the auspices of theDaugh-
ters of Mary Help of Chris-
tians (or the Salesian Sisters)
(www.fmaitalia.it) for the ad-
vancement of women–acts on
behalf of women, children and
disadvantaged people of both
genders, especially in develop-
ing nations.
Viganò, Egidio (Viganò,
Egidio) Proper name • Rector
Major from 1977–1995.Egidio
Viganò was a native of Lom-
bardy, but deeply rooted in
the Latin-American culture be-
cause of his long stay in
Chile (1939-1971). Strength-
ened by culturally significant
traditions and a good theo-
logical school (where he was
also a teacher), he took part
in Vatican Council II as an
expert, bringing to that the
pastoral and educative experi-
ences he had gained overseas
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Viganò, Egidio
Viganò, Egidio
along with a scientific rigour.
As the Superior General
of a relevant Religious Insti-
tute and of many other asso-
ciated groups, he was partic-
ularly attentive to the world’s
problems and especially the
Third World. He system-
atically shared the Bread of
the Council with his confr-
eres through detailed letters
formulated as proposals of life
(in the Church and for the
Church in the charism of Don
Bosco). The Pope nominated
him as a Consultor for the
Pontifical Council for the Fam-
ily, for the Pontifical Council
for the Laity, and for the Con-
gregation of Institutes of Con-
secrated Life and Societies of
Apostolic Life. He was also a
member of the Congregation
for the Evangelisation of Peo-
ples, of the preparatory ses-
sion for the Synod of Bish-
ops of Europe, and a member
too of the Permanent interde-
partmental Commission for a
more equal distribution of the
clergy. For two years also he
was President of the Union of
Superiors General (USG).
Little by little he contin-
ued to update himself through
his participation in Medellin,
Puebla, Rome and their vari-
ous Synods, and also as pres-
ident of the Union of Superi-
ors General (USG). Along with
two other Superiors General
(one Benedictine the other Je-
suit) he was assigned by Pope
John Paul II as a member of
the extraordinary Synod on
the 20th anniversary of the
Council. Because of this and
of other notable experiences
and accomplishments, the pe-
riod of leadership of Fr E. Vi-
ganò brought about in the Sal-
esian Family that ’sentire cum
ecclesia’ and that fidelity to
the Pope that were such noted
and important characteristics
of Don Bosco. These charac-
teristics also carried forward
in the ecclesial dimension the
renewal ’in fidelity’ to which
the Salesian Family was called
at the threshold of the Millen-
nium.
As a member nominated
by the Holy Father he took
part in 6 Synods of Bish-
ops which were celebrated in
Rome from 1980 to 1994, in the
special meetings in the Vatican
in 1981-1982 with cardinals,
bishops and superiors gen-
eral concerned with problems
in Central America, while in
1983 he took part in the dia-
logues of the superiors general
with the Holy Father on prob-
lems and perspectives of Reli-
gious Life in the Church. In
1986 he was invited to preach
the annual Retreat to the Pope
and the Roman Curia. He
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Visita (ispettoriale) (straordinaria)
Visitatoria
gave a particular contribution
to the last synod on conse-
crated life. Struck down by
a tumour, he spent the final
months of his life in suffering.
Fr Viganò will be remem-
bered also as the celebrated
author of numerous publica-
tions of spiritual and theolog-
ical character.
Visita
(ispettoriale)
(straordinaria)
((provin-
cial) (extraordinary) visita-
tion) Noun phrase • PROVIN-
CIAL VISITATION: Once a
year he (provincial) will make
with particular care the provin-
cial visitation to each commu-
nity
EXTRAORDINARY VISI-
TATION: A six yearly visit to a
Province arranged by the Rec-
tor Major (a visit he may make
personally) and normally as-
signed to a regional or other
councillor to conduct in his
name. The delegated ‘visitor’
has the delegated power of ju-
risdiction required by the na-
ture of the visit. (Cf R. 104).
In the case of the Extraordi-
nary Visitation, the person as-
signed by the Rector Major to
carry this out is known as the
‘Visitor’ or ‘Extraordinary Visi-
tor ’.
Visita d’insieme (team
visit) Noun phrase • An ini-
tiative that became part of
regular practice to promote
“the unity of the Congrega-
tion as the fruit of com-
munion and charismatic fi-
delity”(GC25, 88).
The term came into being
and was developed through
the initiative of the Rector Ma-
jor from Fr Ricceri’s time. It
is not included in the Salesian
code of law, that is, it is not pre-
scribed by the Constitutions
and Regulations.
The Team Visit aims to ac-
complish:
* an assessment of how the
Provinces and Region have
communicated and assimi-
lated GC26 and put it into
practice;
* the discovery of basic
horizons for the Provinces’
and Region’s way forward;
* the study of one or two
topics of particular interest for
the Region.
The aims and objectives of
the Team Visit are in fact de-
pendent on the Rector Major
and his Council.
Usage: The term would
normally be capitalised (both
words).
Visitatoria
(vice-
province) Noun • C. 158 The
vice-province is similar to the
province. It is established
when distance, number or
other circumstances require
that some houses be detached
from one or more provinces,
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Vita comune
Vita consacrata
but the lack of personnel, of
financial resources or some
other reason does not warrant
the establishment of a new
province.
Usage: The term may be
capitalised as Vice-province
and may appear without a hy-
phen as vice province or Vice
province and even as Vice-
province or viceprovince.
Linguistic note: The supe-
rior of a vice province is called
‘superior’, not ‘provincial’ and
certainly not ‘vice provincial’
which is an entirely different
role.
Vita comune (common
life, community life, fraternal
life in common, fraternal life
in community) Noun phrase •
Religious institutes are soci-
eties in which the members in
accord with their proper law
profess public vows and lead
a life of brothers or sisters in
common (Canon 607 §2).
‘Common life’ for DB was
closely linked to the bonds of
fraternal charity, obedience. It
is something practical rather
than doctrinal for him.
Canon Law specifies: “two
elements of union and of unity
among the members can be
distinguished:
– one, the more spiritual:
‘fraternity’ or ‘fraternal com-
munion’, which arises from
hearts animated by charity.
It underlines ‘communion of
life’ and interpersonal relation-
ships;(13)
– the other, more visible:
‘life in common’ or ‘commu-
nity life’, which consists of ‘liv-
ing in one’s own lawfully con-
stituted religious house’ and
in ‘leading a common life’
through fidelity to the same
norms, taking part in common
acts, and collaboration in com-
mon services.” (Can 602, 607)
The core element common
across cultures and situations
is “living and working to-
gether ”.
Usage: The description
‘community life’ is more a col-
loquial reference than an offi-
cial or even canonical one (the
latter refers to ‘fraternal life
in community’ by preference.
Thus the term is seen more as
a common, homely expression
for a reality which is integral
to religious life, along with its
mission and profession of the
evangelical counsels, or vows.
Vita consacrata
(con-
secrated life) Noun phrase •
“Life consecrated through the
profession of the evangelical
counsels is a stable form of liv-
ing in which the faithful fol-
low Christ more closely under
the action of the Holy Spirit
and are totally dedicated to
God who is supremely loved.
By a new and special title they
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Vita consacrata
Vita consacrata
are dedicated to seek the per-
fection of charity in the service
of God’s kingdom for the hon-
our of God, for the building
up of the Church and the sal-
vation of the world. They are
a splendid sign in the Church
as they foretell the heavenly
glory.” (Canon 573, 1).
An implication of the def-
inition is specified in the fol-
lowing canon. The state of per-
sons who profess the evangeli-
cal counsels belongs to the life
and holiness of the Church.
It is therefore to be fostered
and promoted by everyone in
the Church (Canon 574). This
obligation belongs especially
to families.
In the Church there are
many institutes of consecrated
life that differ according to
the grace given to them e.g.
the intention of the founders,
the nature of the institute,
its purpose and spirit and its
sound traditions. . . (Canon
578) these elements are to be
included in the constitutions
of the institute to protect the
vocation and identity of the in-
stitute (Canon 587, 1).
The consecrated life by its
nature is neither clerical nor
lay. If, by the will of the
founder, an institute is gov-
erned by clerics and implies
the exercise of sacred orders, it
is called clerical. If, by the will
of the founder, the institute is
not governed by clerics and
does not imply the exercise of
sacred orders, it is called lay
(Canon 588).
The institute can be either
pontifical or diocesan. It is
pontifical if it has been estab-
lished by the Apostolic See. It
is diocesan if it has been estab-
lished by the diocesan Bishop
(Canon 589). Each institute
taking into account its special
character is to define in its rule
or constitutions how the evan-
gelical counsels and the com-
mon life are to be lived in
the institute. (Canons 598-602)
For example, the foundational
documents of the community
define whether it is contempla-
tive or apostolic.
Usage: There is often, in
common speech, confusion or
misuse of terms in relation
to consecrated life. At the
1994 Synod on consecrated life
( “The Consecrated Life and
Its Role in the Church and in
the World.” The word “con-
secrated” was used in place
of “religious” because it is a
broader concept that includes
hermits, virgins, secular insti-
tutes, and new forms of con-
secrated lay persons who do
not live in a religious com-
munity), the Synod members
(Cardinal Hume posed seven
questions) asked for clarifica-
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Volontariato
Volontariato
tion. What emerged from this
important Synod was at least
this: Consecrated life was seen
as an essential aspect of eccle-
sial communion. An impor-
tant and useful distinction was
made between “consecration
as such” and various concrete
forms of consecration. Conse-
crated life is more than a struc-
ture in the Church; it is a struc-
ture of the Church which calls
all to holiness.
Volontariato
(vol-
untary service) Noun • ‘A
service of solidarity, made
gratuitously and freely by a
young person [but there are
older people who offer them-
selves and their services in
the same way], sent and wel-
comed by a community, inte-
grating him/herself into the
educative and pastoral project
of a Salesian presence or pro-
moted by it, with a sufficient
continuity of time, motivated
by the faith, with the mission-
ary style and according to the
pedagogy and spirituality of
Don Bosco.’ (From the PDMA
Manual published in 2018 by
the Missions Department, an-
nex on Salesian Missionary
Volunteering). The four key el-
ements are a) a service of soli-
darity, b) Freedom, c) Gratuity,
d) Sufficient continuity.
PDMA (Provincial Dele-
gate for Missionary Anima-
tion) is a key reference person
for the Volunteer Movement
locally.
It is noted that in the Sal-
esian context voluntary ser-
vice has developed consider-
ably in recent decades, so
much so that some Salesian
works begun in the last 25
years would not be what they
are without the valuable ser-
vice of the volunteers. At
present in the Salesian world
there is a great variety of expe-
riences consideredovoluntary
service.pIt is difficult to make
a complete list. We shall men-
tion some of the more com-
mon ones.
The freely given service of
leaders, catechists and other
collaborators in the oratories
and youth centres and in Sal-
esian parishes. Some of these
provide a full time service
while others a regular but in-
termittent service.
* Social voluntary service
among the poor.
* Voluntary service in edu-
cational contexts.
* Voluntary service of a di-
rectly evangelising nature.
* Voluntary service as a
specifically vocational form of
activity in a Salesian centre.
* Voluntary service as a vo-
cational choice of life, for an
unlimited period.
* Group experience, nor-
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VSDB
mally outside one’s own envi-
ronment and for a short time
– from two weeks to three
months – to carry out a spe-
cific project. Often these expe-
riences are carried out in Sal-
esian contexts in developing
countries.
* Voluntary service for a
considerable length of time
(about a year) outside one’s
own environment in works in
the same Province.
* Voluntary service for a
short period of time (three
months to a year) or for a
longer period (more than a
year) in other countries in mis-
sion territories entrusted to
the Congregation.
* Civilian (social) service
supported by the State, that
can take the place of military
service.
From the variety in this list,
to which could be added other
VSDB
experiences, it can be seen that
in different parts of the Sal-
esian world, not everyone has
the same thing in mind when
they speak about ‘Salesian vol-
untary service.’ For this rea-
son we feel the need to estab-
lish certain criteria for the or-
ganisation and the promotion
of this rich and promising phe-
nomenon. As Salesians, we
want to discover these riches,
and recognise the challenges,
bearing in mind the current so-
cial and ecclesiastical context,
within the context of history
and of Salesian values.
VSDB (The Vistation
Sisters of Don Bosco) Acronym
• A religious Congregation of
Diocesan Right.
Founder: Bishop Hubert
D’Rosario SDB (1919-1994),
Bishop of Shillong (1969-1994).
Date of foundation: 31 May
1983.
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Wantok (system)
Wantok (system)
W
Wantok (system) [tpi]
(Wantok (system)) Noun • In
Tok Pisin, the ’lingua franca’
of Papua New Guinea, wantok
means ‘one talk’ – meaning the
language of the tribe or clan
that a person belongs to. The
Wantok system and Wantok-
ism make up the traditional
welfare system that evolved
around that tribe. It has
evolved into an omnipresent
approach to life in Papua New
Guinea, and thus affects the
lives of Salesian communities
and their work.
And indeed, the PGS Vice
Province has adopted the term
for its annual youth gathering,
Wantok Don Bosco.
The Wantok system has
a significant impact in every
area of life in PNG. Wantoks
who gain a position of respon-
sibility are expected to look af-
ter their wantoks. . . whether
that be in their own small busi-
ness such as a trade store or
small workshop, in an existing
business, in the Civil Service
or as a politician.
Seen positively, wantokism
is a system where people de-
pend on, care for, and help
each other in many aspects
of society. While traditionally
family and clan members were
obligated to provide support
for each other, the ‘wantok sys-
tem’ today performs a set of
broader roles. It acts, for ex-
ample, as form of social secu-
rity, whereby families look af-
ter their sick or elderly family
members. The wantok system
has a set of underlying values
for its practices. Three such
values are protection (physi-
cal and social), accountability
(to kin) and that allegiance to
wantoks outweighs other con-
siderations. When the wan-
tok system operates well in
the village and traditional so-
ciety, it helps maintain a com-
munity’s wellbeing, and pro-
vides a form of social glue or
strength for the community.
In the modern context, the
wantok system is now under
pressure, especially in the ur-
ban areas. Not only are these
social connections stressed by
the concentration and com-
plexity of urban lives, but
the expectations and pressures
from wantoks can also lead to
the abuse of office by employ-
ees, managers, public servants
and politicians. Often, mi-
grants respond by striving to
focus on their individual fam-
ily rather than the clan, allow-
ing them to accumulate wealth
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Wantok (system)
away from the bounds of so-
cial obligations. Regardless,
the ‘wantok system’ is often
held to blame (by Papua New
Guineans and outsiders) for
a variety of problems within
contemporary life in Papua
Wantok (system)
New Guinea – most promi-
nently corruption and nepo-
tism but also, as wantoks
start placing untenable pres-
sures on better-off relatives,
the breaking down of tradi-
tional kinship relations.
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X
(No entries as yet) •
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Y
(No entries as yet) •
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Zatti, Artemide
Zelo
Z
Zatti, Artemide (Zatti,
Artemides) Proper name •
Artemides Zatti was born in
Boretto (Reggio Emilia) on Oc-
tober 12, 1880. He experienced
difficulties and sacrifices from
an early date. By the age of
nine he was already earning
his living as a day labourer.
Poverty forced his family to
emigrate to Bahia Blanca, Ar-
gentina. Here Artemides be-
gan to attend the parish run by
the Salesians and developed
great confidence in the Parish
Priest, Fr. Carlo Cavalli. Ad-
vised to become a Salesian, he
was accepted as an aspirant
by Bishop Cagliero and, at the
age of 23, entered the house of
Bernal. Among other things,
he was entrusted with the care
of a young priest who was suf-
fering from tuberculosis.
Artemides caught the dis-
ease. He was sent to the hos-
pital of San José. While there,
the priest, doctor, Fr. Evari-
sio Garrone, followed him, in
a special way. With him, he
asked and received the grace
of a cure from Mary Our Help.
On his part, he promised to
dedicate his whole life to the
care of the sick. He was cured
and kept his promise. At first,
he looked after the hospital
Pharmacy. After the death of
Fr. Garrone, he was totally
responsible for the hospital,
which became the scene of his
holiness. In 1913 he directed
the building of a new hospi-
tal, which later, to his great
disappointment, was demol-
ished in 1941, to make room
for the episcopal residence for
the new diocese of Viedma. In
1950, a fall from a stairs forced
him to retire. A few months
later he showed symptoms of
cancer.
He died on March 15, 1951.
His remains lie in the Salesian
Chapel of Viedma. John Paul
II beatified him on April 14,
2002, in Rome.
Zelo
(zeal) Noun •
The Greek term zelos means
ardour, the act of emulating
something (or someone). In
religious terms it is a strong
sense of ardour, directed to
God or for the salvation of
souls – in this sense then we
hear it used as applied to Don
Bosco.We see phrases in Sal-
esian discourse such as tireless
zeal, the zeal for souls, zeal of
the Da mihi animas. Fr Chávez,
following the UISG (Superiors
General) meeting in 2004, be-
gan to use the synonymous
term‘passion’ much more fre-
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Ziggiotti, Renato
quently.
Ziggiotti, Renato (Zig-
giotti, Renato) Personal name
• Renato Ziggiotti rose to the
top after an authentic experi-
ence of coming up through the
ranks as soldier, then teacher
and animator amongst the
young. After his experience
as a General Councillor and
Vicar he took up the reins of
the Congregation in the diffi-
cult post-war years, spurring
it on to unity by means of a
fervent spiritual life and the
charism of Don Bosco.
Fr Ziggiotti was the first
Salesian Rector Major after
the generation formed directly
in the school of Don Bosco,
Founder, and he saw it as nec-
essary to ‘fall in again’. His ser-
vice was exceptional. His post-
war period as Rector Major
was marked by – other than
the normal activities of gov-
ernment – his extraordinary
journeys around the world
that carried him into direct
contact with the reality of the
Congregation, helped him to
know all of the confreres, gave
Ziggiotti, Renato
him ways to confirm and en-
courage daring programs.
Above all he spurred the
Congregation on to rebuild the
unity of communities which
the wartime events had dis-
turbed through years of sep-
aration and segregation. He
knew how to rebuild in demo-
cratic style, almost heartily,
but no less incisively. If he had
the gift of command that be-
trayed something of its ‘mili-
tary’ origins, it revealed never-
theless a great interiority. He
drew life from God, from the
Church, from the Madonna
and from Don Bosco. As a
result he lived for his confr-
eres and their mission. So lit-
tle did he see himself as impor-
tant that after the Second Vati-
can Council – in which he par-
ticipated with mind and heart
as a true son of the Church –
he humbly retired as superior
and withdrew to the Sanctu-
ary of Don Bosco on the Bec-
chi Hill, as its first Rector, and
then to his beloved Veneto,
where he remained until his
death.
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FALSE FRIENDS
Sometimes an Italian word can be correctly translated by look-
ing for similarities with English words, but in many cases the
word has a different meaning. False friends are words which
look or sound similar to an English word but differ significantly
in meaning. Some false friends have more than one transla-
tion between Italian and English, and so it is very important
to recognise the different possible meanings of some English
words compared to their Italian ’friend’. The use of loanwords,
too, often results in the use of a word in a restricted context,
which may then develop new meanings not found in the origi-
nal language, thus also creating a false friend.
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A
Italian
Accidente
Accomodare
Ad hoc
Affluente
Affrontare
Agenda
Anticipare
Argomento
False Friend Comment
accident
Mostly means a stroke, a fit,
damn! Could be ‘accident’ but
that would normally be incidente
accommodate Means to fix, arrange. ‘To accom-
modate’ would normally be al-
loggiare
ad hoc
affluent
affront
agenda
anticipate
Means specially made. ‘Ad hoc’
as we use it in English would be
improvvisato
Means a tributary. ‘Affluent’, as
we use it in English would be
ricco
Means to face someone. ‘Af-
front’ (cause affront) as we use it
in English would be oltraggiare,
offendere
Means a diary. ‘Agenda’ as
we use it in English would be
l’ordine del giorno
Means to bring forward. ‘Antic-
ipate’ would be prevedere, aspet-
tarsi
argument
Means topic. ‘Argument’ in Ital-
ian would be discussione, litigo
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Arrangiare arrange
Means to fix, manage. ‘Arrange’
as we use it in English would be
sistemare, disporre
Attendere attend
Means to wait for. ‘Attend’ as
we use it in English would be fre-
quentare
Attico
attic
Means a penthouse or top-floor
flat. ‘Attic’ as we use it in
English would be soffitta
Attuale
actual
Means current (can mean ac-
tual). But ‘actual’, as we most
often use it in English would be
effettivo, reale
Avvertimento advertisement Means a warning, notice, cau-
tion. ‘Advertisement’ would be
annuncio, inserzione
Italian
Baldo
Bendare
B
False Friend
bald
bend
Comment
Means courageous. ‘Bald’ is
calvo
Means to bandage. ‘To bend’ is
curvare, inchinare, piegare
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Box
Bravo
Brina
box
brave
brine
Afraid not! It is a loan word that
has changed meaning in Italian
and means a garage or parking
space. Box is scatola
Means well done! Clever, good.
‘Brave’ is coraggioso
Sorry, but it refers to hoarfrost.
‘Brine’ would be acqua salata
C
Italian
Candido
Cantina
Carta
Cautione
Cava
False Friend
candid
canteen
card
caution
cava
Comment
Means pure, honest. ‘Candid’ is
schietto
Means cellar, basement. ‘Can-
teen’ is mensa
Could mean card but more of-
ten, in a Salesian context, it will
mean charter, document. ‘Card’
could be tessera, biglietto
Means bail. ‘Caution’ is cautela
Means pit, quarry. ‘Cave’ would
be caverna
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Caldo
cold
Means the opposite – warm.
‘Cold’ is freddo
Collegio
college
Means boarding school. ‘Col-
lege’ (US) would be istituto uni-
versitario
Comodità commodity Means comfort, convenience.
‘Comodity’ is prodotto, merce, ma-
teria prima
Comprensivo comprehensive Means understanding, inclu-
sive, sympathetic. ‘Comprehen-
sive’ is esauriente
Conduttore conductor Means driver (tram, bus). ‘Con-
ductor’ is bigliettaio (tram), diret-
tore d’orchestra (music)
Coerenza
coherence
Means consistent (viewpoint).
‘Consistent’ as for texture would
be consistenza
Collaboratore collaborator Could mean this but also part-
ner, co-worker. The negative
sense of the word in English
would be informatore, collabo-
razionista
Colloquio colloquium Could be, but in the Salesian
sense a friendly chat, conversa-
tion. A ‘colloquium’ is a semi-
nario accademico
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Confetti
confetti
Confrontare confront
Consistente consistent
Conveniente convenient
Means wedding sweets, sug-
ared almonds. ‘Confetti’ as we
use it in English is coriandoli
Means to compare. ‘Confront’ as
we use it in English is far fronte a
Means substantial, solid. ‘Con-
sistent’ would be coerente,
costante
Means of good value. ‘Conve-
nient’ as we use it in English is
adatto, comodo, opportuno
D
Italian
Delusione
Diffidenza
Disgrazia
Docile
False Friend
delusion
diffidence
disgrace
docile
Comment
Means disappointment. ‘Delu-
sion’ is illusione
Means distrust. ‘Diffidence’ is
sfiducia
Means bad luck, misfortune.
‘Disgrace’ is vergogna, disonore
Could be docile but more likely
well-behaved, obedient. ‘Docile’
is also arrendevole, mansueto
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Domandare demand
Means to ask. ‘To demand’ is pre-
tendere, esigere, insistere
E
Italian
Editore
Educazione
False Friend
editor
education
Effettivo
Emotivo
effective
emotive
Energetico
energetic
Esibizione
exhibition
Eventualmente eventually
Comment
Means publisher. ‘Editor’ is di-
rettore, curatore (books)
Very ofen means upbringing,
good manners. ‘Education’
is cultura, formazione, istruzione
and also educazione
Means real. ‘Effective’ is efficace
Means emotional. ‘Emotive’ is
che desta impressione
Means energy. ‘Energetic’ is en-
ergico, attivo
Means performance. ‘Exhibi-
tion’ is mostra
Means if necessary, possibly.
‘Eventually’ is alla fine, finalmente
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F
Italian
Fastidioso
Fatale
Fattoria
Formazione
Frequentare
False Friend
fastidious
fatal
factory
formation
frequent
Comment
Means annoying. ‘Fastidious’ is
esigente, scrupoloso
Means inevitable though can
also be fatal. ‘Fatal’ is mortale, fa-
tidico
Means farm. ‘Factory’ is fabbrica
Could be, but could also be
education.
Mostly means to attend (e.g.
school). ‘Frequent’ can also be
frequentare
Italian
Geniale
Globale
G
False Friend
genial
global
Comment
Means brilliant, gifted. ‘Genial’
is simpatico, amichevole
Can mean global but more often
overall. ‘Global’ could be mondi-
ale
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Gregario
gregarious
Means backup or support. ‘Gre-
garious’ is socievole
I
Italian
False Friend
Impressionante impressive
Inabitato
Incaricato
inhabited
incharge
Incidente
incident
Ingiuria
injury
Interrogazione interrogation
Irrilevante
irrelevant
Comment
Can mean impressive but espe-
cially shocking. ‘Impressive’ is
notevole
Actually mean uninhabited! ‘In-
habited’ is abitato
Incharge doesn’t exist. ‘Indi-
vidual in charge’ does, or ‘ap-
pointee’ or similar. An incaricato
is also an addetto
Means an accident. An ‘inci-
dent’ is an evento
Means insult. ‘Injury’ is ferita,
danno
Means an oral exam (school).
‘Interrogation’ is interrogatorio
Means insignificant (can mean
irrelevant). ‘Irrelevant’ is nor-
mally non pertinente
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L
Italian
Libreria
Liminalità
Linguaggio
Lurido
False Friend
library
liminality
language
lurid
Comment
Means bookshop. ‘Library’ is
biblioteca
Means a frontier situation. The
rather special meaning of limi-
nality in anthropology is disori-
entamento
Can be language but also style,
expression. ‘Language’ can be
lingua
Means filthy. ‘Lurid’ is spar-
giante, pacchiano
M
Italian
Maggazzino
False Friend
magazine
Comment
Means warehouse. ‘Magazine’
is periodico, rotocalco
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Mansione mansion
Marmellata marmalade
Marrone
maroon
Miseria
misery
Monsignore Monsignor
Morbido
Moroso
morbid
morose
Means duty, task. ‘Mansion’ is
villa, blocco di apartamenti
Means jam (any kind of jam).
‘Marmalade’ is marmellata di
agrumi
Means brown. ‘Maroon’ is rosso
fegato or rosso granata
Means poverty. ‘Misery’ is sof-
ferenza
Means bishop, archbishop. . . .
‘Monsignor’ (with its meaning
of a special title for a priest) is
also monsignore
Means soft. ‘Morbid’ is morboso
Means in arrears (rent!). ‘Mo-
rose’ is scontroso
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N
Italian
Nominare
Novella
False Friend
nominate
novel
Comment
Means to name. ‘Nominate’ is
proporre per una candidatura
Means a short story. ‘Novel’ is
romanzo
O
Italian
Occasione
Occorre
Orfano
Organico
False Friend
occasion
occur
orphan
organic
Comment
Means this but also opportu-
nity, bargain. ‘Occasion’ is not
always occasione. It could be
evento, momento
Means something is needed.
‘Occur’ is accadere, venire in mente
Means orphan but in Italian, an
orphan may have lost only one
parent, e.g. orfano di padre
Means systematic, holistic, com-
plete. ‘Organic’ is more likely to
be biologico, ecologico, naturale
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Organismo organism
Can be organism but think more
in terms of an organisation.
P
Italian
Parenti
Pastorale
Patente
Paternità
Pavimento
Petrolio
Preoccupato
Presbiterio
False Friend
parents
pastoral
patent
paternity
pavement
petrol
preoccupied
presbytery
Comment
Means relatives. ‘Parents’ are
genitori
Yes, but in Salesian context it
refers to ministry or pastoral
ministry.
Means licence. A ‘patent’ is a
brevetto
Means fatherhood, authorship.
To be ‘fatherly’ (fatherliness) is
(essere) paterno
Means floor. ‘Pavement’ (foot-
path) is marciapiede
Means oil. ‘Petrol’ is benzina
Means worried. ‘Preoccupied’ is
assorto
Means the sanctuary in the
church. ‘Presbytery’ is casa par-
rochiale or canonica
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Pretendere
Prevaricare
Procura
Protocollo
Puntura
pretend
prevaricate
procure
protocol
puncture
Means to claim (Pretender to the
throne!). ‘To pretend’ is far finta
Means to abuse (use of power).
‘Prevaricate’ is tergiversare
Salesian usage suggests it might
be a Mission office. But the
noun ‘procure’ does not exist in
English and the verb ’to procure’
has an insalubrious meaning! To
be avoided. Call it a PDO or Mis-
sion Office.
Means register, register num-
ber, registry office. ‘Protocol’,
instead, is etichetta, though it
would be protocol if it refers to
a draft document or treaty
Means sting (wasp, i.e. puntura
di vespa). A ‘puncture’ is fo-
ratura di pneumatico
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Q
Italian
Questionare
Qui pro quo
False Friend
question
quid pro quo
Comment
Means to argue or quarrel. ‘To
question’ is interrogare
One letter makes the difference!
A ‘qui pro quo’ is a mistake, a
misunderstanding. ‘Quid pro
quo’ is quid pro quo and means
‘tit for tat’, ‘You scratch my back
I scratch yours!’
R
Italian
Rapa
Rata
Realizzare
False Friend
rape
rate
realise
Comment
Means turnip. ‘Rape’ is stupro
Means installment. ‘Rate’ (de-
pending on context) is tasso, liv-
ello, velocità
Means to carry out or fulfil or
achieve. ‘Realise’ is accorgersi,
capire
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Retribuzione retribution
Ricordo
Ricoverare
record
recover
Rilevante
Ritenere
Rude
relevant
retain
rude
Means remuneration, salary.
‘Retribution’ is punizione, ricom-
pensa
Means a memory, a reminder.
‘Record’ is disco, or appunto
Means to admit (to hospital).
‘Recover’ is guarire (da), recuper-
are
Means important, remarkable.
‘Relevant’ is pertinente
Means to think, consider. ‘Re-
tain’ is conservare, trattenere
Means rough and ready. ‘Rude’
is maleducato, offensivo
S
Italian
Salario
Sano
Scarsamente
False Friend
salary
sane
scarcely
Comment
Means wages. ‘Salary’ is stipen-
dio
Means healthy. ‘Sane’ is equili-
brato
Means rarely. ‘Scarcely’ is a
stento, appena
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Scolaro
scholar
Sconvenienza inconvenient
Scuole pub- public
bliche
schools
Sinergia
Simpatico
synergy
sympathetic
Sopportare support
Suggestivo suggestive
Means pupil. A ‘scholar’ is a stu-
dioso
Means a failure of good man-
ners, unseemly. ‘Inconvenient’
is disturbo, scomodità
It means state schools. ‘Public
schools’ can have other mean-
ings in different parts of the
English-speaking world. They
could be private schools charg-
ing high fees (UK).
Might be synergy, but might
also be simply ‘teamwork’.
Means nice, pleasant character.
‘Sympathetic’ is more likely to
be comprensivo
Means to put up with. ‘Support’
is sostenere
Means full of atmosphere,
evocative.
‘Suggestive’ is
allusivo
T
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Italian
Tenente
Territorio
Tremendo
Triviale
False Friend
tenant
territory
tremendous
trivial
Comment
Means lieutenant. ‘Tenant’ is in-
quilino
Might well be territory, but in a
Salesian context it can often be
glossed simply as ‘local area’.
Means awful, terrible. ‘Tremen-
dous’ is fantastico
Means vulgar, indecent. ‘Trivial’
is banale
U
Italian
Udienza
Urna
False Friend
audience
urn
Comment
Can mean audience but usally
hearing. ‘Audience’ is pubblico
Can mean urn but would nor-
mally be translated as casket
when used, for example of Don
Bosco’s remains or relics. An
urna is also a ballot box in Ital-
ian. An urn could also be a vaso
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Italian
Vicario
Vile
V
False Friend
vicar
vile
Comment
Yes, but also a vice-rector.
Means cowardly. ‘Vile’ is brutto,
orribile
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TRANSLATING
ITALIAN
In general
Many things could be said about the key differences between
Italian and English, and the In particular section below will men-
tion a number of these, in the hope that it alerts the translator to
some of the issues that result in a translation sounding unnec-
essarily ‘foreign’. A degree of foreignness may well be a good
thing, but that will occur naturally. What needs to be avoided
are those elements of difference that turn the reader off, which
is the last thing any translator intends to do! What the transla-
tor is after is what we might call ‘a good match’ between the
two languages and cultures.
The most overlooked factor in Italian to English translation
is style. Consider the following key factors in style differences
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between the two languages:
REGISTER: Register, as understood in linguistics, is the way
a speaker uses language differently in different circumstances.
We think immediately of formal versus informal, for example.
Or ‘fancy’ language versus ‘common’ language.
One of the first things that strikes the reader (or listener) of
Italian is that it uses what we would call ‘fancy’ words in En-
glish, where we would choose more ‘common’ words. This is
all to do with the history of the two languages – Italian derives
largely from Latin.
English has some Latin, and a considerable amount of Ger-
manic influence (Anglo-Saxon) as well, but history intervenes
in another way. The clergy and the educated spoke Latin (or
French, deriving from Latin) in places where the English lan-
guage was developing into what it is today, whereas the com-
mon people spoke the more Saxon-oriented English.
Anglo-Saxon and Latinate words have a very different sound
and feel to them: Anglo-Saxon words are concrete, shorter,
more blunt and guttural, ‘of the body’, feeling words. Latin
words are abstract, polysyllabic, of more elevated diction, ‘of
the mind’, thinking words.
Think of ‘chew’ versus ‘masticate’, ‘ask’ versus ‘inquire’,
‘friendly’ versus ’amicable’, ‘go’ versus ‘depart’. Italian will
happily talk about a ‘protagonist’ or ‘protagonism’, but you
will not hear that word in any English conversation in the bus
on the way home! So when translating, bear this very impor-
tant stylistic difference in mind. If not, the English translation
will sound snooty, puffed up and beyond the comprehension
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of the ordinary reader. Don Bosco was well aware of this prob-
lem, even in dealing with the perhaps less marked difference
between Piedmontese and Tuscan (Italian as we now know it)
and would get his mother to check things out for him!
NAMES AND PLACES: Italian, like many Romance lan-
guages (but not only – it can be the case in Asian languages
too) does not like to stress an individual’s (the ‘protagonist’s!)
or a place’s name too much. Very often, rather than saying ‘I’
did something, the Italian will say ‘we’. Or an indirect passive
verb form will be used rather than the direct active voice, to
take the stress off a direct action (and verb endings in Italian
also mean that the subject needs less reference – it will be clear
from the verb ending).
Another side of this phenomenon is that if a paragraph men-
tions ’Rome’, for example, English has no difficulty mentioning
Rome for the five times that word might appear in the para-
graph. Italian will not do that. Initially it will be Rome, the
next time the ‘Eternal City’, a third time it will be ‘the capital
of Italy’, a fourth time maybe ‘the city on the Tiber’, and a fifth
time perhaps a little historical knowledge will be required of
the reader – ‘heart of the ancient Republic and Empire’. But
the translator does not need to subject the reader to his or her
version of ‘The Chase’ or any of the other well-known TV quiz
shows!
The Rector Major is who he is, and does not need to be fur-
ther described as ‘of the Salesians’, or coming from Spain, or
Argentina, or even ‘the tenth Successor of St John Bosco’, un-
less those pieces of information are especially significant for
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the piece in hand.
MORE VERSUS LESS: Italian prefers more, English less. It
is as simple as that!
The translator needs to think about reducing sentence or
paragraph size without losing what is essential.
Italian also has a fascination with the semicolon, where En-
glish will use a full stop. The semicolon keeps ideas linked,
and the free-flowing stylistic approach of Italian has a prefer-
ence for this linking.
It appears in another form as well: link words like infatti,
inoltre, or a sentence that begins with E, Ma. Many of these link
features can be simply ignored in English.
OVERALL STRUCTURE: This is one area, possibly the most
challenging of all in translation, that probably cannot be re-
moved, but it does need to be kept under control. Italian think-
ing structure as it applies to the essay is different to the way
we were all brought up in English (introduction, a couple of
paragraphs of development, a conclusion). The Italian ‘essay’
will have ideas flitting off in different directions, all needing to
be pulled together somehow at the end. More so, perhaps, in
spoken Italian, the English listener shudders when he hears In
conclusione. . . , which is likely to be an essay in itself.
The number of ideas and references, in Italian writing, to
what might sound to us like esoteric and unconnected ideas,
is prized over how these might actually relate to one another.
One translator has called this the ‘Hegel and the price of rice
in China’ phenomenon. It calls for some very astute reflection
by the translator to determine whether or not it all needs to be
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included.
In particular
Maybe the best way to highlight some of the particular issues
that come into play with style, is to give an example from a
master of written English who deliberately attempted to show
the stylistic difference between Italian and English. The exam-
ple is taken from Farewell to Arms, Ernest Hemingway’s 1929
novel that propelled him onto the literary stage:
“How are you, baby? How do you feel? I bring
you this i” It was a bottle of cognac. The orderly
brought a chair and he sat down, “and good news.
You will be decorated. They want to get you the
medaglia d’argento but perhaps they can get only
the bronze.”
“What for?”
“Because you are gravely wounded. They say
if you can prove you did any heroic act you can
get the silver. Otherwise it will be the bronze. Tell
me exactly what happened. Did you do any heroic
act?”
“No,” I said. “I was blown up while we were
eating cheese.”
“Be serious. You must have done something heroic
either before or after. Remember carefully.”
“I did not.”
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“Didn’t you carry anybody on your back? Gor-
dini says you carried several people on your back
but the medical major at the first post declares it is
impossible. He has to sign the proposition for the
citation.”
“I didn’t carry anybody. I couldn’t move.”
“That doesn’t matter,” said Rinaldi.
He took off his gloves.
“I think we can get you the silver. Didn’t you
refuse to be medically aided before the others?”
“Not very firmly.”
“That doesn’t matter. Look how you are wounded.
Look at your valorous conduct in asking to go al-
ways to the first line. Besides, the operation was
successful.”
“Did they cross the river all right?”
“Enormously. They take nearly a thousand pris-
oners. It’s in the bulletin. Didn’t you see it?”
“No.”
“I’ll bring it to you. It is a successful coup de
main.”
Pioneering a technique that he would use even more mas-
terfully in his Spanish Civil War novel, For Whom the Bell Tolls,
Ernest Hemingway offers us a novel in Farewell to Arms that
plays on the linguistic gap between Italian and English, which
he uses in this case to mirror the confusion of war. He has an
American fighting for the Italians in the First World War, so he
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needs to present him speaking English for English readers, and
he also needs Italians speaking in a way that shows they spoke
very good Italian, but in English!
The passage above is indicative of the quality of dialogue
whereby he achieves this. His character, Frederic Henry, also
had to speak Italian but was allowed to make mistakes, and his
accent gave him away anyway. At one point his own officers
thought he might have been German and nearly executed him.
A doctor treating him thought he was French. A barber thought
he might be an Austrian officer. A southern Italian sergeant
thought he might be a northerner, and a bartender thought he
was a South American!
This is excellent stuff for a translator to read! But being con-
gratulated for achieving a level of prose worthy of Hemingway
(in this instance) would be a left-handed compliment, and be-
sides, there is enough evidence that he wasn’t that great a lin-
guist anyway!
Word choice
It starts with ‘babyni sounds almost American, as it may
have been then, or ‘Globishntoday, but as addressed to a young
soldier? Not really. ‘Gravelynwounded is not inaccurate if that
were really the case, but there is a slight difference between
‘graven(death is imminent) and ‘seriousnfor the native English
speaker; the brief context available to us in the passage tells us
they are swilling cognac and the wounded man is flippant i
his injuries may not even be serious let alone grave!
Is ‘Remember carefully’ correct? Would not ‘recall’ sound
just a bit more native?
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Does an army cross a river ‘enormously’?
A ‘proposition’ for a citation sounds a mite pompous to us,
but not to an Italian.
There are countless words in Italian which seem to invite
literal equivalents in English. Persone is usually better trans-
lated as ‘people’ rather than ‘persons’. Realtà might often be
just ‘thing/s’. Situazione might be ‘circumstance’, and so on.
These are words to be found in the thick of ordinary conversa-
tion and text, but there is a stratosphere of terms in erudite and
scholarly Italian which can lead the translator to grasp the near-
est calque or loan word and hope for the best ⚶ with inevitable
disappointment. Does strenua lotta mean a strenuous fight? No,
it means putting up a brave one. Does stringente mean strin-
gent? Well, no, it actually means ‘cogent’ ‘persuasive’. Does
suggestivamente mean ‘suggestively’? That can cause trouble! It
implies ‘meaningfully’ rather than ‘bawdily’. Is dolce ‘sweet’?
It can be, but dolce, dolcemente, dolcezza in our Salesian context
often refers to ‘gentleness’. Is inutile ‘useless’? Yes, often, but
in the phrase è inutile ripetere it probably means ‘pointless’ or
‘redundant’ or ‘no real point in. . . .’
Tense
‘I bring you this.’ Perfect Italian i present tense to suggest
a present action, except that in English the speaker would have
said ‘I have brought you this.’ ‘They take nearly a thousand
prisoners’ is historic present, but English, which does employ
this feature, would not use it in this instance.
Italian has more complicated uses of past tense with con-
ditional tenses and moods than does English. Lui promise che
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ci avrebbe messo una buona parola seems to invite the translation
‘He promised he would have put in a good word’, whereas En-
glish uses the present conditional: ‘He promised he would put
in a good word.’
Grammar
When we read ‘asking to go always to the first line’ there
is a question of word order: adverbial position. Similarly, ear-
lier in the passage, ‘get only’ which is good Italian, should be
‘only get’ to be good English. It goes a little further than this
in the case just quoted. What appears to be grammatically
correct other than the word order is in fact not saying what
it should be saying in the light of the previous sentence. The
object (you) has been omitted, partly because the word order
adopted would now make it awkward to include unless ‘you’
is switched for ‘they’.
Stock phrases
We are not yet finished with ‘asking to go always to the first
line.’ Here is a stock Italian phrase, prima linea, translated liter-
ally as ‘first line’. English might just say ‘the Front’. We suspect
that ‘first post’ is something similar, and in a war context it is
too reminiscent in English anyway of the ‘Last Post’ which is
an entirely different matter!
Hemingway uses this particular technique in all kinds of
ways. He has someone say, elsewhere in the novel, ‘Just as you
like’, which is fine in English until you realise it is come vuoi
which would be better translated as ‘You can think what you
like!’ Or he has a character replymNothing’ in a situation where
an Italian would say di niente, meaning ‘younre welcome’ or
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‘donnt mention it’.
The final phrase in the passage is French, and quite ambigu-
ous: it could mean a swift attack (it does mean that in the con-
text) but it can also mean a helping hand! And why include it
in this dialogue? It suits Hemingway’s purpose excellently to
create a little more confusion.
In the light of this, it would be our experience that any
number of stock phrases in Italian can play similar havoc with
our translations. We can have almost instinctual assumptions
about words and phrases and their meaning and use. In other
words, in our experience a word or a phrase is always used in
a certain way and therefore when we see it in the source text
we don’t really think about it or consider its context, our brain
supplies the usage we have always seen and moves on. When
this happens the chances that we have missed the context and
thus the meaning are pretty good. Hemingway is indirectly
showing us the danger of straight borrowing.
It can be a question of regularly used phrases in expository
texts like, for example: In questo orizzonte di senso i it would
be unwise to translate this literally as ‘in this horizon of mean-
ing’; that sounds either ridiculous or pompous or both. Either
orizzonte or prospettiva will turn up in our texts on a very regu-
lar basis in a phrase similar to the one above, and if translated
literally they create a stilted effect on the translation. Consider
the following stock uses of such items as:
Ampliamento di prospettiva: could also be broadening one’s
outlook on things
in prospettiva: has a temporal sense, future i in the future,
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in view of. . .
in prospettiva di: with. . . in mind
In una prospettiva: with an aim to
ampliare l’orizzonte della ricerca: as used here, orizzonte can be
scope, boundaries, angle (almost anything except ‘horizon’!)
There are many Italian phrases which appear to have sim-
ple, literal equivalents but where adopting that belief creates
problems. In considerazione di seems to invite ‘in consideration
of’ (which it could be) but very often in context it means ‘on
account of this’.
In effetti: try ‘actually’ rather than ‘in effect’, which it almost
certainly isn’t, or in some contexts it may mean ‘That’s right!’
The discourse feel of the phrase is lost if we go for ‘in effect’.
Infatti often has a different discourse function in Italian than
its too obvious translation has in English. In many instances it
would be better translated as ‘indeed’. The English ‘in fact’
looks backward to what has been said while the Italian infatti
looks forward to what is about to be said. Here is a very good
example of this from a recent document:
Mi sembra infatti importante non solo informarvi di quanto è
stato fatto, ma anche presentarvi le prospettive di futuro che riusci-
amo a intravvedere. ‘Indeed I think it is important not only to let
you know what has been done but also offer you what we can
glimpse of the future.’
Or it could be forever translating Italian connectives! That
can become tedious and the translation sounds too heavy. It is
much more common for texts in Italian to be explicitly struc-
tured by the use of connectives like e, dunque, magari, pure, ap-
punto, però, tuttavia, mentre, infatti or they may be phrasal in
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nature, like in tal senso, in modo tale che, per tali motivi. . . In a
similar vein, Italian will often introduce qualifying phrases like
più o meno, quà e là which could well be translated literally i or
be omitted. An English text where all these phrases have been
translated, and literally too, is off-white compared to white and
at best stilted in style.
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GLOSSARIES
A number of Salesian sectors have begun to develop glossaries
for documents they produce. Two of them are included as an
appendix to this dictionary, as an example.
YOUTH MINISTRY
ANIMATING CORE
a group of individuals who identify with the Salesian mis-
sion, educational system and spirituality and jointly take
on the task of calling together, motivating, involving ev-
eryone concerned with a work, making up the educative
community together with them and carrying out a project
of evangelisation and education of the young. The reli-
gious community, as the point of charismatic reference
(cf. GC25, nos 78-81) is not the complete animating core
in itself but one of its integral parts; indeed it needs to
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be capable of an expanding dynamic which finds various
ways and means of involving everyone who wishes to
contribute to the Salesian work. There is only one animat-
ing core for the entire work, since it is not a ogoverning
structurepin itself. It can coincide with the Council of the
Work and/or the EPC Council, depending on the com-
plexity of the work and the various sectors.
COUNCIL OF THE WORK
this brings together the religious community (or at least
its governing representatives: rector and local council)
and the individuals principally sharing responsibility for
sectors of activity. Animated by the same charism and be-
ing part of the same mission they take charge of ensuring
that the gift and service of the Salesian charism in all its
significance is offered in a particular neighbourhood or
area. They jointly share the various responsibilities that
arise from managing all the sectors of a work, and they
meet not only to organise, decide, and govern but also to
be formed and create opportunities for reflection.
COMMUNITY COUNCIL or LOCAL COUNCIL
(cf. C. 178) or HOUSE COUNCIL: made up of confreres
from the community and has the task of collaborating in
animation and government with the rector who calls it
together and presides at it. It is up to the Provincial with
the consent of his Council, and after listening to the opin-
ion of the local community, to determine which sectors of
community activity should be represented in the Council.
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DEPARTMENT
(cf. C. 133; R. 107): the Departments are the collection
of services of animation in each of the Sectors into which
the administration of the Direzione Generale Opere Don
Bosco is divided. Each Department comes under the re-
sponsibility of a Councillor who functions as Department
head.
EDUCATIVE AND PASTORAL COMMUNITY (EPC)
(cf. C. 47; GC24, nos 149-179): the Salesian way of ani-
mating, showing leadership in every educational circum-
stance intended to realise Don Boscons mission. It is not
a new structure added to other kinds of management and
involvement in works or pastoral sectors, nor is it just or-
ganisational management or a technique for getting peo-
ple involved. It is a set of individuals (young people and
adults, parents and teachers or educators, religious and
lay, representatives from other church and civic institu-
tions and can also include representatives of other reli-
gions, men and women of good will) all working together
to educate and evangelise young people, especially the
poorest of them, in Don Boscons style. This set of individ-
uals is one of concentric circles, depending on the degree
of shared responsibility individuals have for the mission.
EPC COUNCIL
(cf. GC24, nos 160-161; 171-172): the body which ani-
mates and coordinates the implementation of the Educa-
tive and Pastoral Plan or Project. Its function is to fos-
ter coordination and shared responsibility amongst ev-
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erybody concerned, as a service of unity for pastoral plan-
ning within a Salesian work or the EPCs of the various
sectors of more complex works. If there is only one EPC
then there will be a single EPC Council which is also then
the Council of the Work. If there are as many EPCs as
there are sectors then each has its own council, and there
will then be a Council of the Work made up of represen-
tatives of EPC Councils.
GENERAL PLAN OF THE WORK
annual application of the SEPP of the work (or possibly of
individual SEPPs for the various sectors and settings of a
work). The Council of the Work draws this up with col-
laboration from the EPC Councils of the various pastoral
sectors.
OVERALL PROVINCIAL PROJECT (OPP)
This has a range of other names in English, such as Provin-
cial Strategic Plan (PSP) and it is in fact a strategic plan of
animation and government which controls the develop-
ment and continuity of decisions made by the Province
(cf. GC25, nos.82-84). It is a practical tool aimed at coordi-
nating educational and pastoral resources in the Province
towards a particular end. It is also a point of reference for
all projects and plans of communities and works.
PASTORAL SECTOR
refers to the educational and pastoral structures in which
the Salesian mission is carried out, according to a specifi c
educational and pastoral proposal. Each of these sectors
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in its own way creates a climate and employs a style of re-
lationships as part of the Educative and Pastoral Commu-
nity. The sectors are as follows: The Oratory-Youth Cen-
tre; the school and Professional Formation Centre, (what
we would often term, in English, the Vocational Training
Centre and could include the pre-vocational training cen-
tre and hostel accommodation); higher institutes of edu-
cation (possibly academic centres, colleges ⚶in the North
American understanding of this term ⚶and university stu-
dent residences); parishes and shrines entrusted to the
Salesians (may include public churches); various social
service works for young people at risk. A Salesian work
may well comprise further sectors working together to
better express the Salesian mission.
PASTORAL ANIMATION SETTING
refers to the multiple activities or educative and pastoral
arrangements to be found across all our works and the
more traditional sectors indicated above. By way of sum-
mary we can indicate: animating vocation ministry, espe-
cially for apostolic vocations; animating missionary and
various kinds of voluntary work; youth ministry recom-
mendations with regard to Social Communication. The
Salesian mission is also carried out through certain other
significant settings like the Salesian Youth Movement and
various fields of specialised activity at local or provincial
level, as we find in Chapter 6: services of Christian for-
mation and spiritual animation, or groups and leadership
services in the leisure time area.
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PROVINCIAL ANIMATION PLAN
the yearly application of the Provincial SEPP drawn up
each year by the Provincial Council, with collaboration
from the works. Serves as a provincial point of reference
for drawing up the annual general plan for the works.
PROVINCIAL ANIMATION SETTINGS
field or area of activity in a province or work. The funda-
mental settings for provinces are as follows: Youth Min-
istry, Formation, Salesian Family, Economy and Social Com-
munication. We can add to these the variety of areas in
which each of the above is expressed.
PROVINCIAL DIRECTORY
(cf. C. 171): a prescriptive text which the Provincial Chap-
ter draws up and revises. The principal scope of the di-
rectory and its detailed set of norms is to promote and
guarantee the charism and Salesianity of each work in the
provincial community.
SALESIAN EDUCATIVE AND PASTORAL PROJECT (SEPP)
(cf. GC24, nos 5, 42): general action plan guiding ed-
ucative and pastoral processes in a determined provin-
cial and local context. It directs each initiative and re-
sources to achieving the Salesian mission. It has a olong
or short termplifespan (3⚶5 years), in reference to the cir-
cumstances of the Province or Work. The objective of the
SEPP, then, is not only that of defining content regard-
ing the various sectors or settings at provincial and local
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level, but also that of defining the dimensions of sectors
which make up the various SEPPS. The drawing up of the
SEPP, and thus of the SEPPs for sectors, firstly has the ob-
jective of being a support in planning the mission of the
entire provincial or local EPC.
SALESIAN EDUCATIVE AND PASTORAL PROJECT
FOR EACH WORK OR LOCAL SECTOR: applies the guide-
lines of the Provincial SEPP to the local situation. It is
the immediate working plan for each work (with just one
sector) and for each sector (in a complex work). In this
latter case the SEPP for Salesian works with two or more
sectors becomes an important tool for convergence and
unity of objectives and common action guidelines for the
work. It responds to two basic aspects: (1) coordinating
all sectors and pastoral animation settings of the work
and the consequent set of criteria, methodological choices,
organisational and structural guidelines and (2) summon-
ing, constituting, forming and getting the EPC of the work
and its sectors to function.
SALESIAN YOUTH MOVEMENT (SYM)
made up of groups and associations who recognise them-
selves in and are raised in Don Boscons and Mother Maz-
zarellons Salesian spirituality and pedagogy. While main-
taining their individual organisational structure in prac-
tice, together they ensure an educational presence of qual-
ity, especially in new areas where young people socialise.
The SYM is a movement of oyouth for youthp, defined
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by reference to a common spirituality and communica-
tion between groups which ensures that messages and
values are shared. It brings together young people who
can be very different from one another in spiritual terms
⚶from those for whom spirituality is a seed yet to sprout
to those who consciously and explicitly accept the invita-
tion to Salesian apostolic involvement.
SALESIAN PROVINCIAL EDUCATIVE AND PASTORAL PROJECT
(Provincial SEPP) defines procedures in the Province and
indicates objectives, strategies and common educative and
pastoral action guidelines which align the pastoral activ-
ity of all works, sectors and pastoral animation settings. It
serves as a point of reference for their planning and as an
educative and pastoral evaluation tool over this period.
SALESIAN YOUTH MINISTRY FRAME OF REFERENCE
is a tool (set of basic inspirations and action guidelines) of-
fered by the Youth Ministry Department to enlighten and
guide the pastoral process for each Provincial and local
EPC. It guides the pastoral activity of each Provincial and
local Youth Ministry Delegate and their teams. And it
contributes to the formation of everyone ⚶Salesians, edu-
cators ⚶who share responsibility for the Salesian mission.
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SOCIAL COMMUNICATION SSCS
Animation
A characteristic style of Salesian leadership drawing from
the fundamental meaning of ‘animate’ which is to give
life or soul to something or someone, that is to say, to
motivate.
Animation and Governance Programme. . .
of the Rector Major and his Council: The planning pro-
cess, initiated by the Rector Major but developed with
the help of his Council, which takes place at the begin-
ning of a six year period, i.e. immediately after a General
Chapter, and which guides the following six years. (Cf.
General Council Vademecum, 2003).
Blog
A website or part of a website usually maintained by an
individual, often with entries in reverse chronological or-
der. It may be commentary or personal reflection. The
term is a blend of two English words: ‘web’ and ‘log’.
Chat
Instant messaging system which allows users to commu-
nicate via a keyboard, principally, sending text messages
in real time. User is usually required to use a ‘nick’ or
nickname. Chats are organised into ‘rooms’ according to
topic.
Communication
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The term ‘communication’ refers to people in the process
of interpersonal and group relationships, but also to a cul-
tural and social environment that involves everyone in a
network, with considerable mediation of tools and tech-
nologies. Intrinsic to the sense of the word communica-
tion are values like reciprocity, participation in giving and
taking. This is why we can say that everyone involved in
the communication process is a subject of ‘social’ commu-
nication.
Communications ecosystem
The gamut of involvement and personal attitudes of those
who agree to create an environment which is a real com-
munity of sharing ideals, values, relationships at the level
of daily living in a community and a neighbourhood. (From
a footnote in the original edition of SSCS)
Communications resources
The term is found frequently in these pages and refers in
the broadest sense to what is usable, available and could
be considered as means to achieve an end. These means
may be physical (a particular quantifiable resource) or
personal (e.g. intellectual resources to confront an issue),
or technical. In some instances they are specified as being
‘educational’ or ‘financial’ or other.
Convergent media
Multiple products coming together to form a single prod-
uct that does many things. (European Union definition).
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Cyberspace
Term coined by William Gibson in his novel NEUROMANCER
(1984) to refer to a notional space, a kind of collective
hallucination created by powerful computers interacting
with human beings. Now the term has a broader refer-
ence to the virtual environment created by all kinds of
instruments connected to the Web, resulting in a sort of
parallel universe.
Departments of the mission
A directive of GC26 in view of the need for greater co-
ordination between the Departments for Youth Ministry,
Social Communication and the Missions, especially for
animating sectors of shared activities. . . in each case safe-
guarding the unique and organic nature of Salesian pas-
toral ministry
Digital
(and by extension, ‘digital generation’, ‘digital media’,
‘digital divide’, ‘digital inclusion’ etc.) Digital informa-
tion is stored using a series of ones and zeros. Computers
are digital machines because they can only read informa-
tion as non’ or noff’ ⚶1 or 0. This method of computation,
also known as the binary system, may seem rather sim-
plistic, but can be used to represent incredible amounts of
data. CDs and DVDs can be used to store and play back
high-quality sound and video even though they consist
entirely of ones and zeros.
Unlike computers, humans perceive information in ana-
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log. We capture signals as a continuous stream through
all the senses. Human beings draw information from all
the senses. Digital devices, on the other hand, estimate
this information using ones and zeros. The rate of this
estimation, called the “sampling rate,” combined with
how much information is included in each sample (the bit
depth), determines how accurate the digital estimation is.
One issue has not appeared in the document, that of the
so-called ‘digital divide’. There is still much debate about
what this means and what it might mean for Salesians, be-
yond merely superficial acceptance of a term that is not
universally accepted anyway. But it must be assumed
from the overall attitudes and practices indicated in the
current document that the SSCS supports digital inclu-
sion and rejects any form of digital exclusion.
Digital continent
The term was coined by Pope Benedict XVI for his 2009
World Communications Day Message. He did not define
it but used it as a spatial metaphor directed to the ‘digital
generation’, asking them to “take on responsibility for the
evangelisation of the ‘digital continent”’
Educommunication
The complex of policies and activities inherent in the plan-
ning, putting into practice and evaluation of processes
and products aimed at creating and strengthening com-
munications ecosystems in educational settings, be they
face to face or virtual.
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Evangelisation
The bringing of the Good News into all the strata of hu-
manity, and through its influence transforming human-
ity from within and making it new ... the Church evan-
gelises when she seeks to convert, solely through the di-
vine power of the message she proclaims, both the per-
sonal and collective consciences of people, the activities
in which they engage, and the lives and concrete milieu
which are theirs (EN 18).
FOSS
Free/Libre Open Source Software. Software that is lib-
erally licensed to grant the right of users to use, study,
change and improve its design through the availability
of its source code.
Frame of reference
A system of assumptions and standards that sanction be-
haviour and give it meaning.
Language
The distinction between the French words, langue (lan-
guage or tongue) and parole (speech), enters the vocab-
ulary of theoretical linguistics with Ferdinand de Saus-
sure’s COURSE IN GENERAL LINGUISTICS, published
posthumously in 1915 after having been collated from stu-
dent notes. Then there is langage. So:
• language in the sense of parole is a local example of
speech, an utterance.
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• language in the sense of langue is what we might nor-
mally understand as a ‘language’, a system of signs.
• language in the sense of langage is a competence for
language, or the abstract notion of language and could
apply to animals, humans, cinema, theatre. . .
Network, networking
While the two terms are not identical, as used in SSCS
they refer chiefly to the concept of human beings work-
ing together, establishing contacts, either as individuals
or as groups. However it is important to be aware that
the exchange or growth of ideas in a network, or network-
ing activity understood in this ‘social’ sense, are not to be
reduced to an image of nodes with connections, as often
seems implied by descriptions of networks.
Social networks are now the object of profound study,
study which indicates new ‘laws’ and dynamics at work
which have implications for how we engage in this pro-
cess.
New frontiers
“It is a question of frontiers not only geographical but also
economic, social, cultural and religious” (Fr Chávez at the
conclusion of GC26).
New technologies
Any set of productive techniques which offers a signifi-
cant improvement (whether measured in terms of increased
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output or savings in costs) over the established technol-
ogy for a given process in a specific historical context. De-
fined thus, what is seen as nnew’ is obviously subject to
continual redefinition, as successive changes in technol-
ogy are undertaken. (Gordon Marshall. “new technol-
ogy.” A DICTIONARY OF SOCIOLOGY. 1998.)
Ongoing formation
The natural and essential continuation of the process ex-
perienced in initial formation (RATIO, 2000 edition, no.
520).
Overall Provincial Plan
(Alternative form: Organic Provincial Plan) OPP: The strate-
gic plan for the animation and government of the province,
which takes an overall view of its life and mission and
presents the fundamental choices that ought guide its or-
ganisation.
Personal media
An emerging digital communications media “incorporat-
ing interactivity in its design, and allowing users not only
to consume media products but also to create them” (Shiregu
Miyagawa, professor of linguistics and communication at
the Massachusetts Institute of Technology).
Publishing
The preparation and issuing of (printed, but now includ-
ing digital) materials for public distribution or sale.
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Ratio
Practical guide for formation of Salesians of Don Bosco,
the RATIO FUNDAMENTALIS INSTITUTIONIS ET STU-
DIORUM as it is known in its complete title (also known
as FORMATION OF THE SALESIANS OF DON BOSCO
or FSDB), “sets out in an organic and instructive way
the complexus of principles and norms concerning forma-
tion which are found in the Constitutions, General Reg-
ulations and other documents of the Church and of the
Congregation” (R 87).
Salesian Bulletin
A magazine in function of the (Salesian) mission, founded
by Don Bosco, addressed to public opinion more than to
the institution, meaning by this that it is sensitive to be-
ing a part of the circumstances that human beings and the
Church experience today, and offers a Salesian reading of
these facts, especially regarding youth and education.
Salesian Social Communication System (SSCS)
Other than the title of this work, “an integrated and uni-
fied communication project” (Fr Martinelli to Salesian Bul-
letin editors, 1998).
Social communication
“Among the wonderful technological discoveries which
men of talent, especially in the present era, have made
with Godns help, the Church welcomes and promotes
with special interest those which have a most direct re-
lation to menns minds and which have uncovered new
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avenues of communicating most readily news, views and
teachings of every sort. The most important of these in-
ventions are those media which, such as the press, movies,
radio, television and the like, can, of their very nature,
reach and influence, not only individuals, but the very
masses and the whole of human society, and thus can
rightly be called the media of social communication” (IN-
TER MIRIFICA, Vatican II, introductory paragraph).
Translation memory TM
Repository of “source texts segments explicitly aligned
with their target texts counterparts.” It can, in fact, be
considered as a data bank from which translators can re-
trieve already translated segments that match a current
segment to be translated (Bowker, L., 2002. COMPUTER-
AIDED TRANSLATION TECHNOLOGY: A PRACTICAL
INTRODUCTION. Canada: University of Ottawa Press).
Web 2.0 and 3.0
If we consider the traditional Web as Web 1.0, we note
that it is largely static, in the sense that we can read a web
page but do little else than click its hyperlinks and cause
something to play (video or sound). In Web 2.0 we shift
from ‘Readnto ‘Read-Writen; from html only to AJAX
(Asynchronous Java and XML) technologies;from static
to interactive, including blogs, social networking.
And while there is no formal definition of Web 2.0 (it is a
term which simply grew up along the way), it is actually
the kind of ‘Web’ that Tim Berners Lee, its ‘inventor’, ini-
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tially envisaged, though what he envisaged really is what
we are now calling Web 3.0, the semantic Web, where ev-
erything is connected to everything else in a way (in a
language called OWL or Web Ontology Language) that
enables machines to read and interpret knowledge for the
benefit of human readers.
18