Saint Jean
Bosco, prêtre
Fils de pauvres paysans
piémontais, devenu prêtre à force de sacrifices, il se dévoue aux jeunes
ouvriers de Turin abandonnés à eux-mêmes. Il crée pour eux un centre de
loisirs, un patronage, puis un centre d'accueil, puis des ateliers. Ses
"enfants" seront bientôt des centaines. Très marqué par la
spiritualité de saint François de Sales, Jean Bosco invente une éducation par
la douceur, la confiance et l'amour. Pour ses garçons, il fonde l'Oratoire,
l'Oeuvre, qui sera à l'origine de la congrégation des prêtres salésiens. Pour
les filles, il fonde la congrégation de Marie-Auxiliatrice. Don Bosco mourra,
épuisé, en 1888, entouré de ses disciples.
Saint Jean Bosco
Fondateur et
éducateur (+ 1888)
Fondateur de la société
de Saint-François-de-Sales et de l'Institut des Filles de Marie-Auxiliatrice.
C'était un fils de
pauvres paysans piémontais. Adolescent, il joue à l'acrobate pour distraire
sainement les garnements de son village. Devenu prêtre à force de sacrifices,
il se dévoue aux jeunes ouvriers de Turin abandonnés à eux-mêmes. Il crée
pour eux un centre de loisirs, un patronage, puis un centre d'accueil, puis des
ateliers. Rien de tout cela n'était planifié à l'avance, mais ce sont les
besoins immenses qui le pressent. Jamais il ne refuse d'accueillir un jeune,
même si la maison est petite, même si l'argent manque. Plutôt que de refuser,
il multipliera les châtaignes comme son maître multipliait les pains en
Palestine. Sa confiance absolue en la Providence n'est jamais déçue. Ses
"enfants" seront bientôt des centaines et tous se feraient couper en
morceaux pour Don Bosco. Sa mère, Maman Marguerite, vient s'installer près de
lui et jusqu'à sa mort, elle leur cuira la polenta et ravaudra leurs vêtements.
Très marqué par la spiritualité de saint
François de Sales, Jean Bosco invente une éducation par la douceur, la
confiance et l'amour. Pour ses garçons, il fonde l'Oratoire, l’œuvre, qui
sera à l'origine de la congrégation des prêtres salésiens. Pour les filles, il
fonde la congrégation de Marie-Auxiliatrice. Don Bosco mourra, épuisé, en butte
à l'hostilité de son évêque qui ne le comprend pas, mais entouré de ses
disciples.
Site
des religieux Salésiens de Don Bosco.
Don
Bosco par thèmes - Pour découvrir la pédagogie et la spiritualité
salésienne, il y a aussi la "méthode
Don Bosco"...
Portail
de la Famille Salésienne de Don Bosco.
- ADAFO,
Bureau de Planification et Développement, Afrique francophone occidentale.
- Bicentenaire
Don Bosco, Histoire, Pédagogie, Spiritualité, 1815-2015, un songe qui
continue... L'Oratoire salésien... changer le monde par l'éducation... (vidéo)
Mémoire de saint Jean
Bosco, prêtre. Il connut une enfance pauvre et dure, et après son ordination,
il mit à Turin toute son énergie à l'éducation des jeunes et fonda la Société
de Saint-François de Sales et, avec l'aide de sainte
Marie-Dominique Mazzarello, l'Institut des Filles de Marie Auxiliatrice,
pour enseigner aux jeunes un métier et la vie chrétienne. Après avoir réalisé
tant de projets, il mourut à Turin en 1888.
Martyrologe romain
Le salésien "saisit
les valeurs du monde et refuse de gémir sur son temps: il retient tout ce qui
est bon, surtout si cela plaît aux jeunes. Celui qui est toujours prêt à se
plaindre n'a pas le véritable esprit salésien"
Article 22 - L'optimisme
et la joie de l'espérance
SOURCE : https://nominis.cef.fr/contenus/saint/534/Saint-Jean-Bosco.html
Saint Jean Bosco
Jean Bosco est né le
16 août 1815, sur la colline des Becchi, un petit hameau près de Castelnuovo
d'Asti, aujourd'hui Castelnuovo Don Bosco. Issu d'une famille pauvre, orphelin
à l'âge de 2 ans, il fut élevé par sa mère Marguerite, ainsi que son frère aîné
Joseph et son demi frère Antoine.
Travaillant dur et ferme, il s'est préparé à la mission qui lui avait été
indiquée dans un songe, alors qu'il avait à peine 9 ans, et qu'il s'est vu
confirmer par la suite à maintes reprises, de manière extraordinaire.Il a
étudié à Chieri, tout en apprenant divers métiers. Il est ordonné prêtre à 26
ans. Arrivé à Turin, il est immédiatement frappé par le spectacle des enfants
et des jeunes livrés à eux-mêmes, sans travail et sans guide. Il prend alors la
décision de consacrer sa vie aux jeunes pour les sauver.
Le 8 décembre 1841, dans l'église St François d'Assise, Don Bosco rencontrait
un pauvre garçon, nommé Barthélemy Garelli, le premier d'une multitude de
jeunes. C'est ainsi que commence l'Oratoire, itinérant au début, puis, dès
Pâques 1846, définitivement installé au Valdocco, faubourg malfamé, qui
deviendra la maison mère de toutes les œuvres salésiennes.Les garçons affluent
par centaines : ils étudient et apprennent un métier dans les ateliers que Don
Bosco a construit pour eux. En 1859, Don Bosco invite ses premiers
collaborateurs à se joindre à lui dans la Congrégation Salésienne : ainsi,
rapidement, devaient se multiplier partout des « oratoires » (centres de
loisirs et de formation humaine et chrétienne pour les jeunes), des écoles
professionnelles, des collèges, des centres de vocations (sacerdotales,
religieuses, missionnaires), des paroisses, des centres en pays de mission...
Ainsi, en 1875, son action déborde l'Italie, une première expédition
missionnaire s'embarque pour l'Argentine, et les salésiens ouvrent leur
première œuvre en France, à Nice .Les filles et les laïcs aussiEn 1872, Don
Bosco fonde l'institut des Filles de Marie Auxiliatrice (Sœurs salésiennes) qui
travailleront pour les jeunes filles dans des œuvres variées, avec le même
esprit et la même pédagogie. La cofondatrice et première supérieure a été Marie
Dominique Mazzarello (1837-1881), canonisée par le pape Pie XII le 21 juin
1951.Mais Don Bosco a su s'entourer de nombreux laïcs pour partager avec les
Salésiens et les Salésiennes son projet éducatif. Dès 1869, il fondait
l'Association des Coopérateurs, qui font partie à part entière de la Famille
Salésienne, se mettant au service de l'Eglise à la manière de Don Bosco.A 72
ans, épuisé par le travail, Don Bosco avait réalisé ce qu'il avait déclaré un
jour : « J'ai promis à Dieu que tant qu'il me resterait un souffle de vie, ce
serait pour mes chers enfant. » Il meurt à Turin, au Valdocco, à l'aube du 31
janvier 1888. Béatifié le 2 juin 1929 et proclamé saint par le pape Pie XI, le
dimanche de Pâques 1er avril 1934, Don Bosco est considéré, à juste titre,
comme un des plus grands éducateurs.
SOURCE :
Saint Jean Bosco
Prêtre, confesseur,
fondateur des Salésiens
(1815-1888)
Jean Bosco naquit en 1815
dans un village du Piémont. Ses parents étaient de pauvres paysans; mais sa
mère, demeurée veuve avec trois enfants, était une sainte femme. Le caractère
jovial de Jean lui donnait une grande influence sur les enfants de son âge. Il
les attirait par ses manières aimables et il entremêlait avec eux les
divertissements et la prière. Doué d'une mémoire extraordinaire, il se plaisait
à leur répéter les sermons qu'il avait entendus à l'église. C'étaient là les
premiers signes de sa vocation apostolique. Son coeur, soutenu par celui de sa
mère et d'un bon vieux prêtre, aspirait au sacerdoce. La pauvreté, en
l'obligeant au travail manuel, semblait lui interdire l'étude. Mais, par la
grâce de Dieu, son courage et sa vive intelligence surmontèrent tous les
obstacles.
En 1835, il était admis
au grand séminaire. "Jean, lui dit sa mère, souviens-toi que ce qui honore
un clerc, ce n'est pas l'habit, mais la vertu. Quand tu es venu au monde je
t'ai consacré à la Madone; au début de tes études je t'ai recommandé d'être Son
enfant; sois à Elle plus que jamais, et fais-La aimer autour de toi."
Au grand séminaire, comme
au village et au collège, Jean Bosco préludait à sa mission d'apôtre de la
jeunesse et donnait à ses condisciples l'exemple du travail et de la vertu dans
la joie. Prêtre en 1841, il vint à Turin. Ému par le spectacle des misères
corporelles et spirituelles de la jeunesse abandonnée, il réunit, le dimanche,
quelques vagabonds qu'il instruisait, moralisait, faisait prier, tout en leur
procurant d'honnêtes distractions. Mais cette oeuvre du dimanche ne suffisait
pas à entretenir la vie chrétienne, ni même la vie corporelle, de ces pauvres
enfants.
Jean Bosco, bien que
dépourvu de toute ressource, entreprit donc d'ouvrir un asile aux plus
déshérités. Il acheta pour 30.000 francs une maison payable dans la quinzaine.
"Comment! lui dit sa mère devenue son auxiliaire, mais tu n'as pas un sou
vaillant!" -- "Voyons! reprit le fils, si vous aviez de l'argent,
m'en donneriez-vous? Eh bien, mère, croyez-vous que la Providence, qui est
infiniment riche, soit moins bonne que vous?"
Voilà le trésor divin de
foi, d'espérance et de charité dans lequel Jean Bosco, malgré toutes les
difficultés humaines, ne cessa de puiser, pour établir ses deux Sociétés
Salésiennes de Religieux et de Religieuses, dont la première dépasse le nombre
de 8 000, et la seconde celui de 6 000, avec des établissements charitables
multipliés aujourd'hui dans le monde entier.
Abbé L. Jaud, Vie
des Saints pour tous les jours de l'année, Tours, Mame, 1950
SOURCE : http://magnificat.ca/cal/fr/saints/saint_jean_bosco.html
JEAN BOSCO
Prêtre, Fondateur, Saint
1815-1888
EXTRAIT BIOGRAPHIQUE
Dans une ferme, au cœur
du Piémont agricole, à Morialdo, hameau de Castelnuovo, naît Jean Bosco,
fils d'un petit métayer, en août 1815. Son père François, meurt deux ans plus
tard, laissant sa veuve, Marguerite éduquer ses trois enfants. Ce sont trois
garçons, dont l'aîné, Antoine, qui n'a que 10 ans, va très vite s'occuper de la
ferme avec sa mère. Le second, Joseph, a 4 ans. La maman Marguerite apprit elle
même les prières du chrétien à ses trois enfants qui priaient tous ensemble
matin et soir. C'est dans cette ambiance chrétienne et rurale que le petit Jean
fit, dans cette chambre, un rêve vers l'âge de neuf ans. Ce rêve lui laissa
pour toute la vie une profonde impression. Le lendemain il s'empressa de le
raconter à sa famille. Bien des années plus tard, il en comprit la
signification profonde, et le redit souvent à ses enfants et à ses disciples
les salésiens.
C'est devenu un texte
fondateur :
« A neuf ans j'ai
fait un songe qui m'est resté profondément gravé dans l'esprit pendant toute ma
vie. Dans ce songe, il me semblait que j'étais près de notre maison dans une
cour très spacieuse où étaient rassemblés une foule d'enfants qui jouaient. Les
uns riaient, beaucoup blasphémaient. En entendant ces blasphèmes je me suis
tout de suite jeté au milieu d'eux, donnant du poing et de la voix pour les
faire taire.
A ce moment, apparut un
Homme imposant, noblement vêtu. Son visage était si lumineux qu'on ne pouvait
pas le regarder en face. Il m'appela par mon nom et me dit : “Ce n'est pas avec
des coups mais avec la douceur et la charité que tu devras faire d'eux tes
amis. Commence dont tout de suite à leur parler de la laideur du péché et de la
valeur de la vertu”.
Intimidé, craintif, je
répondis que j'étais un pauvre enfant ignorant. Alors, les garçons, cessant de
se battre et de crier, se groupèrent tous autour de Celui qui parlait. Comme si
je ne savais plus ce que je disais, je demandai :
“Qui êtes-vous pour
m'ordonner des choses impossibles ?
– C'est justement parce
que ces choses te paraissent impossibles que tu devras les rendre possibles en
obéissant et en acquérant la science.
– Comment pourrai-je
acquérir la science ?
– Je te donnerai une
institutrice. Sous sa conduite, tu pourras devenir savant.
– Mais qui
êtes-vous ?
– Je suis le Fils de
cette Femme que ta mère t'a appris à prier trois fois par jour. Mon nom,
demande-le à ma Mère.”
Aussitôt, je vis à ses
côtés une Dame d'aspect majestueux, vêtue d'un manteau qui resplendissait comme
le soleil. S'approchant de moi tout confus, elle me fit signe d'avancer et me
prit par la main avec bonté :
“Regarde !
dit-elle”.
En regardant, je m'aperçus
que les enfants avaient tous disparu. A leur place je vis une multitude de
cabris, de chiens, de chats, d'ours et beaucoup d'autres animaux.
“Voilà ton domaine !
Voilà où tu devras travailler. Deviens humble, courageux, et vigoureux :
et ce que tu vois arriver en ce moment à ces animaux, tu le feras pour mes
enfants”.
Je tournai donc les yeux
et voilà qu'à la place des bêtes sauvages apparurent autant de paisibles
agneaux qui sautaient, couraient, bêlaient autour de cet Homme et de cette
Femme comme pour leur rendre hommage.
Alors, toujours dans mon
rêve, je me mis à pleurer et je priai cette Dame de vouloir bien s'expliquer
d'une façon plus claire, car je ne comprenais pas ce que tout cela signifiait.
Elle posa sa main sur ma
tête et me dit :
“Tu comprendras tout au
moment voulu”.
Elle avait à peine dit
cela qu'un bruit me réveilla. Tout avait disparu. J'étais abasourdi. J'avais
l'impression que les mains me faisaient mal à cause des coups de poings que
j'avais distribués et que le visage me cuisait d'avoir reçu des gifles de tous
ces galopins.
Le matin, j'ai raconté le
songe d'abord à mes frères qui se mirent à rire, puis à ma mère et à la
grand-mère. Chacun donnait son interprétation : “Tu deviendras berger”, dit
Joseph. “Chef de brigands”, insinua perfidement Antoine. Ma mère : “Qui sait si
tu ne deviendras pas prêtre”. C'est la grand-mère qui prononça le jugement
définitif : “Il ne faut pas s'occuper des rêves”. J'étais de l'avis de l'aïeule
et pourtant je ne réussis jamais à m'ôter tout cela de l'esprit. »
Toutes les années qui
suivirent furent profondément influencées par ce songe. Maman Marguerite avait
compris (et Jean le comprit aussi très vite) que ce songe indiquait une
direction. (Don Bosco, Souvenirs Autobiographiques)
Ayant fini ses cours
primaires, Jean Bosco vient à Chieri suivre ses études secondaires. A la fin de
celles-ci, il rentre au séminaire de Chieri. Il a 19 ans .Six ans d'étude à
nouveau, mais avec de bons compagnons et de bons professeurs. Pendant les
vacances, il revient aux Becchi. Il aide à la ferme familiale. Il s'occupe
aussi des jeunes du village. Il enseigne le catéchisme à beaucoup d'entre eux
qui à 16 ou 17 ans étaient totalement ignares des vérités de la foi. Il leur
demande aussi l'assiduité aux offices, et la confession mensuelle. Quelques uns
abandonnèrent, mais beaucoup continuèrent. Une fois devenu prêtre, on lui
proposa plusieurs postes, mais rien ne l'attirait. Don Cafasso, son confesseur,
lui conseilla de rester avec lui pour continuer des études de spiritualité. Il
lui fit découvrir aussi la vie dans les banlieues pauvres de Turin. Étant
aumônier de prison il lui fait rencontrer des condamnés à mort, et surtout
beaucoup de jeunes dont certains étaient déjà des criminels endurcis. Il décida
alors de se consacrer à la jeunesse en péril. Le dimanche, les jeunes apprentis
de Turin viennent de plus en plus nombreux chez Don Bosco. Après le catéchisme,
il leur apprend à lire et à écrire. Don Bosco renonce à s'occuper des filles du
refuge de la marquise Barollo, pour se consacrer à ses garçons de la rue. C'est
l'époque du patronage volant, où il se fait chasser de partout avec sa bande
bruyante de jeunes. Pendant plusieurs mois, il doit changer de lieu sans cesse.
Il est surveillé par la police, mais aussi par le clergé de Turin qui veut le
faire interner, le croyant devenu fou. En 1847, une occasion se présente
enfin : Don Bosco loue un local appartenant à un certain Pinardi, et le
terrain qui l'entoure. Le dimanche suivant, les petits maçons, plâtriers et autres
ouvriers du bâtiment commencent les travaux avec un enthousiasme
indescriptible. Dans la semaine, Don Bosco passe les voir chez leurs patrons,
sur leurs chantiers, et prend leur défense quand ils sont exploités. Plusieurs
fois, il obtient même d'établir un contrat de travail. Cette fois, l'œuvre
semble stabilisée. Don Bosco a 32 ans. Mais il s'est trop dépensé, une
bronchite infectieuse se déclare, pendant plusieurs jours il est entre la vie
et la mort. Une fois rétabli, les médecins envoient Don Bosco en convalescence
dans son village natal. Quand il revient, il n'est pas seul. Il a convaincu sa
mère de l'accompagner, car ses enfants ont besoin d'une maman. Elle fait la
cuisine pour tout le monde. Surtout qu'il arrive de recueillir des jeunes mis à
la porte par leurs parents... Un internat commence. Don Bosco se souvenant de
ce qu'il avait appris pendant son enfance, reprise les vêtements usages,
entaille d'autres, et enseigne cela à plusieurs jeunes, créant ainsi ses
premiers cours professionnels !
Abandonné par ses aides
bénévoles à la suite des troubles politiques de 1848, Don Bosco
se souvient du songe de son enfance : les jeunes loups qui se
transformaient en agneaux et certains en bergers. C'est parmi ses jeunes qu'il
trouvera ses collaborateurs. Il propose à Rua de partager les responsabilités
avec lui ; à 17 ans il lui confie un nouveau patronage à l'autre bout de
la ville. Buzetti se chargera des finances et Cagliero de l'animation du
Valdocco. Plusieurs de ces jeunes demandent alors à devenir prêtres comme Don
Bosco. Don Bosco achète la maison Pinardi en 1851, lui fait construire une
aile, et bâtit une chapelle. Ces bâtiments deviennent de nouvelles classes
professionnelles, et des classes de latin, car Don Bosco veut former lui-même
ses futurs collaborateurs. Mais Don Bosco a de nombreux ennemis chez les
anticléricaux et les vaudois. Il lutte contre eux sur le terrain de la presse,
créant ses propres journaux catholiques : “le Bulletin Salésien” et les
“Lectures catholiques”. Pour cela, il fonde sa propre imprimerie, avec des
cours de typographie et une formation aux métiers du livre. Il échappe de
justesse à plusieurs attentats. Plusieurs fois sur le chemin désert du Valdocco
il eut la vie sauvée par la présence d'un gros chien gris qui l'accompagnait.
Aux difficultés extérieures et au manque d'argent s'ajoutent les épreuves
internes. Maman Marguerite meurt en 1856. La maman de Michel Rua vient la
remplacer pour l'internat, la cuisine et le rôle de maman des jeunes du
Valdocco. L'œuvre est fragile. Don Bosco cherche une solution pour stabiliser
son oeuvre. Il rédige un projet de constitution, et le soumet au pape Pie IX,
qui le reçoit avec beaucoup d'intérêt. Après diverses modifications, elles
deviennent les Constitutions de la Société de Saint François de Sales. Don
Bosco attend encore 18 mois pour en parler à ses jeunes animateurs. Après une
discussion très agitée, 16 jeunes répondent à l'appel de Don Bosco, et le
prient de devenir leur supérieur.
Maintenant Don Bosco peut
se consacrer à un autre projet. En songe, la Vierge lui a demandé de construire
à Turin une basilique dédiée à Marie Auxiliatrice. Il n'a pas d'argent, mais
organise loteries, quêtes, etc. La basilique sera consacrée en 1867. Don Bosco
était venu prêcher à Mornèse en 1864. Il y avait rencontré une jeune fille qui
apprenait la couture à quelques jeunes pauvres de son village. Or le Pape
demande à Don Bosco de faire quelque chose pour les filles. L'équipe de Mornèse
accepte. 15 jeunes filles prennent l'habit à la suite de Marie Dominique
Mazzarello. Don Bosco leur donne des constitutions inspirées de celles des
salésiens. Elles prennent le nom de Filles de Marie Auxiliatrice (FMA) ou
salésiennes. En 1875 partit la première mission salésienne en Amérique, suivie
de plusieurs autres. L'évangélisation de la Patagonie commençait. Don Bosco est
maintenant connu dans toute l'Italie. Malgré les multiples tracasseries de la
police et du gouvernement, il multiplie écoles et patronages. Les premiers
appels lui viennent de l'Europe. En 1880, le nouveau pape Léon XIII convoque
Don Bosco. Alors que celui-ci, fatigué, voudrait s'occuper de l'organisation de
ses œuvres, il reçoit mission de construire à Rome une église dédiée au
Sacré-Coeur. Mais Don Bosco a épuisé la générosité de ses bienfaiteurs italiens.
Il va s'adresser à la France. En 1883, son voyage dure 4 mois, c'est un vrai
triomphe. On se bouscule pour le voir. On coupe des morceaux de sa soutane pour
faire des reliques. Il fait des miracles. sa prière obtient des guérisons. Tout
Paris veut l'entendre. Il passe son temps à recevoir des gens, aussi bien
l'ouvrier que le prince. Un saint traversa la France... et la basilique du
Sacré-Cœur fut achevée 4 ans plus tard. En 1886, Don Bosco fait un dernier
voyage en Espagne. Il déchaîne encore plus d'enthousiasme qu'à Paris. Il
entrait dans la gloire de son vivant. Mais à son retour il est totalement
épuisé. Le 3 décembre 1887, il ne peut dire la messe. Le 23 il renonce à
recevoir. Il s'éteint le 31 janvier 1888, à Turin.
Vénérable le 20 février
1927, il fut béatifié le 2 juin 1929 et enfin canonisé le 1er avril 1934.
SOURCE : http://voiemystique.free.fr/jean_bosco_extrait.htm
Jean Bosco, l’homme aux
rêves prophétiques
Anne
Bernet - publié le 30/01/23
Connu pour son génie
d’éducateur, saint Jean Bosco l’est moins pour ses prédispositions aux rêves
prophétiques. En pleine tempête politique italienne, il prévint par exemple le
roi des dangers auquel celui-ci s’exposait en s’attaquant à l’Église.
Même si Jésus annonce
qu’à la fin des temps, « les vieillards prophétiseront et les jeunes gens
auront des songes », l’Église a
toujours pris soin de ne pas trop encourager à croire aux rêves. Il arrive
toutefois que certains saints, tel Joseph dans l’Ancien Testament, méchamment
surnommé « l’homme aux songes » par ses frères jaloux, soient avertis
dans leur sommeil d’événements à venir qui, en effet, se réalisent. En ce
domaine, Jean Bosco est un champion hors catégorie mais ce don, qu’il a
lui-même longtemps regardé avec méfiance, ne lui a pas toujours simplifié la
vie…
Des visions pas toujours
plaisantes
Il est un garçon de neuf
ans au caractère déjà prononcé et violent quand il se voit en rêve au milieu
d’une vaste troupe d’enfants qui s’insultent, se disputent et en viennent aux
mains ; les entendant blasphémer, Giovanni, indigné, se précipite dans la
mêlée, décidé à ramener l’ordre à coups de poings. Le Christ apparaît alors et
lui dit : « Ce n’est pas par la violence mais par la douceur que tu
devras conquérir tes amis. » Ce rêve prémonitoire en plusieurs phases qui
aboutissent à la transformation des jeunes sauvages en doux agneaux, est connu,
comme celui dit des « trois blancheurs » où Don Bosco voit l’Église,
sous la forme d’un navire amiral entouré d’une flottille éparpillée aux prises
avec une flotte ennemie qui menace de la détruire. Deux colonnes surgissent
alors de la mer, l’une portant une hostie rayonnante, l’autre l’Immaculée, auxquelles
l’homme en blanc, le Pape, peut arrimer solidement sa nef en détresse. Célèbre
aussi le songe de 1857 où Giovanni voit le jeune Dominique Savio, décédé depuis
peu, s’avancer vers lui au milieu d’un paysage magnifique, l’assurer qu’il est
au Ciel et lui expliquer que les merveilles entrevues sont une pauvre
représentation d’une réalité autrement plus belle mais impossible à appréhender
par les vivants.
Le problème est que ces
visions ne sont pas toujours plaisantes. Le monde onirique de Don Bosco est peuplé
de créatures monstrueuses qui, sous la forme de chats énormes et terrifiants,
d’éléphants féroces, de crapauds horribles ou d’un cheval rouge emballé, celui
d’un des cavaliers de l’Apocalypse, menacent les âmes ou dévastent la
chrétienté. Beaucoup, à commencer par le romancier italien Eugenio Corti, qui
intitulera justement Le Cheval rouge son terrible récit de
l’engagement des troupes du régime fasciste en Russie aux côtés des Allemands,
identifieront la cavale écarlate au communisme. C’est aussi l’interprétation
d’Irène Corona dans Les Prophéties de Don Bosco (Éd. du Parvis,
2013).
Si personne ne fait
pénitence…
Pour Don Bosco, cet
avenir, révélé dans un songe de 1870 annonciateur de cataclysmes pour l’Italie,
l’Europe et l’Église, est conjurable, à condition que le clergé prenne
l’avertissement au sérieux : « Mais vous, les prêtres, pourquoi ne
courez-vous pas pleurer entre le vestibule et l’autel pour invoquer la
suspension des fléaux ? Pourquoi ne saisissez-vous pas le bouclier de la
foi et n’allez-vous pas sur les toits, dans les maisons, sur les routes, les
places et en tous lieux, même inaccessibles, pour porter la semence de ma
Parole ? Ne savez-vous pas qu’elle est l’épée terrible à deux tranchants
qui abat mes ennemis et apaise la colère de Dieu et des hommes ? »
Mais, si personne ne fait pénitence pour, comme le roi de Ninive, empêcher
l’accomplissement de ces maux, alors « ces choses, inexorablement, se
produiront une à une ». Don Bosco ne sera pas plus entendu, hélas, que
Notre-Dame ne l’a été rue
du Bac en 1830, à La
Salette en 1846, à Fatima en
1917, et ailleurs encore…
Pourtant, à l’instar de
la Vierge du Rosaire annonçant : « À la fin, mon cœur immaculé
triomphera », Giovanni prédit l’apparition d’un « soleil
lumineux » annonciateur du feu du Saint-Esprit sur le monde. Dieu, et Il
ne cesse de le redire à l’humanité par la voix de Marie et des saints, ne veut
pas la mort des pécheurs mais qu’ils se convertissent et vivent. Cela implique
de leur part un retour sur eux-mêmes. Dans le cas contraire, la justice divine
frappera, en effet. C’est ce que le prêtre visionnaire annonce, en décembre
1854, au roi Victor-Emmanuel II.
La suppression des ordres
contemplatifs
Nous sommes au cœur de la
crise qui durera jusqu’à la chute de Rome en septembre 1870, opposant partisans
de l’unité italienne et défenseurs des États pontificaux qui font du pape un
souverain temporel aussi bien que spirituel. L’unification de l’Italie implique
la disparition de cette souveraineté, ce à quoi Pie IX ne veut, ni ne peut,
consentir. Le jeune Victor-Emmanuel II, qui ambitionne de régner sur des
possessions plus vastes que celles léguées par ses aïeux en Savoie, Piémont et
Sardaigne, est entré, contre promesse de la couronne italienne, dans le jeu
d’une gauche révolutionnaire, franc-maçonne, décidée à renverser les monarchies
catholiques des Bourbons-Sicile à Naples ou des Habsbourg en Lombardie et
Vénétie ; décidée, surtout, à en finir, non seulement avec le pouvoir temporel
de la papauté, incarnée par les États pontificaux, mais avec le catholicisme.
Cette année 1854, le roi
a donné des gages aux adversaires de l’Église en acceptant le projet de loi
Ratazzi qui prévoit la suppression dans son royaume de tous les ordres religieux
contemplatifs et la confiscation de leurs biens, ne laissant subsister que ceux
voués à l’enseignement, la prédication et les œuvres de charité. Pour faire
passer la pilule auprès de la hiérarchie catholique piémontaise, la loi Ratazzi
affirme que l’argent ainsi récupéré sera attribué aux paroisses pauvres et à
l’entretien des édifices cultuels. Don Bosco, à l’instar des promoteurs de la
loi qui, eux, ne mésestiment pas la puissance de la prière et du sacrifice,
sait que détruire les ordres contemplatifs, c’est priver l’Église de ses
troupes d’élite et la livrer désarmée ou presque à l’Ennemi…
Morts annoncées
Seul le roi peut arrêter
le processus en opposant son veto ; Victor-Emmanuel, emporté par
l’ambition, n’en a pas l’intention. Fin novembre 1854, Don Bosco fait un
rêve : il se trouve au palais royal entouré d’autres prêtres. Soudain, un
valet déboule dans la salle ; il crie : « Grande
nouvelle ! » « Laquelle ? » demande Don Bosco et
l’autre de répondre : « Grand enterrement à la Cour ! »
Giovanni ne se rendort pas : « J’en ai été malade le reste de la nuit
… » Il est si frappé qu’il écrit au roi afin de l’avertir. À cinq jours de
là, il refait le même songe, à un détail près ; le domestique crie :
« Pas un mais plusieurs grands enterrements à la Cour ! » Don
Bosco réécrit à Victor-Emmanuel ; il l’avertit que, s’il signe la loi, il
attirera sur la Maison royale de Savoie de grands malheurs.
Je n’ai écrit au roi que
la vérité ; je regrette de l’avoir fâché mais j’ai fait cela pour son bien
et celui de l’Église.
Ce n’est pas un
avertissement à prendre à la légère. Don Bosco a déjà prophétisé des drames,
accidents, morts, en en précisant souvent la date ; toujours, les faits
lui ont donné raison dans les délais indiqués. Victor-Emmanuel, plus frappé
qu’il l’admet, envoie l’un de ses proches rencontrer Giovanni. Cet envoyé
s’emporte : « Croyez-vous raisonnable de mettre de la sorte la Cour
sens dessus dessous ? Le roi est furieux, très impressionné, très
troublé ! » Le message est clair ; il faut arrêter de vaticiner.
Imperturbable, Don Bosco rétorque : « Je n’ai écrit au roi que la
vérité ; je regrette de l’avoir fâché mais j’ai fait cela pour son bien et
celui de l’Église. » Victor-Emmanuel ne recule pas, de peur d’être
ridicule en prêtant foi à ce prêtre tenu par son ministre de l’Intérieur pour
un dangereux réactionnaire. Le 5 janvier 1855, la loi passe en première lecture
au parlement. Dans la soirée, la reine mère tombe brusquement très malade et
meurt. Elle avait 54 ans.
« Ouvre les
yeux ! »
C’est un coup très dur
pour le roi, le premier. Le jour des obsèques, sa femme, accouchée huit jours
plus tôt, et qui paraît très bien se remettre de la naissance, est emportée par
des complications inattendues. Don Bosco, à l’annonce du premier décès, a envoyé
un dernier courrier au souverain : « Une personne éclairée du Ciel
prévient : ouvre les yeux. Si la loi passe, de grands malheurs s’abattront
sur ta famille car ceci n’est que le début des maux… » En vain… Après les
deux reines, c’est le frère de Victor-Emmanuel, le duc de Gênes qui meurt le 11
février. Le roi ne bouge pas. Mi-mai, alors que le processus législatif touche
à son terme son dernier-né succombe à une maladie infantile. Son père signe
malgré tout le décret qui supprime 334 couvents de son royaume. Dans des notes
personnelles, Don Bosco écrit : « La famille qui vole Dieu subira
maintes tribulations et ne passera pas la quatrième génération. »
La prédiction se
réalisera. Le successeur de Victor-Emmanuel, Umberto Ier, est assassiné. Son
fils, Victor-Emmanuel III, qui a déjà perdu l’essentiel de son pouvoir au
profit de Mussolini, abdique en 1946, son fils est contraint d’en faire avant
de quitter l’Italie avec sa famille, frappé par la loi d’exil. La Maison de
Savoie ne règnera pas au-delà de cette quatrième génération marquée par le
Ciel…
Lire aussi :Où
en est la cause de Mamma Margherita, la mère de Don Bosco ?
Lire aussi :Dix
conseils très simples de Don Bosco à l’intention des parents
Lire aussi :Saint
Jean Bosco, un pionnier de l’éducation bienveillante?
PREMIÈRE PARTIE
LA VIE DE SAINT JEAN
BOSCO
3-Un
remarquable conseiller: Don Cafasso
5-D’autres
missions pour don Bosco
6-Le
développement des principales œuvres de Don Bosco
7-Don
Bosco constructeur d’églises
DEUXIÈME PARTIE
LES FAITS EXTRAORDINAIRES
DE LA VIE DE SAINT JEAN BOSCO
2-Les
prémonitions et les visions
TROISIÈME PARTIE
SAINT JEAN BOSCO -
L’HOMME
QUATRIÈME PARTIE
LA SPIRITUALITÉ DE DON
BOSCO
2-Le
fondateur d’ordres religieux
4-La
spiritualité de don Bosco
ANNEXES
Annexe
2-Résurrection d’un adolescent
Annexe
3-Vie de Dominique Savio
Annexe
4-Quelques repères chronologiques
Annexe
5-Les œuvres écrites de don Bosco
SOURCE : http://voiemystique.free.fr/jean_bosco_bio_tab.htm
QUELQUES REPÈRES
CHRONOLOGIQUES
1815-(16 août): Naissance
de Jean Bosco aux Becchi (Asti-Piémont).
1817-Jean perd son père à
l’âge de deux ans.
1825-Jean voit en songe
la préfiguration de sa mission.
1835 Jean Bosco reçoit la
soutane et entre au séminaire.
1837-(9 mai) :
Naissance à Mornese de Marie Dominique Mazzarello, cofondatrice des FMA.
(Filles de Marie Immaculée)
1841-(5 juin): Jean Bosco
est ordonné prêtre à Turin.
1841-(8 décembre): Don
Bosco débute par une leçon de catéchisme son apostolat auprès des jeunes à
Turin.
1842-(2 avril) :
Naissance de Dominique Savio.
1845-Don Bosco lance les
cours du soir.
1846-(12 avril): Don
Bosco s’établit au Valdocco.
1847-Don Bosco ouvre un
deuxième Oratoire à Turin-Porta Nuova.
1848-Don Bosco est pris
pour un fou par ceux à qui il confie son projet apostolique.
1852-(31 mars) : Don
Bosco est officiellement reconnu par son évêque comme directeur des trois
Oratoires de Turin.
1853-Don Bosco ouvre des
écoles professionnelles dans ses internats, crée sa première fanfare et lance
les “Lectures Catholiques”, sa première revue populaire.
1854-(26 janvier) :
Don Bosco donne le nom de “Salésiens” à ses premiers assistants.
1854-(2 octobre) :
Rencontre entre don Bosco et Dominique Savio.
1855-(25 mars) :
Naissance de la Société Salésienne: l’abbé Michel Rua émet les voeux privés en
présence de Don Bosco.
1855-Don Dominique
Pestarino fonde à Mornese (Alessandria-Piémont) une association qui deviendra
l’Institut des Filles de Marie Auxiliatrice.
1856-(25 novembre) :
Décès de Maman Marguerite.
1857-(9 mars) : Mort
de Dominique Savio.
1858-Première visite de Don
Bosco à Rome et au Pape.
1859-(9 décembre) :
Don Bosco annonce sa décision de fonder la Congrégation Salésienne.
1859-(18 décembre) :
Don Bosco installe le premier Chapitre Supérieur salésien.
1860-(12 juin) : 26
salésiens adoptent les Règles de la Congrégation.
1860-Don Bosco accepte
parmi les salésiens le premier laïc: le coadjuteur Joseph Rossi.
1861-Don Bosco ouvre la
première typographie.
1862-(14 mai) : les
22 premiers salésiens émettent leurs voeux en présence de don Bosco.
1863-(20 octobre) :
Don Bosco ouvre la première maison hors de Turin (à Mirabello Monferrato).
1864-(23 juillet) :
La Congrégation Salésienne reçoit la première reconnaissance du Saint-Siège
(Décret de louange).
1864-(octobre) : Don
Bosco rencontre Marie Mazzarello à Mornese.
1865-(13 novembre) :
Premier diplôme obtenu par un salésien (Don Jean Baptiste Francesia).
1868-(9 juin) :
Consécration de la basilique Marie Auxiliatrice à Turin.
1869-(18 avril) :
Don Bosco fonde à Turin l'Archiconfrérie de Marie Auxiliatrice.
1870-(septembre) :
Ouverture de la première maison hors du Piémont (à Alassio, province de
Savona).
1872-(5 août) :
Fondation à Mornese de l'Institut des FMA.
1874-(3 avril) : Le
Saint-Siège approuve les Constitutions salésiennes.
1875-(11 novembre) :
La première expédition missionnaire salésienne part pour l'Amérique.
1875-(21 novembre) :
Ouverture de la première maison salésienne hors d’Italie (Nice, France)
1876-(9 mai) : Le
Saint-Siège approuve l'Association des Salésiens Coopérateurs.
1877-(5 septembre) :
Les Salésiens tiennent leur premier Chapitre Général.
1877-(14 novembre) :
Les 6 premières FMA partent d’Italie pour les missions d’Amérique.
1879-Premier contact des
missionnaires salésiens avec les Indiens de Patagonie.
1880-Salésiens et FMA
ouvrent les premières œuvres missionnaires en Patagonie (Argentine).
1881-(14 mai) : Mort
de Mère Marie Mazzarello.
1883-(février-mai) :
Visite de Don Bosco en France.
1884-(7 décembre) :
Premier salésien évêque (Mgr Jean Cagliero).
1886-Visite de Don Bosco
à Barcelone.
1887-(14 mai) :
Consécration de la Basilique du Sacré Coeur à Rome.
1888-(31 janvier) :
Mort de Don Bosco (il laisse 773 Salésiens et 393 FMA).
1890-Ouverture du procès
de canonisation de Don Bosco.
1897-(septembre): Début
de l’œuvre salésienne en Amérique Centrale.
1915 Premier cardinal
salésien (Mgr Jean Cagliero)
1929-(2 juin):
Béatification de Don Bosco.
1934-(1 avril):
Canonisation de Don Bosco.
1938-(20 novembre) :
Béatification de Mère Marie Mazzarello.
1946-(24 mai) : Don
Bosco est déclaré patron des éditeurs catholiques.
1950-Les missionnaires
expulsés de Chine transplantent l'œuvre salésienne aux Philippines, au Vietnam,
à Taiwan et en Corée du Sud.
1950-(5 mars) :
Béatification de Dominique Savio.
1951-(24 juin) :
Canonisation de Mère Marie Mazzarello.
1954-(12 juin) :
Canonisation de Dominique Savio.
1972-(29 octobre) :
Béatification de don Michel Rua.
1988-Premier centenaire
de la mort de Don Bosco. Une "année de grâces" enrichies
d’indulgences par le pape Jean-Paul II, est ouverte le 31 janvier par une
célébration solennelle à Turin, en présence du Recteur Majeur et du Conseil
Général, quatre cardinaux et 58 évêques salésiens.
1989-(24 janvier) :
Le Pape Jean-Paul II proclame officiellement don Bosco “Père et Maître de la
jeunesse”.
SOURCE : http://voiemystique.free.fr/jean_bosco_bio_25.htm
LES ŒUVRES ÉCRITES DE
JEAN BOSCO
Écrits de caractère
scolaires
Système métrique décimal
(1849)[1]
Histoire de l’Église
(1845)
Histoire Sainte (1847)
Histoire d’Italie (1855)
Biographies :
Saint Martin de Tours (1855)
Saint Pancrace martyr
(1856)
Saint Pierre apôtre
(1856)
Saint Paul (1857)
Les papes des trois
premiers siècles (1857-1865)
La bienheureuse Marie des
Anges, carmélite (1865)
Louis Comollo (1844)
Saint Dominique Savio
(1859)
Michel Magon (1861)
François Besucco (1864)
Joseph Cafasso (1864)
Charles-Louis de Haller,
protestant converti (1855)
Les mémoires de
l’Oratoire Saint François de Sales (de 1815 à 1855)
Récits “agréables”
La conversion d’une
vaudoise (1854)
Pierre ou la force de la
bonne éducation (1855)
Récit agréable d’un vieux
soldat de Napoléon 1er (1862) etc. ...
Doctrine, apologétique,
dévotion
Avis aux catholiques
(1850)
Le catholique instruit
dans sa religion (1853)
Une dispute entre un
avocat et un ministre protestant (1853)
L’Église catholique et sa
hiérarchie (1869)
Les conciles généraux et
l’Église catholique (1869)
Œuvres mariales
Le mois de mai (1858)
Neuf jours consacrés à
l’auguste Mère du Sauveur sous le titre de Marie Auxiliatrice (1870),
etc. ...
Sur l’œuvre salésienne
Règlements de l’Oratoire
(1877)
Les Coopérateurs
Salésiens (1876)
Constitutions de la
Société de saint François de Sales (à partir de 1867)
À cela il faut ajouter la
revue intitulée “Les Lectures Catholiques” à partir de 1853...
Enfin, sur l’ordre exprès
du pape Pie IX, don Bosco écrivit aussi ses Souvenirs autobiographiques.
BIBLIOGRAPHIE
A. Auffray. Un grand
Éducateur, Saint Jean Bosco (1815-1888). Édité chez Emmanuel Vitte en 1929
Don Bosco. Souvenirs
autobiographiques. Agence internationale Salésienne d’Information
(www.sdb.org).
Jean Bosco - Écrits
spirituels. Textes présentés par Joseph Aubry. Édité par Nouvelle
Cité en 1979
[1] Les
nombres entre parenthèses sont les dates de la première parution
SOURCE : http://voiemystique.free.fr/jean_bosco_bio_26.htm
Qui est Don Bosco ?
30 janvier 2021 à 10:00
Un prêtre éducateur du
XIXe siècle qui a donné sa vie aux jeunes abandonnés de la ville de Turin…
Voici résumer en quelques mots la vie d’une personne qui aura marqué son époque
et aura laissé un trésor pour aimer les jeunes : le système préventif. Son projet a conquis
des jeunes et des adultes de son temps… et aujourd’hui, ils sont des centaines
de milliers, dans plus de 130 pays, à vivre du style d’éducation proposé
par Don Bosco.
voir une vidéo sur Don Bosco
Son enfance
Né le 16 août 1815 aux
Becchi, un hameau situé à 30 kilomètres au sud de Turin, Jean Bosco est le
troisième fils d’un couple de paysans. Très tôt orphelin de père, il est
forcé d’aider sa mère aux travaux des champs pour ne pas mourir de faim. Malgré
cela, il trouve le temps de s’instruire, et fait profiter de ses connaissances
aux garçons de son âge. Enfant joyeux, mais impulsif, il doit quitter le foyer
familial à l’âge de onze ans du fait de sa mésentente avec l’un de ses frères.
Après avoir effectué plusieurs petits métiers, il bénéficie de l’enseignement
d’un prêtre, Don Calosso, ce qui nourrit en lui la vocation de rentrer
dans les ordres.
Attentif aux jeunes
Ordonné prêtre le 5 juin
1841, Don Bosco est invité par Don Cafasso à arpenter les faubourgs de
Turin. Il y découvre une jeunesse livrée à elle-même, en proie à la misère
et à l’exploitation. Il faut dire qu’à cette époque, la capitale piémontaise
est en pleine effervescence industrielle, et les jeunes constituent, pour les
patrons, une main d’oeuvre bon marché et corvéable à merci. Ses visites dans
les prisons finissent de le convaincre d’agir rapidement. C’est ainsi qu’il
conçoit le projet du Valdocco (littéralement : « val des occis» en
italien, puisque c’était dans ce quartier de Turin que les exécutions avaient
lieu), un centre de jeunes qui ouvre en 1846.
Au Valdocco, Don Bosco
fait construire une chapelle, dédiée à Saint-François de
Sales. Parallèlement, il met en place des ateliers pour former ses jeunes
aux métiers de l’industrie : menuiserie, cordonnerie, reliure, etc. Sur les
chantiers, il fait signer aux patrons des contrats de travail en bonne et due
forme, ce qui n’est pas monnaie courante à l’époque. Enfin, il tient à créer
une ambiance familiale au sein du centre et, pour cela, persuade sa mère de le
rejoindre.
Avec l’aide des
éducateurs, laïcs et prêtres, Don Bosco assure une présence permanente auprès
des garçons qu’il accueille : il joue avec eux, mange avec eux, veille à leur
bien-être. Le succès du centre est retentissant : en six ans, les effectifs
passent de 17 à plus de 600 ! Du coup, un deuxième oratoire est ouvert dès
1853, dans le quartier de Porta Nuova. Ce succès, cependant, ne fait pas que
des heureux, et son refus catégorique de voir ses jeunes s’enrôler dans la
révolution qui secoue le Piémont attise le ressentiment. Don Bosco est ainsi la
cible de tentatives d’attentats, auxquels il échappe miraculeusement.
Développer son oeuvre
En 1859, il propose à 17
garçons, parmi les plus âgés, de l’aider à fonder une congrégation. Les Salésiens sont nés. En 1872, sa
rencontre avec Marie-Dominique Mazzarello aboutit à la fondation des
« Filles de Marie Auxiliatrice »,
appelées aussi Salésiennes de Don Bosco. Enfin, en 1875, il conçoit le projet
des Coopérateurs, qui rassemble laïcs, prêtres et religieux soucieux de
l’éducation des jeunes dans leurs lieux de vie. La même année, les premiers
missionnaires embarquent pour l’Argentine, première étape de
l’internationalisation de la jeune congrégation.
Don Bosco s’éteint le 31
janvier 1888 à Turin, à 73 ans. Il est proclamé Saint par Pie XI en 1934,
et nommé « Père et maître de la jeunesse » par Jean-Paul
II en janvier 1988. Son élève et disciple Dominique
Savio (1842-1857) est, lui, canonisé en 1954 par Pie XII, et nommé
Saint-patron des enfants et des adolescents.
SOURCE : https://www.don-bosco.net/actualites/famille-salesienne/qui-est-don-bosco/
À l'école de Don Bosco,
être toujours dans la joie
Edifa - Publié
le 30/01/21
Proclamé "patron des
apprentis" par le pape Pie XII, Jean Bosco était un éducateur hors du
commun. Fêté ce 31 janvier, il pourrait aussi être le protecteur des parents,
des catéchistes et des enseignants.
Don Bosco est né le 16
août 1815, dans un petit hameau du nord de l’Italie. Il fut ordonné prêtre le 5
juin 1841. Comme un songe le lui avait fait pressentir durant sa jeunesse,
l’essentiel de son ministère fut consacré aux jeunes, qu’il accueillit par
centaines à l’Oratoire saint François-de-Sales, les sauvant ainsi de la misère
matérielle et surtout spirituelle à laquelle ils étaient livrés. Éducateur hors
pair, il sert encore aujourd’hui d’exemple aux parents et à tous ceux qui
travaillent avec les enfants.
Être toujours dans la joie
et garder confiance
La joie est vraiment la
tonalité de la vie de Don
Bosco : une joie puisée à la source de la prière et des sacrements,
une joie qui s’incarne très concrètement. Agé d’une douzaine d’années, il fait
le pitre sur une corde tendue à la manière des funambules de foire, histoire
d’attirer des spectateurs qu’il invite ensuite à prier ! Plus tard, avec les
garçons de l’Oratoire, il passe des heures à jouer et à raconter des histoires.
Et quand le petit Dominique
Savio, qui est son élève, se croit obligé de rester sérieux par amour du
Seigneur, Don Bosco lui fait très vite comprendre qu’« un saint triste est
un triste saint ».
« Ayons confiance en
Dieu, quoi qu’il arrive » : ce sont les derniers mots du père de Jean, qui
meurt alors que ce dernier n’a pas deux ans. Cette confiance restera la règle
de Don Bosco. Il aime à répéter à ses jeunes : « Gardez confiance ».
Avec sa mère, venue travailler avec lui à Turin, il vit cette confiance au
quotidien, qu’il s’agisse de trouver un toit pour ses garçons, de les nourrir,
ou de rassembler des fonds pour construire une église. Don Bosco et
« Maman Marguerite » ne s’appuient pas sur le contenu de leur
porte-monnaie (vide, le plus souvent !), mais sur Dieu seul. Et Dieu ne les
déçoit jamais. Nous pouvons demander à Jean Bosco de nous apprendre la
confiance lorsque les factures à payer s’amoncellent, ou que le chômage met en
péril les finances familiales. Don Bosco fit tant de fois l’expérience d’avoir
plus de bouches à nourrir que d’argent pour acheter du pain, que l’on peut
certainement le choisir comme protecteur des fins de mois difficiles.
Dieu a besoin d’hommes et
de femmes bien formés du corps, du cœur et de l’intelligence
Développez vos talents et
profitez de toutes les occasions pour apprendre : telle est la leçon que nous
donne la vie de Don Bosco. Certes, il était doué et sans doute plus que
d’autres : il jouissait d’une mémoire prodigieuse, chantait à merveille, était
souple et agile, habile de ses mains, etc. Mais il sut développer tous ces
dons, pour les mettre au service de Dieu. Tout jeune, il ne perd pas une minute
pour étudier « afin, disait-il, de devenir prêtre », ce qui ne
l’empêche pas de travailler aux champs ou de s’exercer à diverses acrobaties et
jongleries !
Lire aussi :
Bosco,
ou quand la vie d’un saint inspire un prénom
Lorsqu’il est collégien,
il n’a pas de quoi payer sa pension. Qu’à cela ne tienne : puisqu’il habite
chez un tailleur, il lui propose de travailler pour lui après l’école,
acquérant ainsi une compétence qui lui sera précieuse lorsqu’il s’agira de
ravauder les vêtements usés de ses garçons. Il apprendra ensuite la menuiserie,
la reliure, la serrurerie, la cordonnerie. Jean Bosco nous rappelle qu’il ne
faut perdre aucune occasion de développer ses compétences, surtout lorsqu’on
est jeune. Sa vie nous rappelle que Dieu a besoin de bons ouvriers pour sa
moisson, d’hommes et de femmes solides, bien formés dans tous les domaines du
corps, du cœur et de l’intelligence.
Conduire les enfants à
Dieu avec une fermeté qui n’exclut jamais la miséricorde
Faites-vous aimer,
attirez l’affection des enfants pour les conduire à Dieu : voilà comment Don
Bosco éduqua les jeunes qui lui furent confiés. Il les conduisait par la
douceur, avec une fermeté qui n’excluait jamais la miséricorde. Il faisait
aimer le Bon Dieu parce que lui-même était bon. Quand il voyait les fautes de
ses garçons – et il avait reçu le don de lire avec clairvoyance dans leurs âmes
– , il ne les accablait pas de reproches, mais cherchait avec beaucoup de
délicatesse et de bienveillance à les conduire jusqu’au pardon de Dieu.
« Dites à mes
enfants que je les attends tous au Paradis, et recommandez-leur toujours une
grande dévotion à l’Eucharistie et à la Sainte Vierge. Ainsi, ils n’auront jamais
rien à craindre ». Ces ultimes conseils de Don Bosco, mort le 31
janvier 1888, ne tracent-ils pas un beau programme pour toutes les familles
chrétiennes ?
Christine Ponsard
Lire aussi :
Tout
savoir sur Don Bosco, le père de la jeunesse
Saint Jean BOSCO
Mort en 1888. Canonisé en
1934. Fête en 1936.
Leçon des Matines 1960
Troisième leçon. Jean
Bosco naquit d’une humble famille ; après une enfance éprouvée et pure, il fit
ses études à Chieri et fut estimé pendant ce temps pour son intelligence et
pour ses vertus. Ordonné prêtre, il vint à Turin, où il se fit tout à tous ; mais
c’est surtout à aider les adolescents pauvres et abandonnés qu’il consacra ses
efforts. Par une éducation libérale, des écoles professionnelles, des
patronages il s’employa de toutes ses forces à préserver l’enfance des poisons
de l’erreur et du vice : à cette fin, il suscita dans l’Église deux instituts,
l’un d’hommes, l’autre de vierges. Il publia de nombreux livres, riches de
sagesse chrétienne. Il contribua aussi au salut des infidèles en envoyant ses
religieux en mission. L’âme constamment élevée vers Dieu, cet homme très saint
ne semblait être ni effrayé par les menaces, ni fatigué par les labeurs, ni
accablé par les soucis, ni troublé par l’adversité. Il mourut en 1888, dans sa
soixante-treizième année. Il fut inscrit au nombre des saints par le Souverain
Pontife Pie XI.
SOURCE : http://www.introibo.fr/31-01-St-Jean-Bosco-confesseur
Saint Jean Bosco
De l'éducation des
enfants
Je consacrerai ma vie aux
enfants. Je les aimerai et m'en ferai aimer. Quand ils tournent mal, c'est que
personne ne s'est occupé d'eux. Je me dépenserai sans mesure pour eux.
Si vous voulez vraiment
faire du bien à l'âme de vos enfants et les plier au devoir, il faut vous rappeler,
sans cesse, que vous tenez la place de leurs parents. Si vous vous regardez
comme les pères de cette jeunesse, vous en prendrez le cœur... Un cœur, c'est
une citadelle inexpugnable, dit saint Grégoire ; seules l'affection et la
douceur la peuvent forcer : fermeté à vouloir le bien et empêcher le mal, mais
douceur et prudence pour atteindre cette double fin.
Les maîtres qui ne
pardonnent rien aux enfants sont ceux qui se pardonnent tout à eux-mêmes. Pour
apprendre à commander, commençons par apprendre à obéir, et cherchons à nous
faire aimer avant de nous faire craindre.
Avant toute chose, voici
ce qui importe : attendez pour punir d'être maître de vous-même.
Second principe aussi
important que le premier : ne punissez jamais un enfant à l'instant de sa
faute.
Oublier et faire oublier
l'heure de la faute est l'art suprême du bon éducateur. Où lisons-nous que
Notre Seigneur ait rappelé ses écarts à Marie-Madeleine ? Et avec quelle
paternelle délicatesse le Sauveur fit confesser et expier sa faute à Pierre !
Après son pardon, l'enfant veut se persuader que son maître nourrit l'espoir de
son retournement : rien ne l'aide autant à reprendre la route du devoir.
Rappelons-nous toujours
que la force punit la faute, mais ne guérit pas le coupable. La culture d'une
plante ne doit jamais être violente, et l'on n'éduque pas la volonté en
l'écrasant sous un joug excessif.
Rappelez-vous que
l'éducation est une affaire de cœur : Dieu seul est le maître de cette place
forte ; s'il ne nous enseigne l'art de la forcer, s'il ne nous en livre les
clefs, nous perdons notre temps.
Saint Jean Bosco
Manière facile
d’apprendre l’Histoire Sainte (1850)
Les adultes qui vivent et
meurent séparés de l’Eglise catholique ne peuvent pas se sauver, parce que
celui qui n’est pas avec l’Eglise catholique n’est pas avec Jésus-Christ ; et
qui n’est pas avec lui est contre lui, dit l’Évangile
Saint Jean Bosco
Brochure sur le
centenaire de saint Pierre (1867)
Heureux les peuples qui
sont unis à Pierre dans la personne des papes ses successeurs. Ils marchent sur
la route du salut. tandis que tous ceux qui se trouvent hors de cette route et
n’appartiennent pas à l’union de Pierre n’ont aucun espoir de salut. Car Jésus-Christ
nous assure que la sainteté et le salut ne se peuvent trouver que dans l’union
avec Pierre, sur qui repose le fondement inamovible de son Eglise.
Saint Jean Bosco
Lettre à ses confrères
Avant tout, si nous
voulons nous montrer les amis du vrai bien de nos élèves et les amener à faire
leur devoir, nous ne devons jamais oublier que nous représentons les parents de
cette chère jeunesse qui fut toujours le tendre sujet de mes occupations, de
mes études, de mon ministère sacerdotal, et de notre congrégation salésienne.
Que de fois, mes chers
fils, dans ma longue carrière, j'ai dû me persuader de cette grande vérité ! Il
est toujours plus facile de s'irriter que de patienter, de menacer un enfant,
que de le persuader. Je dirai même qu'il est plus facile, pour notre impatience
et pour notre orgueil, de châtier les récalcitrants que de les corriger, en les
supportant avec fermeté et douceur.
Je vous recommande la
charité que saint Paul employait envers les nouveaux convertis à la religion du
Seigneur, et qui le faisait souvent pleurer et supplier quand il les voyait peu
dociles et répondant mal à son zèle.
Ecartez tout ce qui
pourrait faire croire qu'on agit sous l'effet de la passion. Il est difficile,
quand on punit, de conserver le calme nécessaire pour qu'on ne s'imagine pas
que nous agissons pour montrer notre autorité ou pour décharger notre
emportement.
Considérons comme nos
enfants ceux sur lesquels nous avons un pouvoir à exercer. Mettons-nous à leur
service, comme Jésus qui est venu pour obéir, non pour commander. Redoutons ce
qui pourrait nous donner l'air de vouloir dominer, et ne les dominons que pour
mieux les servir.
C'est ainsi que Jésus se
comportait avec ses apôtres, supportant leur ignorance, leur rudesse et même
leur manque de foi. Il traitait les pécheurs avec gentillesse et familiarité,
au point de susciter chez les uns l'étonnement, chez d'autres le scandale, et
chez beaucoup l'espoir d'obtenir le pardon de Dieu. C'est pourquoi il nous a
dit d'apprendre de lui à être doux et humbles de cœur.
Puisqu'ils sont nos
enfants, éloignons toute colère, quand nous devons corriger leurs manquements,
ou du moins modérons-la pour qu'elle semble tout à fait étouffée.
Pas d'agitation dans
notre cœur, pas de mépris dans nos regards, pas d'injures sur nos lèvres. Ayons
de la compassion pour le présent, de l'espérance pour l'avenir : alors vous
serez de vrais pères, et vous accomplirez un véritable amendement.
Dans les cas très graves,
il vaut mieux vous recommander à Dieu, lui adresser un acte d'humilité, que de
vous laisser aller à un ouragan de paroles qui ne font que du mal à ceux qui
les entendent, et d'autre part ne procurent aucun profit à ceux qui les
méritent.
SOURCE : http://missel.free.fr/Sanctoral/01/31.php
Also
known as
Don Bosco
Giovanni Bosco
Giovanni Melchior Bosco
John Melchoir Bosco
Profile
Son of Venerable Margaret
Bosco. John’s father died when
the boy was
two years old; and as soon as he was old enough to do odd jobs, John did so to
help support his family. Bosco would go to circuses,
fairs and carnivals, practice the tricks that he saw magicians perform, and
then put on one-boy shows.
After his performance, while he still had an audience of boys,
he would repeat the homily he had heard earlier that day in church.
He worked as a tailor, baker, shoemaker,
and carpenter while
attending college and seminary. Ordained in 1841.
A teacher,
he worked constantly with young people,
finding places where they could meet, play and pray, teaching catechism to orphans and apprentices. Chaplain in
a hospice for girls. Wrote short
treatises aimed at explaining the faith to children,
and then taught children how
to print them.
Friend of Saint Joseph
Cafasso, whose biography he wrote,
and confessor to Blessed Joseph
Allamano. Founded the Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB) in 1859, priests who
work with and educate boys,
under the protection of Our Lady, Help of
Chistians, and Saint Francis
de Sales. Founded the Daughters of Mary, Help
of Christians in 1872,
and Union of Cooperator Salesians in 1875.
Born
16 August 1815 at
Becchi, Castelnuovo d’Asti, Piedmont, Italy as Giovanni
Melchior Bosco
31 January 1888 at Turin, Italy of
natural causes
24 July 1907 by Pope Pius X (decree
of heroic
virtues)
apprentices (traditional,
and given to Italian apprentices by Pope Pius XII on 17 January 1958)
magicians (performers,
not black magic)
schools,
colleges, universities
–
Institución
Educadiva Juan Pablo I Paz y Futuro
Additional
Information
Book
of Saints by Father Lawrence
George Lovasik, S.V.D.
Book
of Saints, by the Monk of
Ramsgate
Saint
John Bosco, by Edward Fitzgerald, S.D.B.
Saints
of the Day, by Katherine Rabenstein
The
Holiness of the Church in the 19th Century
The
Nineteenth Century Apostle of the Little Ones, by E. Uhlrich
–
First
Panegyric on Saint Joseph Cafasso
Second
Panegyric on Saint Joseph Cafasso
–
Don Bosco, The Friend of
Youth, by Mother Frances Alice Monica Forbes
download in EPub format
The Life of Dominic
Savio, by Saint John
Bosco
A Sketch of the Life and
Works of the Venerable Don Bosco, by M S Pine
Librivox audio book + image montage on YouTube
Don Bosco – A Sketch of
His Life and Miracles, by Dr Charles d’Espiney
Virtue and Christian
Refinement According to the Spirit of Saint Vincent
de Paul, by Saint John
Bosco
Venerable Don Bosco, by R
F O’Connor
books
1001 Patron Saints and Their Feast Days, by Australian
Catholic Truth Society
Our Sunday Visitor’s Encyclopedia of Saints
Oxford Dictionary of Saints, by David Hugh Farmer
Patron Saints and Their Feast Days, by the Australian Catholic
Truth Society
other
sites in english
Angelo Stagnaro: Why Don Bosco is the Patron Saints of
Magicians
Catholic Exchange: Conquering Souls for Christ
Catholic Exchange: The Ghost, The Blessed Sacrament and The
Devil
Catholic Exchange: The Danger of Tolerance
Catholic Exchange: Six Ways to Live a Joyful Life from
Saint John Bosco
Catholic
Online, by Terry Metz
Domestic-Church, by Catherine Fournier
images
audio
The Venerable Don Bosco the Apostle of Youth, by M S Pine
(Librivox audio book)
video
The Venerable Don Bosco the Apostle of Youth, by M S Pine
(Librivox audio book + image montage)
sitios
en español
Martirologio Romano, 2001 edición
sites
en français
Abbé
Christian-Philippe Chanut
Les idées
pédagogiques de Don Bosco
Vie
de Dom Bosco, fondateur de la société salésienne
fonti
in italiano
Calendario Francescano Secolare
Dicastero delle Cause dei Santi
spletne
strani v slovenšcini
Readings
Fly from bad companions
as from the bite of a poisonous snake. If you keep good companions, I can
assure you that you will one day rejoice with the blessed in Heaven; whereas if
you keep with those who are bad, you will become bad yourself, and you will be
in danger of losing your soul. – Saint John
Bosco
When tempted, invoke your
Angel. he is more eager to help you than you are to be helped! Ignore the devil
and do not be afraid of him: He trembles and flees at the sight of your
Guardian Angel. – Saint John
Bosco
Enjoy yourself as much as
you like – if only you keep from sin. – Saint John
Bosco
Do you want our Lord to
give you many graces? Visit him often. Do you want him to give you few graces?
Visit him seldom. Visits to the Blessed Sacrament are powerful and
indispensable means of overcoming the attacks of the devil. Make frequent
visits to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and the devil will be powerless
against you. – Saint John
Bosco
My sons, in my long
experience very often I had to be convinced of this great truth. It is easier
to become angry than to restrain oneself, and to threaten a boy than to persuade
him. Yes, indeed, it is more fitting to be persistent in punishing our own
impatience and pride than to correct the boys. We must be firm but kind, and be
patient with them. See that no one finds you motivated by impetuosity or
willfulness. It is difficult to keep calm when administering punishment, but
this must be done if we are to keep ourselves from showing off our authority or
spilling out our anger. Let us regard those boys over whom we have some
authority as our own sons. Let us place ourselves in their service. Let us be
ashamed to assume an attitude of superiority. Let us not rule over them except
for the purpose of serving them better. This was the method that Jesus used
with the apostles. He put up with their ignorance and roughness and even their
infidelity. He treated sinners with a kindness and affection that caused some
to be shocked, others to be scandalized and still others to hope for God’s
mercy. And so he bade us to be gentle and humble of heart. – from a letter
by Saint John
Bosco
All past persecutors of
the Church are now no more, but the Church still lives on. The same fate awaits
modern persecutors; they, too, will pass on, but the Church of Jesus Christ
will always remain, for God has pledged His Word to protect Her and be with Her
forever. – Saint John
Bosco
Most Holy Virgin Mary,
Help of Christians, how sweet it is to come to your feet imploring your
perpetual help. If earthly mothers cease not to remember their children, how
can you, the most loving of all mothers forget me? Grant then to me, I implore
you, your perpetual help in all my necessities, in every sorrow, and especially
in all my temptations. I ask for your unceasing help for all who are now
suffering. Help the weak, cure the sick, convert sinners. Grant through your
intercessions many vocations to the religious life. Obtain for us, O Mary, Help
of Christians, that having invoked you on earth we may love and eternally thank
you in heaven. Amen. – Saint John
Bosco
MLA
Citation
“Saint John Bosco“. CatholicSaints.Info.
21 April 2024. Web. 20 August 2025. <https://catholicsaints.info/saint-john-bosco/>
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/saint-john-bosco/
(Blessed) (19th century)
Founder of the Salesian Society. He was born in Piedmont in 1815 and worked as
a secular priest in Turin. He was especially remarkable for his influence over
boys and young men. In 1842 he founded his Oratory, for the housing and religious
education of poor boys, and from this has sprung the world-wide organisation of
the Salesian Society, a congregation of priests devoted to the care of boys. He
also founded a congregation of nuns (Sisters of Marie Auxiliatrice) dedicated
to similar work among girls. He died in 1888 and was beatified in 1929.
MLA
Citation
Monks of
Ramsgate. “John Bosco”. Book of Saints, 1931. CatholicSaints.Info.
19 April 2024. Web. 20 August 2025.
<https://catholicsaints.info/book-of-saints-john-bosco/>
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/book-of-saints-john-bosco/
St. John Bosco
Feastday: January 31
Patron: of apprentices, editors and publishers, schoolchildren, magicians, and juvenile delinquents
Birth: August 16, 1815
Death: January 31, 1888
Beatified: June 2, 1929 by Pope Pius XI
Canonized: April 1, 1934 by Pope Pius XI
John Bosco, also known as
Giovanni Melchiorre Bosco and Don Bosco, was born in Becchi, Italy, on August
16, 1815. His birth came just after the end of the Napoleonic Wars which
ravaged the area. Compounding the problems on his birthday, there was also a
drought and a famine at the time of his birth.
At the age of two, John
lost his father, leaving him and his two older brothers to be raised by his
mother, Margherita. His "Mama Margherita Occhiena" would herself be
declared venerable by the Church in 2006.
Raised primarily by his
mother, John attended church and became very devout. When he was not in church,
he helped his family grow food and raise sheep. They were very poor, but
despite their poverty his mother also found enough to share with the homeless
who sometimes came to the door seeking food, shelter or clothing.
When John was nine years
old, he had the first of several vivid dreams that would influence his life. In
his dream, he encountered a multitude of boys who swore as they played. Among
these boys, he encountered a great, majestic man and woman. The man told him
that in meekness and charity, he would "conquer these your friends."
Then a lady, also majestic said, "Be strong, humble and robust. When the
time comes, you will understand everything." This dream influenced John
the rest of his life.
Not long afterwards, John
witnessed a traveling troupe of circus performers. He was enthralled by their
magic tricks and acrobatics. He realized if he learned their tricks, he could
use them to attract others and hold their attention. He studied their tricks
and learned how to perform some himself.
One Sunday evening, John
staged a show for the kids he played with and was heartily applauded. At the
end of the show, he recited the homily he heard earlier in the day. He ended by
inviting his neighbors to pray with him. His shows and games were repeated and
during this time, John discerned the call to become a priest.
To be a priest, John
required an education, something he lacked because of poverty. However, he
found a priest willing to provide him with some teaching and a few books.
John's older brother became angry at this apparent disloyalty, and he
reportedly whipped John saying he's "a farmer like us!"
John was undeterred, and
as soon as he could he left home to look for work as a hired farm laborer. He
was only 12 when he departed, a decision hastened by his brother's hostility.
John had difficulty
finding work, but managed to find a job at a vineyard. He labored for two more
years before he met Jospeh Cafasso, a priest who was willing to help him.
Cafasso himself would later be recognized as a saint for his work, particularly
ministering to prisoners and the condemned.
In 1835, John entered the
seminary and following six years of study and preparation, he was ordained a
priest in 1841.
His first assignment was
to the city of Turin. The city was in the throes of industrialization so it had
slums and widespread poverty. It was into these poor neighborhoods that John,
now known as Fr. Bosco, went to work with the children of the poor.
While visiting the
prisons, Fr. Bosco noticed a large number of boys, between the ages of 12 and
18, inside. The conditions were deplorable, and he felt moved to do more to
help other boys from ending up there.
He went into the streets
and started to meet young men and boys where they worked and played. He used
his talents as a performer, doing tricks to capture attention, then sharing
with the children his message for the day.
When he was not
preaching, Fr. Bosco worked tirelessly seeking work for boys who needed it, and
searching for lodgings for others. His mother began to help him, and she became
known as "Mamma Margherita." By the 1860s, Fr. Bosco and his mother were
responsible for lodging 800 boys.
Fr. Bosco also negotiated
new rights for boys who were employed as apprentices. A common problem was the
abuse of apprentices, with their employers using them to perform manual labor
and menial work unrelated to their apprenticeship. Fr. Bosco negotiated
contracts which forbade such abuse, a sweeping reform for that time. The boys
he hired out were also given feast days off and could no longer be beaten.
Fr. Bosco also identified
boys he thought would make good priests and encouraged them to consider a
vocation to the priesthood. Then, he helped to prepare those who responded
favorably in their path to ordination.
Fr. Bosco was not without
some controversy. Some parish priests accused him of stealing boys from their
parishes. The Chief of Police of Turin was opposed to his catechizing of boys
in the streets, which he claimed was political subversion.
In 1859, Fr. Bosco
established the Society of St. Francis de Sales. He organized 15 seminarians
and one teenage boy into the group. Their purpose was to carry on his
charitable work, helping boys with their faith formation and to stay out of
trouble. The organization still exists today and continues to help people,
especially children around the world.
In the years that
followed, Fr. Bosco expanded his mission, which had, and still has, much work
to do.
Fr. Bosco died on January
31, 1888. The call for his canonization was immediate. Pope Pius XI knew Fr.
Bosco personally and agreed, declaring him blessed in 1929. St. John Bosco was
canonized on Easter Sunday, 1934 and he was given the title, "Father and
Teacher of Youth."
In 2002, Pope John Paul
II was petitioned to declare St. John Bosco the Patron of Stage Magicians. St.
Bosco had pioneered the art of what is today called "Gospel Magic,"
using magic and other feats to attract attention and engage the youth.
Saint John Bosco is the
patron saint of apprentices, editors and publishers, schoolchildren, magicians,
and juvenile delinquents. His feast day is on January 31.
SOURCE : https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=63
Saint DON BOSCO
Also known as Don
Bosco or Giovanni Melchior Bosco, he was the founder of the Salesian
Society. Born of poor parents in a little cabin at Becchi, a hill-side hamlet
near Castelnuovo, Piedmont, Italy, 16 August, 1815; died January 31, 1888;
declared Venerable by Pius X, July 21, 1907.
When he was little more
than two years old his father died, leaving the support of three boys to the
mother, Margaret Bosco. John’s early years were spent as a shepherd and he
received his first instruction at the hands of the parish priest. He possessed
a ready wit, a retentive memory, and as years passed his appetite for study
grew stronger. Owing to the poverty of the home, however, he was often obliged
to turn from his books to the field, but the desire of what he had to give up
never left him. In 1835 he entered the seminary at Chieri and after six years
of study was ordained priest on the eve of Trinity Sunday by Archbishop
Franzoni of Turin.
Leaving the seminary, Don
Bosco went to Turin where he entered zealously upon his priestly labours. It
was here that an incident occurred which opened up to him the real field of
effort of his afterlife. One of his duties was to accompany Don Cafasso upon
his visits to the prisons of the city, and the condition of the children
confined in these places, abandoned to the most evil influences, and with
little before them but the gallows, made such a indelible impression upon his
mind that he resolved to devote his life to the rescue of these unfortunate
outcasts.
On the eighth of December
1841, the feast of the Immaculate Conception, while Don Bosco was vesting for
Mass, the sacristan drove from the Church a ragged urchin because he refused to
serve Mass. Don Bosco heard his cries and recalled him, and in the friendship
which sprang up between the priest and Bartollomea Garelli was sown the first
seed of the “Oratory”, so called, no doubt, after the example of St. Philip
Neri and because prayer was its prominent feature. Don Bosco entered eagerly
upon the task of instructing thus first pupil of the streets; companions soon
joined Bartholomeo, all drawn by a kindness they had never known, and in
February 1842, the Oratory numbered twenty boys, in March of the same year,
thirty, and in March 1846, four hundred.
As the number of boys
increased, the question of a suitable meeting-place presented itself. In good
weather walks were taken on Sundays and holidays to spots in the country to
spots in the country about Turin where lunch was eaten, and realizing the charm
which music held for the untamed spirits of his disciples Don Boso organized a
band for which some old brass instruments were procured. In the autumn of 1844
he was appointed assistant chaplain to the Rifugio, where Don Borel entered
enthusiastically into his work. With the approval of Archbishop Franzoni, two
rooms were secured adjoining the Rifugio and converted into a chapel, which was
dedicated to St. Francis de Sales. The members of the Oratory now gathered at
the Rifugio, and numbers of boys from the surrounding district applied for
admission. It was about this time (1845) that Don Bosco began his night schools
and with the closing of the factories the boys flocked to his rooms where he
and Don Borel instructed them in rudimentary branches.
The success of the
Oratory at the Rifugio was not of long duration. To his great distress Don
Bosco was obliged to give up his rooms and from this on he was subjected to
petty annoyances and obstacles which, at times, seemed to spell the ruin of his
undertaking. His perseverance in the face of all difficulties led many to the
conclusion that he was insane, and an attempt was even made to confine him in
an asylum. Complaints were lodged against him, declaring his community to be a
nuisance, owing to the character of the boys he befriended. From the Rifugio
the Oratory was moved to St. Martin’s, to St. Peter’s Churchyard, to three
rooms in Via Cottolengo, where the night schools were resumed, to an open
field, and finally to a rough shed upon the site of which grew up an Oratory
that counted seven hundred members, Don Bosco took lodgings nearby, where he
was joined by his mother. “Mama Margaret”, as Don Bosco’s mother came to be
known, gave the last ten years of her life in devoted service to the little
inmates of this first Salesian home. When she joined her son at the Oratory the
outlook was not bright. But sacrificing what small means she had, even to
parting with her home, its furnishings, and her jewelry, she brought all the
solicitude and love of a mother to these children of the streets. The evening
classes increased and gradually dormitories were provided for many who desired
to live at the Oratory. Thus was founded the first Salesian Home which now
houses about one thousand boys.
The municipal authorities
by this time had come to recognize the importance of the work which Don Bosco
was doing, and he began with much success a fund for the erection of technical
schools and workshops. These were all completed without serious difficulty. In
1868 to meet the needs of the Valdocco quarter of Turin, Don Bosco resolved to
build a church. Accordingly a plan was drawn in the form of a cross covering an
area of 1,500 sq. yards. He experienced considerable difficulty in raising the
necessary money, but the charity of some friends finally enabled him to
complete it at a cost of more than a million francs (about 200,000). The church
was consecrated 9 June, 1868, and placed under the patronage of Our Lady, Help
of Christians. In the same year in which Don Bosco began the erection of the
church fifty priests and teachers who had been assisting him formed a society
under a common rule which Pius IX, provisionally in 1869, and finally in 1874,
approved.
Any attempt to explain
the popularity of the Oratory among the classes to which Don Bosco devoted his
life would fail without an appreciation of his spirit which was its life. For
his earliest intercourse with poor boys he had never failed to see under the
dirt, the rags, and the uncouthness the spark which a little kindness and
encouragement would fan into a flame. In his vision or dream which he is said
to have had in his early boyhood, wherein it was disclosed to him what his
lifework would be, a voice said to him: “Not with blows, but with charity and
gentleness must you draw these friends to the path of virtue.” And whether this
be accounted as nothing more than a dream, that was in reality the spirit with
which he animated his Oratory. In the earlier days when the number of his
little disciples was slender he drew them about him by means of small presents
and attractions, and by pleasant walks to favorite spots in the environs of
Turin. These excursions occurring on Sunday, Don Bosco would say Mass in the
village church and give a short instruction on the Gospel; breakfast would then
be eaten, followed by games; and in the afternoon Vespers would he chanted, a
lesson in Catechism given, and the Rosary recited. It was a familiar sight to
see him in the field surrounded by kneeling boys preparing for confession.
Don Bosco’s method of
study knew nothing of punishment. Observance of rules was obtained by
instilling a true sense of duty, by removing assiduously all occasions for
disobedience, and by allowing no effort towards virtue, how trivial soever it
might be, to pass unappreciated. He held that the teacher should be father, adviser,
and friend, and he was the first to adopt the preventive method. Of punishment
he said: “As far as possible avoid punishing, try to gain love before inspiring
fear.” And in 1887 he wrote: “I do not remember to have used formal punishment;
and with God’s grace I have always obtained, and from apparently hopeless
children, not alone what duty exacted, but what my wish simply expressed.” In
one of his books he has discussed the causes of weakness of character, and
derives them largely from a misdirected kindness in the rearing of children.
Parents make a parade of precocious talents: the child understands quickly, and
his sensitiveness enraptures all who meet him, but the parents have only
succeeded in producing all affectionate, perfected, intelligent animal. The
chief object should be to form the will and to temper the character.
In all his pupils Don
Bosco tried to cultivate a taste for music, believing it to be a powerful and
refining influence. “Instruction”, he said, “is but an accessory, like a game;
knowledge never makes a man because it does not directly touch the heart. It
gives more power in the exercise of good or evil; but alone it is an
indifferent weapon, wanting guidance.” He always studied, too, the aptitudes
and vocations of his pupils, and to an almost supernatural quickness and
clearness of insight into the hearts of children must be ascribed to no small
part of his success. In his rules lie wrote: “Frequent Confession, frequent
Communion, daily Mass: these are the pillars which should sustain the whole
edifice of education.” Don Bosco was an indefatigable confessor, devoting days
to the work among his children. He recognized that gentleness and persuasion
alone were not enough to bring to the task of education. He thoroughly believed
in play as a means of arousing childish curiosity — more than this, he places
it among his first recommendations, and for the rest he adopted St. Philip
Neri’s words: “Do as you wish, I do not care so long as you do not sin.”
At the time of Don
Bosco’s death in 1888 there were 250 houses of the Salesian Society in all
parts of the world, containing 130,000 children, and from which there annually
went out 18,000 finished apprentices. In the motherhouse, Don Bosco had
selected the brightest of his pupils, taught them Italian, Latin, French, and
mathematics, and this band formed a teaching corps for the new homes which
quickly grew up in other places. Up to 1888 over six thousand priests had gone
forth from Don Bosco’s institutions, 1,200 of whom had remained in the society.
The schools begin with the child in his first instruction and lead, for those
who choose it, to seminaries for the priesthood. The society also conducts
Sunday schools, evening schools for adult workmen, schools for those who enter
the priesthood late in life, technical schools, and printing establishments for
the diffusion of good reading in different languages. Its members also have
charge of hospitals and asylums, nurse the sick, and do prison work, especially
in rural districts.
SOURCE : http://www.ucatholic.com/saints/saint-john-bosco/
St. Giovanni Melchior
Bosco
(Or St. John Bosco;
Don Bosco.)
Founder of the Salesian
Society. Born of poor parents in
a little cabin at Becchi, a hill-side hamlet near Castelnuovo, Piedmont, Italy,
16 August, 1815; died 31 January 1888; declared Venerable by Pius
X, 21 July, 1907. Note: Pope Pius XI beatified him
in 1929 and canonized him
in 1934.
When he was little more
than two years old his father died, leaving the support of three boys to the
mother, Margaret Bosco. John's early years were spent as a shepherd and he
received his first instruction at
the hands of the parish priest.
He possessed a ready wit, a retentive memory,
and as years passed his appetite for
study grew stronger. Owing to the poverty of
the home, however, he was often obliged to turn from his books to the field,
but the desire of what he had to give up never left him. In 1835 he entered
the seminary at
Chieri and after six years of study was ordained priest on
the eve of Trinity
Sunday by Archbishop Franzoni of Turin.
Leaving the seminary,
Don Bosco went to Turin where
he entered zealously upon
his priestly labours.
It was here that an incident occurred which opened up to him the real field of
effort of his afterlife. One of his duties was
to accompany Don Cafasso upon his visits to the prisons of
the city, and the condition of the children confined in these places, abandoned
to the most evil influences,
and with little before them but the gallows, made such a indelible impression
upon his mind that
he resolved to devote his life to the rescue of these unfortunate outcasts. On
the eighth of December, 1841, the feast of
the Immaculate
Conception, while Don Bosco was vesting for Mass,
the sacristan drove
from the Church a ragged urchin because he refused to serve Mass.
Don Bosco heard his cries and recalled him, and in the friendship which sprang
up between the priest and
Bartolomeo Garelli was sown the first seed of the "Oratory", so
called, no doubt, after the example of St.
Philip Neri and because prayer was
its prominent feature. Don Bosco entered eagerly upon the task of instructing this
first pupil of the streets; companions soon joined Bartolomeo, all drawn by a
kindness they had never known, and in February, 1842, the Oratory numbered
twenty boys, in March of the same year, thirty, and in March, 1846, four
hundred.
As the number of boys
increased, the question of a suitable meeting-place presented itself. In good
weather walks were taken on Sundays and
holidays to spots in the country about Turin where
lunch was eaten, and realizing the charm which music held
for the untamed spirits of his disciples Don Bosco organized a band for which
some old brass instruments were procured. In the autumn of 1844 he was
appointed assistant chaplain to
the Rifugio, where Don Borel entered enthusiastically into his work. With
the approval of Archbishop Franzoni, two rooms were secured adjoining the Rifugio and
converted into a chapel,
which was dedicated to St.
Francis de Sales. The members of the Oratory now gathered at the Rifugio,
and numbers of boys from the surrounding district applied for admission. It was
about this time (1845) that Don Bosco began his night schools and
with the closing of the factories the boys flocked to his rooms where he and
Don Borel instructed them in rudimentary branches.
The success of the
Oratory at the Rifugio was not of long duration. To his great
distress Don Bosco was obliged to give up his rooms and from this on he was
subjected to petty annoyances and obstacles which, at times, seemed to spell
the ruin of his undertaking. His perseverance in the face of all difficulties
led many to the conclusion that he was insane,
and an attempt was even made to confine him in an asylum.
Complaints were lodged against him, declaring his community to be a nuisance,
owing to the character of the boys he befriended. From the Rifugio the
Oratory was moved to St. Martin's, to St. Peter's Churchyard, to three rooms in
Via Cottolengo, where the night schools were
resumed, to an open field, and finally to a rough shed upon the site of which
grew up an Oratory that counted seven hundred members. Don Bosco took lodgings
nearby, where he was joined by his mother. "Mama Margaret", as Don
Bosco's mother came to be known, gave the last ten years of her life in devoted
service to the little inmates of this first Salesian home.
When she joined her son at the Oratory the outlook was not bright. But
sacrificing what small means she had, even to parting with her home, its
furnishings, and her jewelry, she brought all the solicitude and love of
a mother to these children of the streets. The evening classes increased and
gradually dormitories were provided for many who desired to live at the
Oratory. Thus was founded the first Salesian Home
which now houses about one thousand boys.
The municipal authorities
by this time had come to recognize the importance of the work which Don Bosco
was doing, and he began with much success a fund for the erection of
technical schools and
workshops. These were all completed without serious difficulty. In 1868 to meet
the needs of the Valdocco quarter of Turin,
Don Bosco resolved to build a church. Accordingly a plan was drawn in the form
of across covering
an area of 1,500 sq. yards. He experienced considerable difficulty in raising
the necessary money, but the charity of
some friends finally enabled him to complete it at a cost of more than a
million francs (about 200,000). The church was consecrated 9
June, 1868, and placed under the patronage of Our
Lady, Help of Christians. In the same year in which Don Bosco began the
erection of the church fifty priests and
teachers who had been assisting him formed a society under a common rule
which Pius
IX, provisionally in 1869, and finally in 1874, approved.
Character and growth of
the oratory
Any attempt to explain
the popularity of the Oratory among the classes to which Don Bosco devoted his
life would fail without an appreciation of his spirit which was its life. For
his earliest intercourse with poor boys
he had never failed to see under the dirt, the rags, and the uncouthness the
spark which a little kindness and encouragement would fan into a flame. In
his vision or dream which
he is said to have had in his early boyhood, wherein it was disclosed to
him what his life work would be, a voice said to him: "Not with blows, but
with charity and
gentleness must you draw these friends to the path of virtue."
And whether this be accounted as nothing more than a dream,
that was in reality the spirit with which he animated his Oratory. In the
earlier days when the number of his little disciples was slender he drew them
about him by means of small presents and attractions, and by pleasant walks to
favorite spots in the environs of Turin.
These excursions occurring on Sunday,
Don Bosco would say Mass in
the village church and give a short instruction on the Gospel;
breakfast would then be eaten, followed by games; and in the afternoon Vespers would
be chanted,
a lesson in Catechism given,
and the Rosary recited.
It was a familiar sight to see him in the field surrounded by kneeling boys
preparing for confession.
Don Bosco's method of
study knew nothing of punishment. Observance of rules was obtained by
instilling a true sense
of duty,
by removing assiduously all occasions for disobedience, and by allowing no
effort towards virtue,
how trivial soever it might be, to pass unappreciated. He held that the teacher
should be father, adviser, and friend, and he was the first to adopt the
preventive method. Of punishment he said: "As far as possible avoid
punishing . . . . try to gain love before
inspiring fear." And in 1887 he wrote: "I do not remember to have
used formal punishment; and with God's
grace I have always obtained, and from apparently hopeless children,
not alone what duty exacted,
but what my wish simply expressed." In one of his books he has discussed
the causes of weakness of character,
and derives them largely from a misdirected kindness in the rearing of
children. Parents make
a parade of precocious talents: the child understands quickly, and his
sensitiveness enraptures all who meet him, but the parents have
only succeeded in producing an affectionate, perfected, intelligent animal. The
chief object should be to form the will and to temper the character.
In all his pupils Don Bosco tried to cultivate a taste for music,
believing it to be a powerful and refining influence. "Instruction",
he said, "is but an accessory, like a game; knowledge never
makes a man because
it does not directly touch the heart. It gives more power in the exercise
of good or evil;
but alone it is an indifferent weapon, wanting guidance." He always
studied, too, the aptitudes and vocations of his pupils, and to an almost supernatural quickness
and clearness of insight into the hearts of children must be ascribed no small
part of his success. In his rules he wrote: "Frequent Confession, frequent
Communion, daily Mass:
these are the pillars which should sustain the whole edifice of education."
Don Bosco was an indefatigable confessor, devoting days to the work among his
children. He recognized that gentleness and persuasion alone were not enough to
bring to the task of education.
He thoroughly believed in play as a means of arousing childish curiosity — more
than this, he places it among his first recommendations, and for the rest he
adopted St.
Philip Neri's words: "Do as you wish, I do not care so long as
you do not sin."
Statistics
At the time of Don
Bosco's death in 1888 there were 250 houses of the Salesian
Society in all parts of the world, containing 130,000 children, and
from which there annually went out 18,000 finished apprentices. In the
motherhouse Don Bosco had selected the brightest of his pupils, taught
them Italian, Latin, French,
and mathematics, and this band formed a teaching corps for the new homes which
quickly grew up in other places. Up to 1888 over six thousand priests had
gone forth from Don Bosco's institutions, 1,200 of whom had remained in the society.
The schools begin
with the child in his first instruction and
lead, for those who choose it, to seminaries for
the priesthood.
The society also conducts Sunday schools,
evening schools for
adult workmen, schools for
those who enter the priesthood late
in life, technical schools,
and printing establishments for the diffusion of good reading in different
languages. Its members also have charge ofhospitals and asylums,
nurse the sick, and do prison work,
especially in rural districts. The society has houses in the following
countries:Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, England, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria,
Palestine, and Algiers;
in Central America, Mexico,
in South America,Patagonia,
Terra del Fuego, Ecuador, Brazil, Paraguay, The
Argentine Republic, Bolivia, Uruguay, Chile, Peru, Venezuela,
and Colombia.
In the United
States the Salesians have
four churches: Sts. Peter and Paul and Corpus Christi in San
Francisco, California; St. Josephs in Oakland, California; and the
Transfiguration in New
York City. Very Rev. Michael Borghino, Provincial for America, resides in San
Francisco.
Saxton, Eugene. "St. Giovanni Melchior Bosco." The Catholic
Encyclopedia. Vol. 2. New York: Robert Appleton Company,1907. 31
Jan. 2016 <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02689d.htm>.
Transcription. This
article was transcribed for New Advent by Matthew Dean.
Ecclesiastical
approbation. Nihil Obstat. 1907. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor. Imprimatur. +John
M. Farley, Archbishop of New York.
Copyright © 2020 by Kevin
Knight. Dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
SOURCE : http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02689d.htm
John Bosco, Priest
Founder (RM)
Born at Becchi (near Turin), Piedmont, Italy, August 15, 1815; died in Turin on
January 31, 1888; both beatified in 1929 and canonized April 1, 1934, by Pope
Pius XI as the "Father and Teacher of Youth."
John Melchoir Bosco was a
great lover of children, and such was the gentleness and sweetness of his life
that Pius XI, in proclaiming him a saint, said that "in his life the
supernatural almost became the natural and the extraordinary ordinary."
Born of peasant stock, his father died when John was two, leaving his valiant
wife Margaret to care for her stepson, Antonio, and her own two sons, Giovanni
(John) and Giuseppe (Joseph), and her mother-in-law. She raised the children
vigorously and lovingly in the poor cottage.
At age nine John had a
dream in which he saw himself changing children from beasts into lambs. He
decided immediately to become a priest and devote his life to children, and
began at once. He haunted every circus and fair; learned to walk tight-ropes,
do acrobatics, and become a conjurer at the cost of an often broken nose. He
was then able to provide fascinating entertainment that would end with the rosary
and a verbatim repetition of the previous Sunday's sermon.
In addition to his
physical prowess, John Bosco possessed great mental acumen, a formidable
memory, good looks, a sense of humor, and charm. These also attracted others.
As a young man, he was of medium height with curly, chestnut hair. He had his
problems, too. He was a passionate young man and, like Saint Peter, impetuous.
He judged himself so full of pride that he feared he would use his position as
a parish priest to feed his cravings for prestige. Yet he learned to control
his passions so that calmness and peacefulness characterized his whole life and
his relationships with others.
Having set his sights on
the priesthood, John also learned his lessons well. John left home at age 13 to
earn money for his schooling. He hired himself out to farmers, then a tailor,
and later worked in a confectionery. These trades served him well later in
life.
When he entered the
seminary at Chieri at 20 (some say 16), he wore clothes and shoes that were
provided by charity. He was ordained in 1841 by Archbishop Fransoni. He had
retained his irrepressible gaiety, despite the stiff, semi-Jansenism of his
professors. The young priest had thought of becoming a missionary but Saint
Joseph Cafasso, the rector of the seminary and John's spiritual director for
over twenty years, persuaded him to remain in Italy. He is reported to have
said, "Don Bosco, you can't even take a coach ride without getting an
upset stomach. How will you ever be a missionary? No, you will not go; but you
will send out many to preach and teach the word of God." Father Cafasso
eventually introduced John to the wealthy who would support his work with
children, and showed him the immense harvests to be gathered among the slums of
Turin.
Shortly after his
ordination, the archbishop approved Bosco for an intensive five-year course of
post-graduate theological study at Turin's Ecclesiastical College. While
finishing his education, John also studied the slums of Turin, where many
peasant and orphaned lads had come to try their luck. Their degradation was appalling.
He could achieve no contact until one day a sacristan smacked the head of a big
oaf who stood staring and had answered that he didn't know how to serve the
Mass John was about to offer. "I won't have my friends treated like
that," John exclaimed. "Your friend?" "The moment anyone is
ill-used he becomes my friend." The lad was brought back; next Sunday he
fetched others; in but a few months over a hundred were arriving. For three
years this uproarious horde had the courtyard of the college for a playground.
At first he brought the
boys together only on Sundays in one church or another in Turin or near by; he
prayed with them, gave them brief, trenchant instruction in the Christian
faith, prepared them to receive the sacraments, then allowed them to romp in
the open countryside. An early disciple reminisced, "At the end of each
Sunday excursion, Don Bosco always told us to plan for the next Sunday. He gave
us advice as to our conduct and asked us, if we had any friends, to invite
them, too. Joy reigned among us. Those happy days are engraved in our memories
and influenced our lives.
"Arriving at some
church in the outskirts of town, Don Bosco would ask permission of the parish
priest to play. The permission was always granted, and then at a signal the noisy
band gathered together. Catechism followed breakfast: the grass and rocks
supplied the plates and tables. It is true, bread failed now and then, but
cheerfulness, never. We sang while walking, and at sunset we marched back again
into Turin. We were fatigued, but our hearts were content."
Don Bosco believed in the
value, especially for deprived urban boys, both of contact with natural beauty
and the uplifting power of music. That worked well during the summer, the
winter was a different story. In winter, Father John had difficulty finding
accommodation for the hundreds of boys who "went to don Bosco's."
Other sites were offered
and soon withdrawn. No less than ten people within a space of five months had
offered John the use of their facilities. Every one of them, after a few
experiences, withdrew the promise. Imagine 400 young, energetic boys gathered
in one place! No wonder it seemed impossible to accommodate them all. Finally
he rented a roomy old shed. The number of boys at Easter time in 1846 was about
800.
Some spread the rumor
that don Bosco was organizing a political conspiracy. In the unstable political
climate of northern Italy, such an assumption was not unreasonable. To add to
the suspicions, anti-clericalism had been rising in the wake of the desire for
unification of the seven Italian states and the ousting of the Austrian and
French royal houses, while the unarmed papal states benefitted from the
occupation of the Austrian army. So, Don Bosco was watched by police. But the
police were converted rather than Don Bosco being arrested.
When he visualized and
announced what the future held, others said he was a megalomaniac. Well-meaning
friends tried to have him committed to an asylum. Two priests were sent as an
escort but Bosco intuited their errand. He followed them to their carriage,
politely allowed them to enter first, slammed the door, and called out to the
driver: "To the asylum." Well, it took a while to get the poor men
out (personally, I know that Italians have a caustic sense of humor). Don Bosco
had scored.
In 1844, Don Bosco was
appointed chaplain of Saint Philomena's Hospice for girls, and housed his boys
in an old building on the grounds of the hospice. When they became too unruly
he was ordered to give up his care of the boys or resign as chaplain. He
resigned and was forced to leave his apartment.
Thus, remembering Palm
Sunday of 1846, when John felt his work might come to an end, he wrote:
"As I looked at the crowd of children, the thought of the rich harvest
they promised, I felt my heart was breaking. I was alone, without helpers. My
health was shattered, and I could not tell where to gather my poor little ones
anymore."
John urged the urchins to
pray, and God answered the cry of the poor. Mr. Pinardi offered to rent John a
piece of property in Turin's marshy Valdocco area, which had a small hayshed
that could be used as a chapel. They had to dig out the floor so that John
could stand upright in the shed, but it worked. Easter Mass was celebrated in
the new chapel.
Three months later the
exhausted young priest contracted pneumonia. Leaders sprung up among the young
men who kept watch outside the hospital. They organized all-night prayer
vigils, hounding heaven with sincere promises, fasting, and other penances. The
boys were determined to wrestle Don Bosco from death's grip by their prayers
and penances. When death seemed inevitable, John's friend Father Borel
whispered: "John, these children need you. Ask God to let you stay.
Please, say this prayer after me, 'Lord, if it be your good pleasure, cure me.
I say this prayer in the name of my children.'" After the prayer, John's
fever broke and he recovered.
When John Bosco left the
hospital, like his Master before him, he had no place to lay his head. He went
to his mother's farm to recuperated. Finally, in November 1846, Mr. Pinardi
offered to rent John four rooms on the property in an unseemly neighborhood for
a priest living alone. He asked his mother to give up her beloved farm and come
with him to the city. Believing it was God's will, Margaret Bosco followed her
son. They walked the 20 miles into the city because they had no money for
transportation. Thus, with his mother's help, John Bosco established himself in
the slum- center of Valdocco and started what he called his oratory. Until then
working with the youths was extracurricular, now he could devote himself to his
true apostolate.
With his mother as
housekeeper and later renting the whole house, he opened a boarding-house for
40 destitute apprentices, who lived with them. This ministry began on a cold
rainy night in May 1847, when Mama Margaret welcomed a youngster, chilled to
the bones, who stood trembling on the doorstep. She immediately took him in and
cared for "the boy who came to dinner." Mama Margaret seems to me to
be a saint herself. She toiled endlessly to care for these children. When she
was exhausted and frustrated, ready to return to the quiet life of the farm,
she would persist for love of Jesus and the sacrifice He made for her.
Soon hundreds of waifs
were crowded in the center that Don Bosco opened for instruction in the faith,
for training in the crafts, and for recreation. The most gifted pupils were
given additional instruction in languages and mathematics and became teachers
of the others. And, of course, they were taught music, because, he said,
"an Oratory without singing is like a body without a soul." If a
child had a vocation for the priesthood, the way with smoothed for him.
It was a turbulent time
(does Italy know any other?) and several attempts were made on the saint's
life. Once a man shot him through the window as he sat teaching. The bullet
passed under his arm, ripping the cloth. "A pity," said he, "it
is my best cassock." And he continued the lesson. He also had a mongrel,
stray dog named Grigio, who several times saved his life. No one ever saw the
dog eating anything, and no one knew where it slept.
The oratory was so
successful that another had to be founded, even though there was no money. That
never worried Don Bosco; he knew that God would provide. And so He did. Two
workshops for shoemakers and tailors were opened in 1853. By 1856, the 40 boys
became 150 residents with four workshops, 10 priests, and a group of 400 of the
roughest lads attached to the oratories. John's schools were considered among
the best in Turin. A distinguished professor explained Bosco's success,
"His love shone forth from his looks and his words so clearly, and all
felt it and could not doubt it. . . . They experienced an immense joy in his
presence."
In order to pay for this
work, Don Bosco preached in numerous places, his reputation for oratory
increasing daily as the stories spread of miraculous cures attributed to his
prayers and intercession; and in addition, wrote numerous pamphlets and nearly
100 book that were distributed throughout Italy. He cured a man with paralysis
and another who was blind. Another time, when there were not enough Hosts for
the large crowd going to Communion, the Blessed Sacrament was miraculously
multiplied so that all the people were able to receive our blessed Lord.
One of Don Bosco's
greatest problems was getting help in his work, and to solve that difficulty,
in 1859, he opened a religious seminary (later to be called the Society of
Saint Francis de Sales or the Salesians). In 1874 this group received the
approbation of the Holy Father, and before the founder's death, there were 768
members with 26 houses in the New World and 38 in the Old. Today there are
almost 40,000 Salesian fathers, brothers, and sister working in 120 countries.
They specialize in pastoral work and schools of all kinds. They staff 220
orphanages, 219 clinics and hospitals, 864 nurseries, and 3,104 schools (287
are technical schools and 59 are agricultural schools).
Another great work begun
by Don Bosco was the foundation of a religious order for women. Together with a
peasant woman from near Genoa, Saint Mary Mazzarello, in 1872, he began the
congregation called Daughters of Our Lady Help of Christians, dedicated to
working with poor girls--specializing in elementary schools, instruction
centers in the faith, and the like.
A radical idea of Don
Bosco, and one which shocked many of his contemporaries was his attitude toward
corporal punishment of children. "I do not remember ever to have used
formal punishment," he wrote. "By God's grace I have always been able
to get not only observance of rules but even of my bare wishes." His educational
method, still employed by the Salesians, tries to eliminate conditions leading
to delinquency, to influence the pupils by good example and trust, and to make
goodness attractive through religious motives, and easy to practice by
religious means. "Frequent confession, daily Mass, these are the pillars
supporting the whole structure of education," said the saint.
Such was Don John's
unique power over the human heart that, having after great difficulty obtained
permission to take 300 convicts, to whom he had preached a retreat, on a whole
day's excursion to the country as a reward for good behavior, without any
guards whatsoever, not a single one made any attempt to escape.
Towards the end of his
life don Bosco's missionary spirit developed two special interests: one was
England, to which the Salesians came in 1887, and the other was Latin
America--he sent ten missionaries to Argentina in 1875. So, while he remained
in Italy to work in the slums of Turin, he actually established the framework for
the missionary work he originally wanted to undertake.
The Salesians arrived in
Argentina at an important time. Many Italians had been migrating to the country
during the last quarter of the 19th century, and there were not enough churches
and schools to meet their needs. Half of the group travelled south to minister
to the indigenous people whose land had been confiscated by the immigrants and
led to war. They were instrumental in bringing about a peace, in addition to
establishing schools and evangelizing as far south as Puente del Fuego.
Why did such homage
surround his last years? In 1883, Pope Leo XIII asked Don Bosco to beg for
funds to complete the construction of Sacro Cuore (Sacred Heart Basilica) in
Rome. John readily agreed because it would provide him with an opportunity to
serve and to visit his spiritual sons who had already spread into France as
well as Spain (where he preached a similar mission later). Everywhere he was
greeted by warm, enthusiastic crowds who responded generously.
When he was in Lyons the
poor cabdriver lost his temper at the encroaching crowds, saying, "I had
rather drag the devil than drive a saint." And in Paris the Church of Our
Lady of Victories was crammed two hours before the Mass he came to say in that
"refuge of sinners," and a poor woman exclaimed to a questioner:
"You see, it is the Mass for sinners, and it is to be offered by a saint.
. . ."
Don Bosco's health was
giving way under the demands of so many well-wishers. His right eye pained him
terribly and continuously. Although he was only in his 60's, he was so troubled
by phlebitis that two Salesians had to steady him as he meandered through the
crowds blessing and greeting people.
As his health continued
to deteriorate, his doctors urged Don Bosco to rest. He always responded that
he had too much work to do. Until the moment of his death, Don Bosco, supported
by two Salesian companions, would journey through Turin visiting the poor,
begging from the rich, cheering the hearts of the sad. When he knew his death
was imminent, he would say, "I want to go to heaven for there I shall be
able to work much better for my children. On earth I can do nothing more for
them." His famous sense of humor did not fade with his body: Gasping for
breath, he whispered to a son anxiously bending over him, "Do you know
where there is a good bellowsmaker?" "Why?" came the puzzled
response. "Because I need a new pair of lungs, that's why!"
His successor Don Rua
requested that every Salesian try to come to Turin to say farewell to Don
Bosco. They entered his room two-by- two to receive his blessing--the priests,
the brothers, the farmers and street urchins that had been helped by him to
grow into a deep, abiding love of God.
In a way Bosco lived in
four worlds simultaneously--the exterior one, symbolized by the town into which
his Turin Oratory had grown, the world of dreams (an exact scientific study of
which would be infinitely more valuable to psychologists than that of diseased
mentalities in Viennese hospitals), the world of souls into which he read with
an accuracy far beyond telepathy, and the world of God.
His purity, perfect to
the very roots of his thought, enabled him, as our Lord promised, to "see
God," and therefore, perhaps, to read so clearly within his fellow-men;
his total trust was such that he literally built up his entire life's work out
of nothing; his lovable sarcasms that never hurt; his transparent simplicity;
his bluff gaiety, despite terrific work (he never slept for more than five
hours) and great physical pain and complete self-denial--all this was not an
matter of temperament or merely talent, but a gift from God.
He wrote a little,
including biographies of Saint Joseph Cafasso and Saint Dominic Savio, one of
Bosco's pupils whom Bosco hoped to train to be a helper in his work, but the
boy died at age 15.
Church-builder, reformer, educator, leader of the young and of religious working for the young: when Don Bosco died on January 31, 1888, he left all of Europe startled with his accomplishments-- deeds of lasting and heroic importance. Forty thousand (Martindale reports 100,000) people visited his body as it lay in the church at Turin, and the entire city assembled to see him carried to his grave. It is said that more than 200,000 people at his funeral prayed to him rather than for him (Attwater, Benedictines, Bentley, Butler, Delaney, Encyclopedia, Farmer, Karp, Martindale, Melady, Salesian, Schamoni, Sheppard).
SOURCE : http://www.saintpatrickdc.org/ss/0131.shtml
The
Holiness of the Church in the Nineteenth Century – Venerable Don John Bosco
One
day Venerable Joseph Cottolengo met a young cleric. After they had exchanged a
few words, Cottolengo said: “You are an excellent man, come into the Little
House of Providence and work will not be wanting to you.” The one thus invited
was the Venerable Don John Bosco. 76 The inscription over the entrance of the
“Little House”: “Charitas Christi urget nos” – “The Charity of Christ presseth
us” (2 Corinthians 5:14) made a strong impression on him, and when he came into
the reception room and read above the picture of the Blessed Virgin the words:
“Infirmus eram et visitastis me” – “I was sick and you visited me” (Matthew
25:36), he was moved to tears. While going through the institution Don Bosco
was highly edified and deeply impressed by everything he saw and heard. But one
thing filled him with distress. He saw so many poor young people in the
infirmary, who lay there wasting away and hopeless. It was the first time he
clearly realized that vice alone had devoted them to death in the springtime of
life. “You must save the young from vice,” said a voice within him. This
thought indeed often enflamed his Ijeart, but now it was his fixed purpose to
work out this noble end in effect.
When Don Bosco was
departing, Cottolengo took hold of his sleeve and said: “The cloth of your
cassock is too weak and thin. You must get a cassock of stronger and better
wearing cloth or it will be torn. The time will come when many people will be
hanging on by it.” Cottolengo prophesied truly. Don Bosco is one of the
greatest apostles of youth, the most successful teacher of the nineteenth
century. And not merely this – he is a saint.
In Don Bosco’s life the
power of the supernatural becomes, so to speak, tangible. A brief glance at his
achievements will convince us.
John Bosco, the son of
simple farming people, was born at Becchi, a village in the district of
Murialdo, province of Turin, on 15 August 1815. He was a very lively boy, eager
to learn and skilful in everything he undertook. His father died when John was
only two years old, but his mother was a truly remarkable educator and knew
well how to develop the good dispositions of her children. As a boy John
displayed a strong inclination to piety, of which he made absolutely no
concealment. His apostolate among the young began even before he had begun his
studies. As he tells us in his notes, he had a vision when he was nine years
old in which his future vocation was clearly sketched before him. Afterward the
vision often returned and with increased clearness. He used to gather the boys
of the neighborhood and entertain them with games and pleasing stories, but he
always added an instruction in catechism and ended with a prayer or hymn.
In 1826 a priest of the
neighborhood, Don Calosso, undertook to instruct John Bosco in Latin, but
unfortunately the teacher died two years later and the study was interrupted.
After two years more, however, the widow Bosco succeeded in overcoming all
difficulties and sent her son, then fifteen years old, to the public school at
Castelnuovo, and in the year after, to the college at Chieri. Bosco’s
principles on intercourse with his schoolmates at this time are interesting,
and give us an insight into his character.
He writes: “I had divided
my schoolmates into three classes – good, indifferent, and bad. Absolutely to
avoid companionship with the bad as soon as I learned them to be such; to
converse with the indifferent, if politeness and decency required; to admit companionship
with the good but friendship only with the best, if I found any such, was my
resolute deter- mination.”
The first to approach him
were the bad, and they met with an energetic repulse. Among the rest he soon
won respect; they sought him by preference. He established a union,
“Cheerfulness.” Every member was obliged to contribute to the promotion of
cheerfulness by means of books; amusements, and games. Whatever caused sadness
was penalized. Whoever did not perform his scholastic and religious duties,
whoever swore or used ted language was expelled from the union. John was the
soul of it. He took care that religious instruction was had and frequent
reception of the Sacraments. On Sundays and feast-days, though still a student,
he devoted himself to the boys of the city.
On 30 October 1835, Bosco
entered the seminary of Turin and on 5 June 1841, he was ordained. For further
improvement he now went to the Practical Seminary for Young Priests, the
Institute of Saint Francis of Assisi, where his trusted friend and confessor,
Venerable Joseph Cafasso, was at work.* The latter also had spiritual charge of
the prison. Don Bosco often accompanied him and thus became acquainted with a
great deal of the misery into which vice plunges mankind. He would prevent vice
with all his strength – but how?
On 8 December 1841, while
Don Bosco was vesting for Mass, a ragged urchin slipped into the sacristy. The
sacristan harshly ordered him out. But Don Bosco asked the intruder to stay
till after Mass. He then found by questioning that here was a parentless boy of
fifteen who could neither read nor write and knew little or nothing of
religion. Don Bosco began forthwith to give Bartholo Garelli – this was the
boy’s name – some religious instruction, and when the lad was departing, he
asked him to return soon. Garelli had never in his life been treated with such
friendliness and cordiality. He soon returned, but not alone, bringing with him
other comrades as poor and ignorant as himself. In two months there were twenty
who regularly gathered in the sacristy of Saint Francis of Assisi. Such was the
origin of the Oratory of Saint Francis of Sales.
The crowd growing from
Sunday to Sunday soon numbered three hundred. Don Bosco now devoted the greater
part of the day to them, prepared games, made excursions and arranged for
church celebrations in common. He was not without his difficulties, however. He
was obliged often to change his meeting-place and when he could do so no more
he held forth in the open air in the Valdocco quarter. He was at length able to
buy a shed which he changed into a chapel.
The attachment of the
boys to Don Bosco and their confidence in him were wonderful. Though only wild
and utterly neglected street arabs, they were perfectly submissive to his will.
Many people, of course, shook their heads at it, and complained to Cavour that
the enterprise was dangerous. Some even considered Don Bosco insane and
endeavored to have him confined in an asylum. But the great friend of youth,
Archbishop Fransoni, always protected him and he did not lose courage. The work
made giant strides. In 1847, supported by his admirable mother, Don Bosco
erected, in Valdocco, a boarding-school with a manual training department. The
institution increased year by year. The means for the new building were
supplied entirely by voluntary contributions, often in a miraculous way. New
oratories were erected in two districts of the city and entrusted to the care
of priests of a spirit like to his own.
Don Bosco had next to
consider the obtaining of competent assistants. Many of the boys who had
enjoyed his admirable training showed talent and a desire for the priesthood
and wished to assist him in his opportune labors. Thus was naturally evolved
the design of forming a religious society. He called it “The Pious Society of
Saint Francis of Sales.” Don Bosco considered the gentleness of the holy bishop
of Geneva an ideal for apostolic effectiveness. When he afterward extended his
care to girls, a congregation of women was founded under the title of “The
Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians.” Both congregations developed rapidly
and received the Papal approbation in 1874. To these was finally added a sort
of third Order – the Salesian Co-operators.
The fame of Don Bosco had
long passed beyond Turin. In one Italian city after another his sons founded
oratories. Foundations in Austria, France, and Spain soon followed and in 1875
there set out the first expedition to Argentina. They have since spread over
the whole of South America. At present the Salesian Society numbers 4200
members and residences. The women’s branch has over 2,000 members and 250
houses. The sons of Don Bosco must be reckoned among the most active apostles
who are working to heal the evils of the new century by practical Christianity.
Don Bosco stands out
particularly great as an educator. Even such modern infidels as Caesar Lombroso
are astonished at his success. Hundreds of wild street arabs waited upon his
slightest wish, followed with the most exact punctuality a daily order and all this
almost without any use of punishment. What we hear related of the fidelity and
zeal of his pupils is almost incredible. One of them, Dominic Savio, died at
fifteen in the repute of sanctity and the process of his beatification is
already begun. But not only under his personal guidance were Don Bosco’s boys
so exemplary – they remained the same in later life, especially in the
fulfillment of their duties to the Church and to their country.
If we would learn the
secret of this success we must at once admit Don Bosoms profound understanding
of the souls of the young. He knew that radically every one has noble traits
and that it is the environment, bad example, and evil reading that awaken the
sinful passions. Therefore, it was always his first endeavor to guard the young
from moral contagion. He treated each one according to his individual character
to develop the germ of goodness in it and was a declared enemy to mechanical
imitation of models. He carefully avoided every artificial formality and all
harshness as hindering true confidence from growing up between superior and
subject. On the contrary he was always communicative and amiable. He won
authority by fatherly love and condescension. Almost all his pupils went to
confession to him.
Another aid to his educational
skill was solid instruction in religion. With many who follow the paths of vice
and are estranged from the Church the chief cause is ignorance in religious
matters. In books, periodicals, and in daily conversation they meet with a
thousand objections which are begotten in ignorance. Don Bosco was fully
convinced that religion alone can give men moral support and that no natural
maxims can suffice and endure against the allurements of sin. Therefore he most
severely condemned the separation of religion from education. “Frequent
confession and communion and daily Holy Mass are the foundation on which is
supported the education of youth from which threats and punishment should be as
far removed as possible,” he said.
It was chiefly his
divinely inspired devotion to his pupils that made the young idolize Don Bosco.
Only a man whose very life is penetrated by the worth and beauty of a youthful
soul for which Christ poured out his Heart’s blood has this unceasing,
unselfish spirit of sacrifice. An apostle of youth must renounce his own
comfort. And Don Bosco was a saint. Without dwelling on his heroic virtues, let
us merely mention that eye-witnesses relate many miracles worked by him. One
recalls involuntarily the miracles related in the life of Saint Bernard of
Clairvaux. With Mary, Help of Christians, his prayers were most powerful. No
sickness was so stubborn, no sinner so hardened that Don Bosco’s prayer was in
vain. He may justly be called the “thoumaturgus” (wonder-worker) of the
nineteenth century.
A panegyrist calls Don
Bosco “the representative of the Church in the century of machinery and
expansion.” The ideal of a priest is truly incorporate in him. “Da mihi animas,
cetera tolle” he often repeated – “Give me souls, take the rest” – noble words of
a Christian ideal as contrasted with the egoistic spirit of the age. Don Bosco
had a deep insight into the needs of his time. He was in touch with all the
elements of social life. His keen spirit of enterprise knew how to use all the
weapons which modern circumstances demanded in warfare against enemies that
endangered the temporal and spiritual welfare of the young. Three things in
particular he kept before his mind – the school, labor, and the press. His
opportune manual training and industrial schools sent into every position of
life thousands of youths whose main business was the fulfilment of their
religious duties. His Sunday oratories and evening schools saved innumerable
souls from peril and gave them the necessary knowledge and the healthiest recreation
for soul and body. “Semite Domino in Uetitia” – “Serve ye the Lord with
gladness” (Psalm 94:2) was a maxim with him and he never neglected the
encouragement of youthful gaiety.
On 31 January 1888, this
great life came to an end. The whole Catholic world mourned in his death the
loss of a saint and a great benefactor. Even the hostile press found only words
of praise for the noble Don Bosco. He was buried in the mission house of
Valfelice near Turin, since the government would not permit his interment in
the church of Mary, Help of Christians, which he himself had built. His funeral
cortege was one of the most magnificent the world has ever seen.
No one was surprised when
Don Bosco manifested his universally known goodness after his death. The
necesary documents for the process of his beatification were soon prepared. In
1907, Pius X published the decree opening the Apostolic process.
– this text is taken
from The Holiness of the Church in the Nineteenth
Century: Saintly Men and Women of Our Own Times, by Father
Constantine Kempf, SJ; translated from the German by Father Francis Breymann,
SJ; Impimatur by + Cardinal John Farley, Archbishop of New York, 25 September
1916
Saint John
Bosco, by Edward Fitzgerald SDB
A point of view
The acrobat doubled up
with laughter. A challenge was one thing, but a challenge from an upstart
teenager obviously still green behind the ears was too much. And all because a
crowd of kids preferred to watch his show rather than go to church! He looked
at John, sized him up again and promptly accepted.
There were to be four
contests and they fixed the stakes for the first. To his amazement John beat
him at running and, after doubling the bets, won again at jumping. He was
absolutely furious when John managed to beat him at juggling, so in an
all-ornothing bid he set about climbing the elm-tree.
Up and up he went until
he began to feel the tree bend under his weight. Finally he reached the top and
it was obvious to everyone that it was impossible to climb any higher. He got a
tremendous round of applause.
Happy again, he watched
condescendingly as John shinned up the tree. Up and up he went until the tree
bent under his weight too. Then the boy did an extraordinary thing: he stopped
climbing just short of the top and proceeded to do a daring hand-stand so that
his feet extended well above the top of the tree. He had won again!
It was a costly afternoon
for the acrobat; he had lost both his money and his pride. However, everything
turned out all right when John invited him to have a meal with some of his
friends, all members of his ‘Cheerful Club’. After paying for the meal out of
the prize-money, John then gave him back what he had lost.
This incident is typical
of the life and work of Saint John Bosco, affectionately known as Don Bosco
after his ordination. It contains many of the elements which were to
characterize his life-style: his love of God, his concern for the spiritual
welfare of young people, his skill and quick thinking, his courage in facing
opposition, his generosity to rivals or enemies, his good humour, his oneness
with and openness to his boys, his use of sport and games to bring youngsters
to God, and his practical commonsense approach to problems and situations as
they arose.
Numerous other incidents
in his life would have illustrated these just as well, and no special
importance need be attached to the one we have just related. But it is always
well worth taking such a typical incident and attempting to get behind it to
ask the question: ‘Why?’
This is particularly
necessary when dealing with a life such as Don Bosco’s, which is full of
incident and a wide variety of activities. Otherwise one can become very
confused indeed. A person’s life-long undertakings are likely to appear
meaningless to us unless we keep in mind the guiding principles of his life. We
need a unifying principle which will link these things together and give us a
kind of bird’s-eye view of his life.
Naturally, this is not at
all an easy thing to determine, and almost certainly there will be a number of
such guiding principles at work. But this should not stop us from making the
attempt.
What, then, was the
unifying factor in Don Bosco’s life and work? Certainly one needs to single out
his deep love of God and of our Lady. These motivated all his actions. But, in
particular terms, we could perhaps underline the following: Don Bosco was above
all a man of action, who so cared for the material and spiritual welfare of
poor boys that he was ready and willing to meet the problems and needs of the
moment with whatever good means he had at his immediate disposal. He used to
say later on in life, ‘The better is the enemy of the good,’ and would
undoubtedly have supported Chesterton’s remark that if a thing is worth doing,
it is worth doing badly.
He was never one to
remain inactive until a perfect solution to a problem presented itself. ‘If I
can’t get over an obstacle,’ he pointed out, ‘I simply try to go around it.’
Don Bosco was a very
practical, down-to-earth saint. He did not hesitate to adopt a short-term
solution to a problem rather than sit back and do nothing at all and so allow
the situation to deteriorate. This was an outlook which was to shape and colour
his whole ministry. Predictably, it was also one which annoyed his critics.
Early life and
difficulties
John Bosco was born on 16
August 1815 in Becchi, in the parish of Castlenuovo in Northern Italy. His
father, Francis Bosco, was a poor farmer, who died when John was only two years
old.
His mother, Margaret,
still only twenty-nine, was then left with the burden of caring for her two
sons, John and his older brother Joseph, and also for her aged mother-in-law
and Anthony, her husband’s son by his first marriage. It was from his mother,
who was herself quite unable to read, that John learned many of the things
which were to stay with him for the rest of his life, above all his reverence
for the Eucharist, his devotion to Mary, and his spirit of hard work.
Life was difficult for
the Bosco family after the death of John’s father. From the age of four John
had to work hard, drawing water from the well, feeding the cows, and collecting
fruit. But he also knew how to play, and when he went to the nearby fairs with his
mother on market days he eagerly watched the jugglers and acrobats,
scrutinizing their acts so as to find out their secrets. Then, at home, he
would practise hard until eventually he could walk the tight-rope, do
somersaults and perform various conjuring tricks and feats of strength. With
these, and his ability to read stories from books, John entertained his friends
regularly, making sure that they either started or finished with some prayers.
Even at this early age he was making use of a technique which he was to perfect
later on in life.
When he was nine John had
a dream which was so decisive and prophetical that it conditioned his whole way
of doing things in his work with young people. It is worth noting that Don
Bosco was always cautious when speaking of his ‘dreams’; he refused to be drawn
on the question of whether they were of divine origin or simply the normal
outcome of his concern for educating the young. It was Pius IX who later
commanded him to write them down, and as a result of this insistence we now
have more than a hundred of Don Bosco’s dreams recorded.
Anyway, in his dream John
found himself in a large yard with a crowd of boys who were playing together.
Some of them were laughing and having a good time, but others were cursing and
swearing. John tried to stop them by shouting, but when that failed he, waded
into them with his fists.
Then a man appeared,
majestic in appearance, who called him and said: ‘You will only make them your
friends with gentleness and love, not with blows. Teach them the beauty of
virtue and the ugliness of sin.’ When John replied that he had not the
necessary knowledge to do this, the man said : ‘My mother will be your
teacher.’
John then saw a beautiful
lady standing beside him. She took him by the hand. ‘Look,’ she said. When he
did so he found that the boys had vanished and in their place was a herd of
wild animals. ‘This is your work,’ she went on. ‘Be humble and strong. I will
show you now what you must do.’ As she spoke the wild animals disappeared and
in their place John saw gentle lambs gambolling about. He began to cry, and
asked what it all meant. ‘You will understand it later’, the lady replied, and
with that the dream was over.
John told his mother of
his dream and she thought it might be a sign that he was meant to be a priest.
At that time many priests were puritanical and Jansenistic in outlook, and kept
themselves aloof from the working classes and in particular from dirty
street-urchins. Such was the gap between the sacred and the secular that, in their
minds, mixing with the common people was seen as a kind of profanation or
contamination.
John was very hurt when
his greetings were not returned and priests passed him by without a word. Later
on he said: ‘I used to cry about this and told my friends that if I ever became
a priest I certainly wouldn’t act like that. I’d talk to the boys and try to
give them some good advice.’ In fact, this was also his criticism of life in
the seminary, where he was to spend six years studying for the priesthood. His
teachers were mostly distant and forbidding figures who never mixed with their
students. As soon as class was over they disappeared. It was almost impossible
to get near them to ask for their advice.
But the kind of spiritual
loneliness which John experienced, the lack of care and affection on the part
of his superiors, only served to increase his desire to become a priest who
would spend his whole life with needy boys, so that, in getting to know them
better, he would be in a better position to help them in all their troubles.
Fortunately, there were
some priests who were prepared to take an interest in him, and it was well that
there were. His stepbrother was resentful and badtempered, and adamantly
opposed John’s going to school. But, happily for John, when he was eleven he
met a kindly old parish priest, Don Calosso, who decided to help him.
Much to Anthony’s
annoyance, it was arranged that John should go to the old priest each morning
to study Latin and then work in the fields for the rest of the day. However,
the arguments continued at home, and finally John’s mother decided that the
only thing to do was to put a stop to the lessons and send John away for a
while. At thirteen he found himself away from home, working as a farmer’s boy
for a pittance of a wage.
Eventually his uncle made
peace of a sort with Anthony, and John was able to go back. But trouble broke
out again, and in the end Margaret decided to divide the property. As a result,
Anthony set up on his own and John was able to continue his lessons under Don
Calosso. However, the good priest soon suffered an apoplectic stroke and died.
So, John had to go to
school at Castlenuovo. At first he made the journey to the village twice a day,
and often travelled the distance (about thirteen miles) barefooted, so as not
to wear out his boots, which he slung over his shoulder. But when winter came
he was so worn out himself that his mother arranged for him to board with a
tailor, and paid for his keep with eggs and corn. As the tailor was also a
musician and sang in the parish choir, John soon learned how to play the violin
and the harmonium and the essentials of plain-chant, as well as how to cut
cloth, stitch, sew and turn out a decent pair of trousers. All of these skills
he put to good use in his later ministry.
In November 1831, when he
was sixteen, he commenced his studies at the local grammar school in Chieri. He
was much older than the other children and badly dressed, so they did not spare
him their taunts. However, he not only survived but overcame these
difficulties, and due to his excellent memory and serious application he
advanced at the rate of two classes a year until by July 1833 he had finished
his course.
During these years in
Chieri he stayed with a baker, sleeping and studying by candlelight in a dark
cupboard under the stairs. Although the tuition at the school was free, John
had to work hard to pay for his board and lodging, his clothes and text-books,
as his mother could not afford to pay for everything herself.
The baker owned a
restaurant which John swept and scrubbed before going to school in the morning.
After school he used to score for the billiard-players long into the night.
Only then did he get a chance to do his own studies, often cold and very hungry
in the bare space under the stairs. But even here he managed to learn another
skill : how to bake cakes and make pastry. His cheerfulness and good nature
made him a firm favourite with his school-friends, and he used his acrobatic
and other skills to draw them to God. This, in fact, was the period when the
incident with the acrobat took place.
John still wanted with
all his heart to become a priest so that he could, as he himself put it to the
old priest Don Calosso, ‘teach the truths of religion to other boys, who are
not bad, but who will get into trouble if no one takes care of them.’ Now
another saintly priest took a hand in his training. This time it was the young
Don Cafasso, then only twenty-three. He counselled John to enter the seminary,
which he did in October 1835. Six years later, on 5 June 1841, he was ordained
in Turin at the age of twenty-six. His troubles had only just begun.
Portrait of a young
priest
The hardships and open
opposition which Don Bosco had to face as a child were to continue to be the
pattern of his life as a priest.
After his ordination, he
was offered a position as a teacher and posts in two parishes, but on the
advice of his friend Don Cafasso he decided to continue his studies at the
college in Turin (population then about 136,000), where young priests had a
chance of deepening their knowledge of theology and obtaining first-hand
pastoral experience of the problems of people in a large city. Under the
guidance of Don Cafasso and others they carried out their studies and exercised
a fruitful ministry visiting poor people in slums, hospitals, prisons and
reformatories. Don Bosco stayed there for three years (1841-1844) free of
charge.
On 8 December 1841, the
feast of the Immaculate Conception, he intervened to rescue a scruffy,
sixteenyear-old bricklayer’s apprentice from an irritable and unsympathetic
sacristan. The boy was an orphan who could neither read nor write and knew
nothing about his faith, not even how to bless himself. In this he was typical
of the many poor and homeless boys who came to Turin in search of work and
roamed around the city neglected and unwanted.
With patience and
gentleness, Don Bosco began to talk with him about God, and when he had
finished, invited the boy to come again and bring some of his friends with him.
The following Sunday he came back with six of his mates, and Don Cafasso had
picked up three more. A couple of months later there were eighty.
The problem, of course,
was in finding a place for them to meet. Fortunately, for the three years he
was at the college, Don Bosco was allowed to use the courtyard, in spite of the
noise and the liveliness of the meetings. But when he finished his pastoral
studies he had to search for a place to go. He became chaplain to an orphanage
for young girls which had been founded by a charitable noblewoman, and was
allowed to hold his meetings in the courtyard there. However, after eight
months the good woman could no longer endure the noise and, although Don Bosco
still remained chaplain, he again had to find a meeting place where he could
organize games and catechism classes and hear confessions.
For the next year and a
half he and his boys wandered up and down the city, unable to stay in one spot
for very long. It makes a marvellous picture : there he was, a small,
squarely-built priest of thirty, only five-foot four in height, with an untidy
mop of dark brown hair on his head and an unruly mob of 400 young hooligans at
his heels. Small wonder that no sooner had they settled down in one spot than
they were firmly asked to move on to another! Not even the deserted cemetery
next to the church of Saint Peter in Chains was to be a refuge for very long.
Complaints poured in and
he was eventually summoned to the town hall, where the mayor tried to persuade
him to disband his group. When he refused, the mayor attempted to put pressure
on the archbishop, but he got no satisfaction there either. He retaliated by
putting Don Bosco under police surveillance, but the policemen who were
detailed for the job were soon admitting that if they had much more of it they
would probably be going to confession themselves!
For the most part the
clergy, too, viewed his work with suspicion. Some of them even thought he was
mad and arranged for two canons to have him taken by carriage to the nearby
asylum for examination. But Don Bosco was no fool. He neatly turned the tables
on them by politely allowing them to get into the carriage first, then slamming
the door and telling the driver to head for the asylum as fast as ever he
could!
Saints, like prophets,
have a way of going unrecognized in their own time and country. Everyday holiness
frequently goes undetected; sometimes it is mistaken for madness. But in spite
of all the heartbreak and disappointment, Don Bosco and his boys continued
their nomadic existence, the little priest hiding his grief and joining in
their sports and games. They, in their turn, were happy to attend his services
and religious devotions, often in the open air. There was no compulsion about
it; they knew him and loved him as a priest who radiated the love of God, and
they spontaneously accepted his invitation to praise God as something which was
right for them to do together.
But God was not to be
outdone in generosity. He finally rewarded them with a home of their own – a
wooden shed with a leaky roof which was so near the ground that they had to dig
out a couple of feet and make a new floor. But on Easter Sunday (ia April),
1846, Don Bosco blessed the shed which had now become their chapel. His work
grew up and developed around that site and spread out from it to the furthest
parts of the globe.
The work expands
No sooner had he found a
secure base than he redoubled his efforts. He organized evening classes so that
those who were working all day could have an opportunity to learn. He solved
his staff problem by recruiting some of his more promising boys as pupilteachers
under his guidance and also by persuading a few friends in the city to lend a
hand. He continued with his catechism classes and, when he found that there was
no suitable Bible history-book, promptly wrote one himself.
At that time workers were
cruelly exploited, disgracefully treated, shamefully underpaid, and often
arbitrarily sacked. With no civil law to protect them they were completely
defenceless. Don Bosco knew all this and did his best to put a stop to it. He
walked around from factory to factory, either begging work for those who had
none or trying to improve conditions for those who had. He drew up labour
contracts for the young apprentices, an idea which was later adopted
universally. He even managed to secure a fortnight’s holiday a year for the
boys, which was astonishing when one considers the times in which he lived.
Cardinal Cardijn, the
founder of the Young Christian Workers movement, once remarked: ‘Don Bosco was
the first person in the Catholic Church to dedicate himself entirely to
working-class youth.’ In fact, Pius XII and John XXIII both proclaimed him
patron of the young apprentices of various countries.
The strain of all this
unceasing activity was, understandably, too much and one Sunday in July he
fainted. He was found to have pneumonia and was soon in a critical condition.
His boys received the news with shock and consternation. They had an intense
affection for him and day and night prayed fervently for him. He did recover,
but had to go back home to Becchi for three months to convalesce. Meanwhile
some of his faithful friends kept his work going and quickly found out how
difficult it was.
However, Don Bosco was
anxious to be back with his boys. He had managed to rent four rooms in a house
not far from his converted shed, but there were at least two brothels nearby,
so he had to have someone to guarantee his good name. He asked his mother to
give up her old home in the country, with its peace and quiet, and help him
look after his 600 undisciplined, noisy youngsters in the city. That she
accepted at all was a measure of her love for God and her belief in the work
her son was doing.
The two of them set out
on 3 November 1846 with their bundles of linen and kitchen utensils, and walked
the entire six-hour journey to the city. Margaret was then sixty-six, and Don
Bosco himself, still weak from his illness, was suffering from varicose veins
which were to cause him much pain for the rest of his busy life. For the
remaining ten years of her life, Margaret became a mother to his boys and an
invaluable help to him in his work.
Typical of this period
was the way in which Don Bosco trusted entirely in divine providence and the
intercession of our Lady to meet his growing needs. The time came, for
instance, when he had to buy the famous shed and the plot of land. After some
bargaining he agreed on a price. It came to almost £1,200 and he did not have a
penny in his pocket. He calmed his anxious mother with the simple statement :
‘God will provide.’ Sure enough, he had the money within a week.
It was this confidence in
God and in Mary, Help of Christians, which kept him going despite setbacks and
disappointments, which occasioned many astounding events and cures too numerous
to detail, and which led to his undertaking new and dynamic initiatives at a
time when his friends counselled caution and consolidation.
By 1851 the improvised
chapel in the shed was much too small. He needed a new one, so he laid the
first stone and then set about collecting the money. He begged from everybody
(including the royal family!) and organized the first of his great lotteries
(rather like our sweepstake draws). Within a year the church of Saint Francis
of Sales was built and completely paid for – a major achievement even today.
But, not content with that, he built a school nearby with room for sixty-five
boys. Whenever it was needed, Don Bosco put up another building.
His two greatest
achievements in this field were undoubtedly the building of the Basilica of
Mary, Help of Christians, in Turin and the construction of the Basilica of the
Sacred Heart in Rome. When Leo XIII asked him to build the church in Rome, Don
Bosco was already old and worn-out – his eyesight was bad, his legs gave him so
much pain that he had to use small steps to get in and out of bed, and he
suffered from chronic eczema. But in spite of his exhaustion he heroically
completed the task, making long fund-raising journeys to France and Spain in
order to finance the building.
Salesians of Don Bosco
Don Bosco, however, was
not content to build in bricks and mortar. Even as a young priest he wanted his
work to live on in dedicated followers. So he began to train some of the boys
who seemed to respond best to his ideals. Sadly, they all left him. But failure
and disappointment were not new to him, so he made five more attempts before he
eventually succeeded. On 26 January 1854 he held a meeting in his room. That
evening his little group of four followers decided to bind themselves with a
promise, which could later be changed to a vow. They called themselves
‘Salesians’, after Saint Francis of Sales, whose characteristic virtues of
charity, gentleness and patience Don Bosco wanted them to imitate.
In 1859 he disclosed his
intention to found a religious congregation – with a mere seventeen followers! The
first elections were held on 18 December 1859, and the Salesian Society came
into being, though it took ten years of patient negotiations before it was
eventually approved by the Holy See.
Encouragement and
opposition had both come from unexpected quarters. The Minister of Justice,
Rattazzi, an anti-clerical, who was directly responsible for the existing
oppressive laws against religious orders, recommended that he form a society of
helpers and showed him how to get round the laws as they stood. On the other
hand, the two archbishops of Turin during this period were opposed to his
projects, and it was largely due to his confident trust in Mary, Help of
Christians, and to the fatherly advice and kindness of his great friend Pius IX
that he finally managed to win through. In 1863 there were just 39 Salesians;
by 1874, when the Rule was definitively approved, there were 320; when Don
Bosco died in 1888 there were 768; today they number 20,000.
As the Salesian work for
poor boys grew and flourished, Don Bosco saw the need for a similar work for
young girls, and so with the help of the saintly Mary Mazzarello he founded the
Salesian Sisters. On 5 August 1872 the first fifteen Sisters made their vows,
and Don Bosco gave them their official title: Daughters of Mary, Help of
Christians. From that small beginning they too have spread throughout the world
and now number 19,000.
In 1876 a third family,
the Salesian Co-operators, was added to the first two. This predominantly lay
association was intended by Don Bosco to shake Christians out of their lethargy
into an active apostolate on behalf of the Church. He meant them to be ready to
take on every good work of charity, especially those which concerned poor and
neglected youth. He constantly taught that sanctity was not the prerogative of
any particular class or minority but that every Christian was called to
holiness. Pius XII was so enthusiastic about the work of the Salesian
Co-operators that he called Don Bosco one of the founders of the modern lay
apostolate.
Although he himself never
went as a missionary to far-off countries, Don Bosco was able to fulfil his
lifelong desire to send his sons to spread the gospel in the remotest parts of
the world. During his lifetime he organized a total of eight missionary
expeditions. His successors followed up the programme which he had started, so
that seventy-five years after the first expedition it was calculated that more
than 6,ooo priests and brothers had actually undertaken the missionary task.
The Salesians were the first to make contact with many savage tribes,
particularly in Patagonia, and a number laid down their lives as martyrs for
the faith. Today the Salesians are active in seventy-two different countries.
A great educator
It has now become clear
that Don Bosco was one of the very great educators of modern times. He used to
say, jokingly, in his own dialect: ‘You can’t teach a boy through the seat of
his trousers,’ and this became a hallmark of his own loving approach to
education in what he called his ‘Preventive System’.
He was convinced that the
business of a child’s education began with the need to win his affection and
trust. ‘Give your boys confidence. To this end you must make yourself loved . .
. ,’ he advised his Salesians. To be feared or respected was not enough. Love
was the key. But in addition to love, there were two other indispensable
elements : reason and religion. He believed that a child’s immaturity was no
obstacle to his recognizing the reasonableness of the demands made upon him,
provided that the reasoning was adapted to his youthful understanding. He found
that authority supported by reason and not by imposition was welcomed by the
young and then became a positive factor in their education.
He wanted discipline to
come from within, not from without, so that, once the pupil was persuaded to
want to be good, his education could be said to be secure. But to obtain this
he was convinced that religion was necessary: ‘Without a great deal of prayer,
no rules would be of any use.’ He maintained that the celebration of the
Eucharist, frequent Communion and the regular reception of the sacrament of
penance were vital to any system of education which would dispense with all
repressive measures. We have already mentioned how Don Bosco wrote a Bible
history-book to meet a particular need. However, his ability as a writer,
editor and publisher did not end there. He foresaw the urgency of providing
good literature in language the average reader could understand, and decided to
do something about it. Here, as elsewhere, his faith was such that he was able
to make a start where others would have waited for means which would never
come.
As a writer he can be
ranked with the best-sellers of all time, though not every one of his 150
published books and pamphlets became a best-seller. His prayer-book, Companion
of Youth, first published in 1847, had reached its 100th printing (six million
copies) twenty-five years later. His monthly, 100-page digest, Catholic
Readings, which he started in March 1853, soon had over 14,000 subscribers – an
extraordinary circulation by the standards of the time. He wrote on everything
from arithmetic and history to religion and oenology – the science of wines!
When he found that it was
more fruitful to have his own presses he made a start in 1861 with two
second-hand machines which worked on the old pressure system, and soon had a
first-class printing works. In this way he not only provided good literature,
but also the opportunity for his boys to become skilled printers, compositors
and bookbinders. In 1883 he confided to Pius IX: ‘Where the press is concerned
Don Bosco wants to be always in the vanguard of progress.’ For doing just that
Pius XII declared him Patron of Catholic Publishers in 1946.
On one occasion a book of
his was conditionally placed on the Index on the grounds of a passing remark in
an appendix. This caused him much personal anguish until his great friend, Pius
IX, intervened on his behalf.
But the hazards of
attempting to provide ‘a press against the press’ were much more immediate and
ominous than that. For some time a sectarian minority had been using the press
to issue anti-Catholic tracts and seriously to mislead the public on religious issues.
Don Bosco’s answer was to beat them at their own game and obtain massive
popular support for his witty and intelligent paperbacks. His opponents
resented this success and resorted to libellous articles and vitriolic
cartoons; when the lies and lampoons in the press proved ineffective, they
attempted to silence him in other ways.
His would-be assassins
used everything from pistols and poison to clubs and carving-knives in their
attempts on his life. He was waylaid several times, and summoned to phoney sick
calls, but on each occasion he escaped safely, helped by his good sense, his
own strength and his confident trust in divine providence. Even the humour in
the situation was not lost. One Sunday morning, for example, when he was
teaching catechism, someone took a shot at him through the window. The bullet
passed under his arm, making a hole in his cassock. It was a narrow escape,
but, after checking the damage, he made the boys laugh by complaining that it
had been his best cassock! For a long time, too, he was protected by a
mysterious grey dog who seemed to materialize whenever his life was threatened.
Last years
Don Bosco had lived under
six Popes, and at least two of them (Pius IX and Leo XIII) were among his
closest friends. At a time when Rome and the State were in constant conflict he
had managed, with much patience and skill, to achieve the seemingly impossible
balance between fidelity to the Holy See and loyalty to the State. He made
himself all things to all men so that, whenever it was necessary, he could be
an influence for good. In fact, he acted several times as an unofficial
intermediary between the Papacy and the Government. ‘My politics,’ he used to
say, ‘are those of the Our Father.’
Don Bosco was a visionary
and a tactician, a man of God who implemented his dreams with pastoral
inventiveness and bold improvisation. But he was also deeply conscious of the
central role of Mary in his life. As an old man he could point to the statue of
our Lady on top of the Basilica of Mary, Help of Christians, and, with tears in
his eyes, say to the two Salesians who were supporting him at the time:
‘Everything I have ever done, everything we shall all ever do, is through her.’
When it came, Don Bosco’s
death was not the result of an assassin’s bullet but the culmination of a life
dedicated entirely to building up the kingdom of God, especially among poor and
neglected children. Worn out by constant work, his health gradually
deteriorated. He celebrated Mass for the last time on 11 December 1887. Paralysis
gradually spread over his body and eventually, surrounded by his spiritual sons
and mourned by thousands, he died on 31 January 1888, at 4.45 a.m. He was 72.
There were over 100,000 people at his funeral. Pius XI canonized him on Easter
Sunday, 1934.
Of his life and work one
could truly say: ‘Those who instruct others unto justice shall shine as stars
for all eternity’ (Daniel 12:3).
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/saint-john-bosco-by-edward-fitzgerald-sdb/
Firenze, chiesa della Sacra Famiglia
Mala (Sant'Orsola Terme, Trentino) - Chiesa di San
Michele Arcangelo, interno - Affresco sul soffitto raffigurante don Bosco
Mala (Sant'Orsola Terme, Trentino, Italy) - Saint Michael church, interior - Fresco on the ceiling portraying Don Bosco
Bild der Heiligen Giovanni Melchiorre Bosco ("Don
Bosco") in der Kirche in Fontanella im Großen Walsertal in Vorarlberg, Österreich.
Painting of the Holy Giovanni Melchiorre Bosco ("Don Bosco") in the church in Fontanella in the "Grossen Walsertal" (valley) in Vorarlberg, Austria.
中文(台灣): 天主教台北總教區聖若望鮑思高天主堂的聖若望鮑思高雕像。
Statue of Don Bosco at St. John Bosco Parish Church,
Taipei, Taiwan
Statue de Saint Jean Bosco à l'église Saint Jean Bosco
à Taipei, Taiwan..
Photographie :
Bernard Gagnon
Estatua de Don Bosco, La Coruña
Estatua de Don Bosco frente a la Parroquia de María Auxiliadora (PP Salesianos) en Orense (Galicia, España)
San Giovanni Bosco con il Beato Michele Rua, 1885
Quando Giovanni aveva due anni, il padre contrasse una grave polmonite che lo condusse alla morte il 12 maggio 1817, a soli 33 anni. Francesco Bosco lasciò la moglie vedova a 29 anni, con tre figli da crescere: Antonio (1808-1849, figlio della prima moglie), Giuseppe (1813-1862) e Giovanni; inoltre la madre dovette provvedere al mantenimento e all’assistenza della suocera: Margherita Zucca (1752-1826), anziana e inferma.
Erano anni di carestia e “Mamma Margherita”, come sarà sempre chiamata dai Salesiani, dovette lottare e lavorare i campi con grande sacrificio per assicurare il sostentamento alla famiglia e anche per assecondare i talenti scolastici di Giovanni, malvisto dal fratellastro Antonio, il quale considerava tempo e denaro gettati quell’occuparsi di libri, mentre lui era costretto a zappare la terra.
A nove anni il piccolo Giovanni fece un sogno e da allora, fino alla fine dei suoi giorni, continuerà ad essere visitato da sogni-rivelazioni che gli indicheranno la sua strada e lo faranno portavoce di profezie dirette ai singoli, alle società, ai suoi amati giovani, alla Congregazione salesiana, alla Chiesa. Lui stesso definì “profetico” quello dei nove anni e che più volte raccontò ai ragazzi del suo Oratorio: gli pareva di essere vicino a casa, in un cortile molto vasto, dove si divertiva una gran quantità di ragazzi. Alcuni ridevano, altri giocavano, non pochi bestemmiavano. Al sentire le bestemmie, egli si lanciò in mezzo a loro, cercando di arrestarli usando pugni e parole. Ma in quel momento apparve un uomo maestoso, nobilmente vestito: il suo viso era così luminoso che egli non riusciva a guardarlo. Lo chiamò per nome e gli ordinò di mettersi a capo di tutti quei ragazzi. Giovanni gli chiese chi fosse colui che gli comandava cose impossibili: “Io sono il figlio di colei che tua madre ti insegnò a salutare tre volte al giorno”. In quel momento apparve, vicino a lui, una donna maestosa, e in quell’istante, al posto dei giovani, c’era una moltitudine di capretti, cani, gatti, orsi e parecchi altri animali. La Madonna gli disse: “Ecco il tuo campo, ecco dove devi lavorare. Cresci umile, forte e robusto, e ciò che adesso vedrai succedere a questi animali, tu lo dovrai fare per i miei figli”. Fu così che, al posto di animali feroci, comparvero altrettanti agnelli mansueti, che saltellavano, correvano, belavano, facevano festa.
Proprio dopo questo sogno (i sogni, come don Bosco li chiamava, possono definirsi anche “visioni”, come ha dichiarato il suo primo biografo, Giovanni Battista Lemoyne S.D.B., 1839-1916), nel giovane Bosco si accese la vocazione.
Per avvicinare i ragazzini alla preghiera e all’ascolto della Santa Messa imparò i giochi di prestigio e le acrobazie dei saltimbanchi, attirando in tal modo coetanei e contadini, i quali venivano da lui invitati a recitare il Santo Rosario e alla lettura del Vangelo. Il 26 marzo 1826 Giovanni prese la Prima Comunione.
Divenuta insostenibile la convivenza con Antonio Bosco, Margherita fu costretta ad allontanare il figlio dai Becchi, mandandolo a vivere, come garzone, a Moncucco Torinese, presso la cascina dei coniugi Luigi e Dorotea Moglia, dove rimase dal febbraio 1827 al novembre 1829. Nel settembre di quello stesso 1829 era arrivato a Morialdo il cappellano don Giovanni Melchiorre Calosso (1759-1830), sacerdote settantenne, il quale, dopo aver constatato quanto intelligente e desideroso di studiare fosse il giovane, decise di accoglierlo nella propria casa per insegnargli la grammatica latina e prepararlo così alla vita sacerdotale. Un anno dopo, precisamente il 21 novembre del 1830, don Calosso fu colpito da apoplessia e, moribondo, diede al giovane amico la chiave della sua cassaforte, dove erano conservate 6000 mila lire, che avrebbero permesso a Giovanni di studiare ed entrare in Seminario. Ma il giovane preferì non accettare il regalo del maestro e consegnò l’eredità ai parenti del defunto.
Quando il 21 marzo 1831 il fratellastro si sposò, la madre decise di dividere l’asse patrimoniale affinché Giovanni potesse tornare a casa e riprendere da settembre gli studi a Castelnuovo, con la possibilità di una semi-pensione presso Giovanni Roberto, sarto e musicista del paese, dal quale apprese tali arti. Imparò anche altri mestieri, come quello del falegname e del fabbro, e con queste abilità riuscirà a fondare diversi laboratori artigianali per i ragazzi dell’Oratorio di Valdocco.
Per continuare a studiare a Chieri lavorò come garzone, cameriere, addetto alla stalla. Alla scuola chierese fondò la “Società dell’Allegria”, attraverso la quale, in compagnia di alcuni bravi giovani, tentava di far avvicinare alla preghiera i coetanei, divertendoli con i suoi giochi di prestigio e i suoi numeri acrobatici.
In quegli anni strinse forte amicizia con Luigi Comollo (1817-1839), nipote del parroco di Cinzano. Il giovane era sovente oggetto, per bontà e innocenza, dei maltrattamenti dei compagni: veniva insultato e picchiato, ma egli accettava con un sorriso o una parola di perdono queste sofferenze. Il giovane Bosco, dal canto suo, non sopportava di vedere l’amico subire in questo modo, perciò con la sua notevole forza fisica, lo difendeva, azzuffandosi con gli aggressori. L’amicizia d’anima che si stabilì fra Luigi e Giovanni divenne fondamentale per la santità di quest’ultimo. Don Bosco stesso affermerà nelle sue Memorie: «Posso dire che da lui ho cominciato a imparare a vivere da cristiano» e comprese quanto fosse essenziale la salvezza dell’anima, tanto che il suo programma di vita, ispirato a Gn. 14,21, fu sempre: «Da mihi animas, coetera tolle» (“Dammi le anime, prenditi tutto il resto”) e questo motto era scritto a grossi caratteri su un cartello che teneva nella sua camera a Valdocco.
Nell’autunno del 1832 iniziò la terza Grammatica. Nei due anni seguenti frequentò le classi di Umanità (1833-34) e Retorica (1834-35), dimostrandosi un allievo eccellente, di sorprendente memoria e appassionato di libri. Nel marzo 1834, mentre si avviava a terminare l’anno di Umanità, presentò ai Francescani la domanda per essere accettato nel loro ordine, ma cambiò idea prima di andare in convento, seguendo sia un sogno, contrario a questa scelta, sia il consiglio di don Giuseppe Cafasso (1811-1860); perciò il 30 ottobre 1835 si presentò nel Seminario di Chieri. dove rimase fino al 1841, studiando Dogmatica (lo studio delle verità cristiane), Morale (la legge che il cristiano deve osservare), Sacra Scrittura (la parola di Dio), Storia ecclesiastica (storia della Chiesa dalle origini del Cristianesimo all’età contemporanea).
In Seminario Giovanni Bosco incontrò nuovamente il carissimo amico Comollo, ma questi, il 2 aprile del 1837, già debole fisicamente, si spense a soli 22 anni. Nella notte fra il 3 e il 4 aprile, secondo una testimonianza diretta di Giovanni Bosco e dei suoi venti compagni di camera, alunni del corso teologico, l’amico apparve, come un rombo di tuono e sotto forma di una luce che, per tre volte consecutive, disse: “Bosco! Bosco! Bosco! Io sono salvo!”. Il giovane chierico, profondamente scosso e turbato, da quel momento in poi decise di porre la salvezza eterna al di sopra di tutto.
Il 29 marzo 1841 ricevette l’ordine del diaconato e il 5 giugno 1841 venne ordinato sacerdote nella Cappella dell’Arcivescovado di Torino. Don Bosco, dopo aver rifiutato una serie di incarichi, su invito di colui che continuerà ad essere suo stimato e amato direttore spirituale, don Cafasso, decise di entrare, i primi di novembre del 1841, nel Convitto Ecclesiastico di San Francesco d’Assisi di Torino, fondato nel 1817 da don Luigi Guala (1775-1848) e dal venerabile Pio Brunone Lanteri (1759-1830), perché, constatando gli errori seminati fra il clero dal Giansenismo e il vuoto formativo in cui erano lasciati i neo-sacerdoti, essi desideravano offrire una sana formazione ecclesiastica. La linea teologica adottata da Lanteri e da Guala era di stampo ignaziano ed alfonsiano, più benigna, misericordiosa e positiva rispetto a quella rigorista insegnata alla Facoltà teologica dell’Università di Torino. Gli allievi del Convitto, nel quale don Cafasso entrò nel 1834, venivano anche avviati all’attività pastorale con diverse esperienze nelle parrocchie della città. Si curavano poi, in modo particolare, la vita spirituale e la preghiera.
Nella terra subalpina prendono vita i moti risorgimentali e la Chiesa, duramente perseguitata sotto Napoleone (1769-1821), ora si appresta, dopo il Regno del cattolico Carlo Alberto (1798-1849), salito al trono nel 1831 (molto attento alla riforma del clero, avendo stabilito un fecondo accordo con Papa Gregorio XVI, 1798-1849) a ricevere feroci attacchi dal governo liberale e massonico.
In seguito alla tragica guerra dichiarata dall’Illuminismo e dalla Rivoluzione Francese alla Chiesa, sorse un’energica risposta di ricristianizzazione: l’Amicizia Cristiana, fondata dallo svizzero Nikolaus Joseph Albert von Diessbach (1732-1798), un militare al servizio di Casa Savoia che, dopo la conversione dal Calvinismo, entrò nella Compagnia di Gesù. L’Amicizia Cristiana, iniziativa che, seppur segreta, ebbe ampia risonanza in tutta Europa, sorse fra il 1779 e il 1780 a Torino. L’eredità di padre Diessbach venne raccolta da Brunone Lanteri, fondatore degli Oblati di Maria, il quale, contro i seminatori della menzogna e dell’eresia, fece sorgere l’Amicizia Cattolica (1817). Con lui altri amici, devoti del Sacro Cuore di Gesù, sostennero la Chiesa e lo fecero leggendo e studiando testi di sant’Ignazio di Loyola (1491-1556), sant’Alfonso Maria de’ Liguori (1696-1787), san Francesco di Sales (1567-1622), santa Teresa d’Avila (1515-1582).
La preparazione di don Giovanni Bosco nel Convitto durò tre anni. Proprio in quel tempo avvenne il fatto che gli aprì la strada alla missione che fin da bambino desiderava realizzare: essere sacerdote fra i giovani e insegnare loro a conoscere la dottrina cattolica, ad amare il Signore e la Madonna, indicando la strada per la salvezza dell’anima.
Bartolomeo Garelli, muratore di 16 anni, arrivato da Asti, orfano, analfabeta, povero, indifeso, si presentò, l’8 dicembre 1841, nella sacrestia della Chiesa di San Francesco d’Assisi e fu il primo ad essere istruito da don Bosco: egli è il prototipo di tutti i giovani, di tutte le famiglie e di tutti i popoli che san Giovanni Bosco ha evangelizzato. Proprio con Garelli nacque l’Oratorio di San Francesco di Sales e, dopo pochi giorni, giunsero con lui sei ragazzini e altri si aggiunsero, mandati da don Cafasso. Qual era lo scopo dell’Oratorio fondato da don Bosco? Si dice che don Bosco si occupò della gioventù povera per sollevarla dalla miseria e dall’ignoranza, offrendo anche la possibilità di qualificarsi con un lavoro per mantenersi dignitosamente nella vita. Ma, in realtà, l’unico vero fine dell’azione “sociale” di don Bosco fu quello di portare il maggior numero di anime in Paradiso, partendo proprio da quelle che la Provvidenza gli affidava.
[…] Don Bosco, come tutti i santi, era animato da un fuoco di carità, vale a dire dall’amore adorante verso Dio e, per amorosa obbedienza all’Onnipotente, da un fuoco d’amore verso il prossimo; tutto ciò che fece per gli altri fu unicamente riflesso del suo amore verso la Trinità e il suo amore verso il prossimo ebbe sempre un unico intento, salvare le anime, di cui tutto il resto fu strumento.
Il fondatore dei Salesiani insegnava, prima di tutto, a trattare con il mondo senza farsi schiavi del mondo ed è proprio questa libertà che respirarono e vissero i suoi giovani, i quali, attraverso gli occhi e le amabili parole di don Bosco, compresero davvero il significato delle parole Paradiso ed Inferno.
Nel corso dell’inverno 1841-1842 egli si adoperò a consolidare il piccolo Oratorio, ospitato nel Convitto, dove si teneva il catechismo festivo con il consenso dell’Arcivescovo di Torino, Monsignor Luigi Fransoni (1789-1862).
Don Bosco cercava, per le vie della capitale subalpina, i bambini e i ragazzi che vivevano di espedienti e di delinquenza: si recava a Porta Palazzo e in piazza San Carlo, catturando questa povera gioventù con la sua santità e la sua simpatia: scalpellini, muratori, stuccatori, selciatori, quadratori… immigrati dalle campagne in cerca di un’occupazione in città e, non conoscendo nessuno, erano come degli orfani, esposti a mille pericoli. Molto buoni ed onesti erano, invece, i piccoli spazzacamini, che il fondatore dei Salesiani difendeva dagli abusi di chi era più prepotente di loro.
Insieme a don Cafasso iniziò a visitare anche le carceri e inorridì di fronte al degrado nel quale vivevano giovani dai 12 ai 18 anni, rosicchiati dagli insetti e desiderosi di mangiare anche un misero tozzo di pane. Dopo diversi giorni i carcerati decisero di avvicinarsi al sacerdote, raccontandogli le loro vite e i loro tormenti. Don Bosco sapeva che quei ragazzi sarebbero andati alla rovina senza una guida e quindi si fece promettere che, non appena fossero usciti di galera, lo raggiungessero alla Chiesa di San Francesco.
La seconda domenica di ottobre del 1844 diede l’annuncio ai suoi giovani che l’Oratorio si sarebbe trasferito da San Francesco d’Assisi al Rifugio, fondato dalla marchesa Giulia Colbert Falletti di Barolo (1786-1864) a favore delle ragazze a rischio prostituzione. Qui don Bosco divenne cappellano dell’Ospedaletto di Santa Filomena, un’istituzione sanitaria per le bambine povere e disabili, anch’essa fondata dalla marchesa di Barolo.
Coadiuvato dal teologo don Giovanni Borel (1801-1873), riuscì a proseguire l’Oratorio festivo, la cui vita, però, non era semplice in quanto la Marchesa lamentava la presenza dei tanti ragazzi di don Bosco in una realtà che era prettamente femminile e, per di più, pericolante. Inoltre la salute del sacerdote, anche a motivo del suo indefesso lavoro, era molto provata: sputava sangue.
Dopo un periodo trascorso all’aperto, finalmente, il 12 aprile 1846, giorno di Pasqua, don Bosco trovò un posto per i suoi ragazzi, una tettoia con un pezzo di prato: la tettoia Pinardi a Valdocco. Qui, oltre all’Oratorio festivo, presero avvio la realtà educativa, le scuole serali, la scuola di musica-canto, i laboratori per dare una professione ai suoi amati figli e nel 1854 don Bosco diede inizio alla Società Salesiana, con la quale assicurò la stabilità delle sue opere. Dieci anni dopo porrà, come aveva visto in sogno, la prima pietra del santuario di Maria Ausiliatrice: ancora oggi è visibile, nella cappella delle reliquie della basilica, il punto preciso dove la Madonna indicò il sito dove sarebbe sorta.
Nel 1872, con santa Maria Domenica Mazzarello (1837-1881), fondò l’Istituto delle Figlie di Maria Ausiliatrice, con lo scopo di educare, con il medesimo spirito salesiano, la gioventù femminile.
Il metodo educativo di don Bosco, che si prefiggeva di formare degli «onesti cittadini e dei buoni cristiani», e la sua attività ispirata dall’autentica carità cristiana hanno raggiunto tutto il mondo, arrivando anche nei Paesi di tradizione non cristiana. Il perdurare e il moltiplicarsi delle sue opere lo hanno fatto conoscere e studiare, tanto che oggi disponiamo di un’abbondante bibliografia sulla sua persona e sul suo stile educativo. Meno noti, invece, i suoi scritti, nonostante la sua predilezione per questo genere di apostolato, necessario per la cresciuta alfabetizzazione fra il popolo, per la mancanza di libri idonei alle persone semplici e per l’aumento della stampa anticattolica e anticlericale. Per lui, che aveva chiesto nella sua prima Santa Messa l’efficacia della parola, un mezzo più adatto non poteva esistere.
Sono da ricordare le diverse collane pubblicate per molti anni, che hanno avuto un grande successo: Letture Cattoliche, Biblioteca della Gioventù Italiana, Selecta ex Latinis Scriptoribus, Latini Christiani Scriptores, “Bollettino Salesiano”, Letture Ascetiche, Letture Drammatiche, Letture Amene, Bibliotechina dell’Operaio. Don Giovanni Bosco condivideva l’opinione del cardinale Louis-Edouard Pie (1815-1880), modello e punto di riferimento di san Pio X (1835-1914): «Quando tutta una popolazione, fosse anche la più devota e assidua alla Chiesa e alle prediche, non leggesse che giornali cattivi in meno di trent’anni diventerebbe un popolo di empi e di rivoltosi. Umanamente parlando non vi è predicazione di sorta che valga contro la forza della stampa cattiva».
Per confutare i protestanti si servì sempre della roccia della Tradizione, attingendo particolarmente alle fonti dei Padri e Dottori della Chiesa. L’autore sosteneva che i protestanti facevano ogni sforzo per imitare gli gnostici nel muovere guerra agli insegnamenti della Chiesa Cattolica. Don Bosco combatté tenacemente contro le idee protestanti e contro i disegni liberali e massonici del Risorgimento; avvertì e ammonì lo stesso Vittorio Emanuele II (il sovrano che tradì la cattolicità di Casa Savoia, apparentandosi alle leggi massoniche): con una profezia gli annunciò che, se avesse firmato la legge Rattazzi (approvata il 2 marzo 1855), per la soppressione degli Ordini religiosi e l’incameramento dei loro beni da parte dello Stato, ci sarebbero stati “grandi funerali a corte” e che “La famiglia di chi ruba a Dio è tribolata e non giunge alla quarta generazione”: si avverarono entrambi i vaticini.
Egli rientra, a pieno titolo, fra i protagonisti della storia della Chiesa militante. Attraverso libri e articoli, omelie e conferenze lottò, divenendo anche oggetto di vilipendi e di attentati (si salvò sempre grazie all’intervento celeste e al “Grigio”, il misterioso e grosso cane grigio che compariva al bisogno per poi sparire nel nulla), per difendere la Fede, Santa Romana Chiesa, il Sommo Pontefice, diventando anche confidente di Pio IX (1792-1878), il quale chiese a lui consiglio per la nomina dei nuovi vescovi da collocare nelle diocesi vacanti, dove era passata la persecuzione liberal-massonica.
Tre furono i suoi “Amori bianchi”: l’Eucarista, la Madonna, il Papa. Celebre il cosiddetto “Sogno delle due colonne”, considerato profetico per il futuro della Chiesa: il sogno, raccontato dal santo la sera del 30 maggio 1862, descrive una terribile battaglia sul mare, scatenata da una moltitudine di imbarcazioni contro un’unica grande nave, che simboleggia la Chiesa con il suo comandante, il Sommo Pontefice. La nave, colpita ripetutamente, viene guidata dal Papa ad ancorarsi, sicura e vittoriosa, fra due alte colonne emerse dal mare: quella dell’Eucaristia, simboleggiata da una grande Ostia con la scritta “Salus credentium”, e quella della Madonna, simboleggiata da una statua dell’Immacolata, con la scritta “Auxilium Christianorum”.
Specialissima la sua devozione per Maria Vergine, in particolare per Maria Ausiliatrice e per Maria Immacolata. Dopo san Pio V (1504-1572), con la vittoria dei Cristiani nella Battaglia di Lepanto del 1571, Innocenzo XI (1611-1689), con la liberazione di Vienna dall’assedio dei Turchi (1683), e Pio VII (1742-1823), che stabilì la festa di Maria Ausiliatrice il 24 maggio 1815, in ringraziamento a Maria Santissima per la sua liberazione dalla ormai quinquennale prigionia napoleonica, il grande diffusore della devozione a Maria Auxilium Christianorum, alla quale la Chiesa attribuisce la sconfitta di tutte le eresie, è stato proprio san Giovanni Bosco.
Con una solenne celebrazione, nella basilica di Maria Ausiliatrice di Torino, l’11 novembre 1875 si diede a battesimo la prima spedizione missionaria salesiana, diretta in Argentina e preconizzata da don Bosco. Guidati da don Giovanni Cagliero (1838-1926), che diventerà il primo vescovo e il primo cardinale salesiano, i missionari si imbarcarono dal porto di Genova il 14 novembre.
San Giovanni Bosco morì all’alba del 31 gennaio 1888 e venne sepolto nell’Istituto salesiano “Valsalice”, sulla precollina torinese, per venire poi, con la beatificazione, traslato nel santuario di Maria Ausiliatrice. Il 2 giugno 1929 Pio XI lo beatificò, dichiarandolo santo il 1º aprile 1934, giorno di Pasqua.
[…]
Don Bosco indica al cattolico, allora come oggi, la strada da percorrere per vivere in sancta laetitia su questa terra e per godere la beatitudine eterna dopo la morte.
Tutta la sua esistenza, di profonda umiltà, si dipana fra gli arcani del cielo e le realizzazioni dei progetti divini in terra: l’anima autentica di questo uomo di Dio, orgoglioso della sua divisa di ministro dell’altare, è imbevuta di misticismo. Il sogno, la visione e il realismo nell’esistenza di questo padre e maestro dei giovani si sorreggono a vicenda, nutrendosi reciprocamente. Con la Croce di Cristo, pronto a condividerla con le mortificazioni e le penitenze che non lesinava, ha redento migliaia e migliaia di persone. Un santo sacerdote che ha sperimentato ciò che può realizzare la Grazia e che fu in grado di infondere nei suoi figli il segreto dell’esistenza: «Tutto passa: ciò che non è eterno è niente!».
Il demonio veniva spesso a fargli visita nelle ore notturne, per non farlo riposare ed egli accettava, al fine di distrarre il maligno dalle anime dei suoi ragazzi. Scrutatore dei cuori, taumaturgo (moltiplicava ostie, pane, castagne; resuscitò anche un morto), profezie, sogni, visioni, miracoli, bilocazioni «di cui Dio aveva arricchito il suo Servo, resero universale l’opinione che, per provvidentissima disposizione divina, allo scopo di promuovere la restaurazione cristiana dell’umana società, deviata dal sentiero della verità, Dio avesse appunto inviato Giovanni Bosco, l’uomo cioè che, di umili natali, ignoto e povero, senza alcuna ambizione e cupidigia, ma sospinto dalla sola carità verso Dio e verso il prossimo, zelantissimo della gloria di Dio, benemerentissimo della civiltà e della religione, riempì il mondo del suo nome» (Lettera decretale di Pio XI Geminata Laetitia che proclama Santo Giovanni Bosco. Roma, San Pietro 1° aprile 1934).
Come nel Medioevo, dopo le orde barbariche, i monaci avevano gettato le fondamenta di una civiltà cristiana, culturalmente, artisticamente, scientificamente ed economicamente solida, così don Bosco, contemporaneamente alla nefasta azione delle orde rivoluzionarie, lanciò contro di essa una sfida difensiva e offensiva di travolgente dimensione, puntando sul centro nevralgico e strategicamente decisivo per la costruzione di una società, ovvero l’educazione della gioventù, la quale avrebbe dovuto seguire tre linee (pedagogia preventiva): la ragione, la religione, l’amorevolezza.
Don Bosco fu l’allievo che diede maggior lustro al suo grande maestro di vita sacerdotale, nonché suo compaesano, San Giuseppe Cafasso: queste due perle di santità sbocciarono nel Convitto Ecclesiastico di San Francesco d’Assisi in Torino.
Giovanni Bosco nacque presso Castelnuovo d’Asti (oggi Castelnuovo Don Bosco) in regione Becchi, il 16 agosto 1815, frutto del matrimonio tra Francesco e la Serva di Dio Margherita Occhiena. Cresciuto nella sua modesta famiglia, dalla santa madre fu educato alla fede ed alla pratica coerente del messaggio evangelico. A soli nove anni un sogno gli rivelò la sua futura missione volta all’educazione della gioventù. Ragazzo dinamico e concreto, fondò fra i coetanei la “società dell’allegria”, basata sulla “guerra al peccato”.
Entrò poi nel seminario teologico di Chieri e ricevette l’ordinazione presbiterale nel 1841. Iniziò dunque il triennio di teologia morale pratica presso il suddetto convitto, alla scuola del teologo Luigi Guala e del santo Cafasso. Questo periodo si rivelò occasione propizia per porre solide basi alla sua futura opera educativa tra i giovani, grazie a tre provvidenziali fattori: l’incontro con un eccezionale educatore che capì le sue doti e stimolo le sue potenzialità, l’impatto con la situazione sociale torinese e la sua straordinaria genialità, volta a trovare risposte sempre nuove ai numerosi problemi sociali ed educativi sempre emergenti.
Come succede abitualmente per ogni congregazione, anche la grande opera salesiana ebbe inizi alquanto modesti: l’8 dicembre 1841, dopo l’incontro con il giovane Bartolomeo Garelli, il giovane Don Bosco iniziò a radunare ragazzi e giovani presso il Convitto di San Francesco per il catechismo. Torino era a quel tempo una città in forte espansione su vari aspetti, a causa della forte immigrazione dalle campagne piemontesi, ed il mondo giovanile era in preda a gravi problematiche: analfabetismo, disoccupazione, degrado morale e mancata assistenza religiosa. Fu infatti un grande merito donboschiano l’intuizione del disagio sociale e spirituale insito negli adolescenti, che subivano il passaggio dal mondo agricolo a quello preindustriale, in cui si rivelava solitamente inadeguata la pastorale tradizionale.
Strada facendo, Don Bosco capì con altri giovani sacerdoti che l’oratorio potesse costituire un’adeguata risposta a tale critica situazione. Il primo tentativo in tal senso fu compiuto dal vulcanico Don Giovanni Cocchi, che nel 1840 aveva aperto in zona Vanchiglia l’oratorio dell’Angelo Custode. Don Bosco intitolò invece il suo primo oratorio a San Francesco di Sales, ospite dell’Ospedaletto e del Rifugio della Serva di Dio Giulia Colbert, marchesa di Barolo, ove dal 1841 collaborò con il teologo Giovanni Battista Borel. Quattro anni dopo trasferì l’oratorio nella vicina Casa Pinardi, dalla quale si sviluppò poi la grandiosa struttura odierna di Valdocco, nome indelebilmente legato all’opera salesiana.
Pietro Stella, suo miglior biografo, così descrisse il giovane sacerdote: “Prete simpatico e fattivo, bonario e popolano, all’occorrenza atleta e giocoliere, ma già allora noto come prete straordinario che ardiva fare profezie di morti che poi si avveravano, che aveva già un discreto alone di venerazione perché aveva in sé qualcosa di singolare da parte del Signore, che sapeva i segreti delle coscienze, alternava facezie e confidenze sconvolgenti e portava a sentire i problemi dell’anima e della salvezza eterna”.
Spinto dal suo innato zelo pastorale, nel 1847 Don Bosco avviò l’oratorio di San Luigi presso la stazione ferroviaria di Porta Nuova. Nel frattempo il cosiddetto Risorgimento italiano, con le sue articolate vicende politiche, provocò anche un chiarimento nell’esperienza degli oratori torinesi, evidenziando due differenti linee seguite dai preti loro responsabili: quella apertamente politicizzata di cui era fautore Don Cocchi, che nel 1849 aveva tentato di coinvolgere i suoi giovani nella battaglia di Novara, e quella più religiosa invece sostenuta da Don Bosco, che prevalse quando nel 1852 l’arcivescovo mons. Luigi Fransoni lo nominò responsabile dell’Opera degli Oratori, affidando così alle sue cure anche quello dell’Angelo Custode.
La principale preoccupazione di Don Bosco, concependo l’oratorio come luogo di formazione cristiana, era infatti sostanzialmente di tipo religioso-morale, volta a salvare le anime della gioventù. Il santo sacerdote però non si accontentò mai di accogliere quei ragazzi che spontaneamente si presentavano da lui, ma si organizzò al fine di raggiungerli ed incontrarli ove vivevano.
Se la salvezza dell’anima era l’obiettivo finale, la formazione di “buoni cristiani ed onesti cittadini” era invece quello immediato, come Don Bosco soleva ripetere. In tale ottica concepì gli oratori quali luoghi di aggregazione, di ricreazione, di evangelizzazione, di catechesi e di promozione sociale, con l’istituzione di scuole professionali.
L’amorevolezza costituì il supremo principio pedagogico adottato da Don Bosco, che faceva notare come non bastasse però amare i giovani, ma occorreva che essi percepissero di essere amati. Ma della sua pedagogia un grande frutto fu il cosiddetto “metodo preventivo”, nonché l’invito alla vera felicità insito nel detto: “State allegri, ma non fate peccati”.
Don Bosco, sempre attento ai segni dei tempi, individuò nei collegi un valido strumento educativo, in particolare dopo che nel 1849 furono regolamentati da un’opportuna legislazione: fu così che nel 1863 fu aperto un piccolo seminario presso Mirabello, nella diocesi di Casale Monferrato.
Altra svolta decisiva nell’opera salesiana avvenne quando Don Bosco si sentì coinvolto dalla nuova sensibilità missionaria propugnata dal Concilio Ecumenico Vaticano I e, sostenuto dal pontefice Beato Pio IX e da vari vescovi, nel 1875 inviò i suoi primi salesiani in America Latina, capeggiati dal Cardinale Giovanni Cagliero, con il principale compito di apostolato tra gli emigrati italiani. Ben presto però i missionari estesero la loro attività dedicandosi all’evangelizzazione delle popolazioni indigene, culminata con il battesimo conferito da Padre Domenico Milanesio al Venerabile Zeffirino Namuncurà, figlio dell’ultimo grande cacico delle tribù indios araucane.
Uomo versatile e dotato di un’intelligenza eccezionale, con il suo fiuto imprenditoriale Don Bosco considerò la stampa un fondamentale strumento di divulgazione culturale, pedagogica e cristiana. Scrittore ed editore, tra le principali sue opere si annoverano la “Storia d’Italia”, “Il sistema metrico decimale” e la collana “Letture Cattoliche”. Non mancarono alcune biografie,tra le quali spicca quella del più bel frutto della sua pedagogia, il quindicenne San Domenico Savio, che aveva ben compreso la sua lezione: “Noi, qui, alla scuola di Don Bosco, facciamo consistere la santità nello stare molto allegri e nell’adempimento perfetto dei nostri doveri”. Scrisse inoltre le vite di altri due ragazzi del suo oratorio, Francesco Besucco e Michele Magone, nonché quella di un suo indimenticabile compagno di scuola, Luigi Comollo.
Pur essendo straordinariamente attivo, Don Bosco non avrebbe comunque potuto realizzare personalmente dal nulla tutta questa immane opera ed infatti sin dall’inizio godette del prezioso ausilio di numerosi sacerdoti e laici, uomini e donne. Al fine di garantire però una certa continuità e stabilità a ciò che aveva iniziato, fondò a Torino la Società di San Francesco di Sales (detti “Salesiani”), congregazione composta di sacerdoti, e nel 1872 a Mornese con Santa Maria Domenica Mazzarello le Figlie di Maria Ausiliatrice.
L’opinione pubblica contemporanea apprezzò molto la preziosa opera di promozione sociale da lui svolta, anche se la stampa laica gli fu sempre avversa, tanto che alla sua morte la Gazzetta del Popolo si limitò a citarne cognome, nome ed età nell’elenco dei defunti, mentre la Gazzetta Piemontese (l’odierna “La Stampa”) gli riservò l’articolo redazionale dosando accuratamente meriti e demeriti del celebre sacerdote: “Il nome di Don Bosco è quello di un uomo superiore che lascia e suscita dietro di sé un vivo contrasto di apprezzamenti e opposti giudizi e quasi due opposte fame: quello di benefattore insigne, geniale, e quello di prete avveduto e procacciate”.
Personalità forte ed intraprendente, bisognosa di particolare autonomia nella sua azione a tutto campo, non lasciava affatto indifferenti coloro che gli erano per svariati motivi a contatto. Ciò costituisce inoltre una spiegazione ai ripetuti scontri che ebbe con ben due arcivescovi torinesi: Ottaviano Riccardi di Netro e soprattutto Lorenzo Gastaldi. Lo apprezzò e lo appoggiò invece costantemente e senza riserve papa Pio IX, che con la sua potente intercessione permise all’opera salesiana di espandersi non solo a livello locale, sorte invece subita da numerosissime altre minute congregazioni.
Giovanni Bosco morì in Torino il 31 gennaio 1888, giorno in cui è ricordato dal Martyrologium Romanum e la Chiesa latina ne celebra la Memoria liturgica. Alla guida della congregazione gli succedette il Beato Michele Rua, uno dei suoi primi fedeli discepoli. La sua salma fu in un primo tempo sepolta nella chiesa dell’istituto salesiano di Valsalice, per poi essere trasferita nella basilica di Maria Ausiliatrice, da lui fatta edificare. Il pontefice Pio XI, suo grande ammiratore, beatificò Don Bosco il 2 giugno 1929 e lo canonizzò il 1° aprile 1934. La città di Torino ha dedicato alla memoria del santo una strada, una scuola ed un grande ospedale. Nel centenario della morte, nel 1988 Giovanni Paolo II, recatosi in visita ai luoghi donboschiani, lo dichiarò Padre e Maestro della gioventù, “stabilendo che con tale titolo egli sia onorato e invocato, specialmente da quanti si riconoscono suoi figli spirituali”.
La venerazione che Don Bosco ebbe, in vita ed in morte, per sua madre fu trasmessa alla congregazione, che negli anni ’90 del XX secolo ha pensato di introdurre finalmente la causa di beatificazione di Mamma Margherita. Merita infine ricordare la prolifica stirpe di santità generata da Don Bosco, tanto che allo stato attuale delle cause, la Famiglia Salesiana può contare ben 5 santi, 51 beati, 8 venerabili ed 88 servi di Dio.
DALLE “LETTERE” DI SAN GIOVANNI BOSCO
Se vogliamo farci vedere amici del vero bene dei nostri allievi, e obbligarli a fare il loro dovere, bisogna che voi non dimentichiate mai che rappresentate i genitori di questa cara gioventù, che fu sempre tenero oggetto delle mie occupazioni, dei miei studi, del mio ministero sacerdotale, e della nostra Congregazione salesiana. Se perciò sarete veri padri dei vostri allievi, bisogna che voi ne abbiate anche il cuore; e non veniate mai alla repressione o punizione senza ragione e senza giustizia, e solo alla maniera di chi vi si adatta per forza e per compiere un dovere.
Quante volte, miei cari figliuoli, nella mia lunga carriera ho dovuto persuadermi di questa grande verità! E’ certo più facile irritarsi che pazientare: minacciare un fanciullo che persuaderlo: direi ancora che è più comodo alla nostra impazienza e alla nostra superbia castigare quelli che resistono, che correggerli col sopportarli con fermezza e con benignità. La carità che vi raccomando è quella che adoperava san Paolo verso i fedeli di fresco convertiti alla religione del Signore, e che sovente lo facevano piangere e supplicare quando se li vedeva meno docili e corrispondenti al suo zelo.
Difficilmente quando si castiga si conserva quella calma, che è necessaria per allontanare ogni dubbio che si opera per far sentire la propria autorità, o sfogare la propria passione.
Riguardiamo come nostri figli quelli sui quali abbiamo da esercitare qualche potere. Mettiamoci quasi al loro servizio, come Gesù che venne a ubbidire e non a comandare, vergognandoci di ciò che potesse aver l’aria in noi di dominatori; e non dominiamoli che per servirli con maggior piacere. Così faceva Gesù con i suoi apostoli, tollerandoli nella loro ignoranza e rozzezza, nella loro poca fedeltà, e col trattare i peccatori con una dimestichezza e familiarità da produrre in alcuni lo stupore, in altri quasi scandalo, e in molti la Santa speranza di ottenere il perdono da Dio. Egli ci disse perciò di imparare da lui ad essere mansueti e umili di cuore (4r.Mt 11,29).
Dal momento che sono i nostri figli, allontaniamo ogni collera quando dobbiamo reprimere i loro falli, o almeno moderiamola in maniera che sembri soffocata del tutto. Non agitazione dell’animo, non disprezzo negli occhi, non ingiuria sul labbro; ma sentiamo la compassione per il momento, la speranza per l’avvenire, e allora voi sarete i veri padri e farete una vera correzione.
In certi momenti molto gravi, giova più una raccomandazione a Dio, un atto di umiltà a lui, che una tempesta di parole, le quali, se da una parte non producono che male in chi le sente, dall’altra parte non arrecano vantaggio a chi le merita.
Ricordatevi che l’educazione è cosa del cuore, e che Dio solo ne è il padrone, e noi non potremo riuscire a cosa alcuna, se Dio non ce ne insegna l’arte, e non ce ne mette in mano le chiavi.
Studiamoci di farci amare, di insinuare il sentimento del dovere, del santo timore di Dio, e vedremo con mirabile facilità aprirsi le porte di tanti cuori e unirsi a noi per cantare le lodi e le benedizioni di colui, che volle farsi nostro modello, nostra via, nostro esempio in tutto, ma particolarmente nell’educazione della gioventù.
NOVENA A SAN GIOVANNI BOSCO
1° giorno - O gloriosissimo San Giovanni Bosco, per l'amore ardente che portasti a Gesù nel Santissimo Sacramento e per lo zelo con cui ne propagasti il culto, soprattutto con l'assistenza alla Santa Messa, con la Comunione frequente e con la visita quotidiana, ottienici di crescere sempre più nell'amore, nella pratica di queste sante devozioni e di terminare i nostri giorni rinvigoriti e confortati dal cibo celeste della Santa Eucaristia. Gloria al Padre...
2° giorno - O gloriosissimo San Giovanni Bosco, per l'amore tenerissimo che portasti alla Vergine Ausiliatrice che fu sempre tua Madre e Maestra, ottienici una vera e costante devozione alla nostra dolcissima Mamma, affinché possiamo meritare la sua potentissima protezione durante la nostra vita e specialmente nell'ora della morte. Gloria al Padre...
3° giorno - O gloriosissimo San Giovanni Bosco, per l'amore filiale che portasti alla Chiesa e al Papa, di cui prendesti costantemente le difese, ottienici di essere sempre degni figli della Chiesa Cattolica e di amare e venerare nel Sommo Pontefice l'infallibile vicario di Nostro Signore Gesù Cristo. Gloria al Padre...
4° giorno - O gloriosissimo San Giovanni Bosco, per il grande amore con cui amasti la gioventù, della quale fosti Padre e Maestro e per gli eroici sacrifici che sostenesti per la sua salvezza, fa' che anche noi amiamo con amore santo e generoso questa parte eletta dei Cuore di Gesù e che in ogni giovane sappiamo vedere la persona adorabile del nostro Salvatore Divino. Gloria al Padre...
5° giorno - O gloriosissimo San Giovanni Bosco che per continuare ad estendere sempre più il tuo santo apostolato fondasti la Società Salesiana e l'istituto delle Figlie di Maria Ausiliatrice, ottieni che i membri delle due Famiglie Religiose siano sempre pieni del tuo spirito e fedeli imitatori delle tue eroiche virtù. Gloria al Padre...
6° giorno - O gloriosissimo San Giovanni Bosco che per ottenere nel mondo più abbondanti frutti di fede operosa e di tenerissima carità istituisti l'Unione dei Cooperatori Salesiani, ottieni che questi siano sempre modelli di virtù cristiane e sostenitori provvidenziali delle tue Opere. Gloria al Padre...
7° giorno - O gloriosissimo San Giovanni Bosco che amasti con amore ineffabile tutte le anime e per salvarle mandasti i tuoi figli fino agli estremi confini della terra, fa' che anche noi pensiamo continuamente alla salvezza della nostra anima e cooperiamo per la salvezza di tanti nostri poveri fratelli. Gloria al Padre...
8° giorno - O gloriosissimo San Giovanni Bosco che prediligesti con amore particolare la bella virtù della purezza e la inculcasti con l'esempio, la parola e gli scritti, fa' che anche noi, innamorati di così indispensabile virtù, la pratichiamo costantemente e la diffondiamo con tutte le nostre forze. Gloria al Padre...
9° giorno - O gloriosissimo San Giovanni Bosco che fosti sempre tanto compassionevole verso le sventure umane, guarda a noi tanto bisognosi dei tuo aiuto. Fa' scendere su di noi e sulle nostre famiglie le materne benedizioni di Maria Ausiliatrice; ottienici tutte le grazie spirituali e temporali che ci sono necessarie; intercedi per noi durante la nostra vita e nell'ora della morte, affinché possiamo giungere tutti in Paradiso e inneggiare in eterno alla Misericordia divina. Gloria al Padre...
PREGHIERA A SAN GIOVANNI BOSCO
O San Giovanni Bosco, padre e maestro della gioventù,
che tanto lavorasti per la salvezza delle anime,
sii nostra guida nel cercare il bene delle anime nostre e la salvezza dei prossimo;
aiutaci a vincere le passioni e il rispetto umano;
insegnaci ad amare Gesù Sacramentato, Maria Ausiliatrice e il Papa;
e implora da Dio per noi una buona morte,
affinché possiamo raggiungerti in Paradiso. Amen.
ORAZIONE DAL MESSALE
O Dio, che in san Giovanni Bosco
hai dato alla tua Chiesa un padre e un maestro dei giovani,
suscita anche in noi la stessa fiamma di carità
a servizio della tua gloria per la salvezza dei fratelli.
Per il nostro Signore Gesù Cristo, tuo Figlio, che è Dio,
e vive e regna con Te, nell’unità dello Spirito Santo,
per tutti i secoli dei secoli. Amen.
Autore: Fabio Arduino
Note: Per segnalare grazie o favori ricevuti per sua intercessione, oppure per informazioni, rivolgersi al Postulatore Generale della Famiglia Salesiana: postulatore@sdb.org
House of John Bosco, Ronda (Spain)
Dieser modernistische Palast wurde Anfang des
20. Jahrhunderts gebaut. Das Gebäude liegt am Schluchtfelsen im Zentrum des
historischen Stadtviertels von Ronda. Es gehörte der Familie Granadinos, die es
als Erbe dem Salesianerorden überlassen hatte, um als Krankenhaus für kranke
und alte Ordenspriester zu dienen. Die Gärten sind wegen ihrer Lage sehr
interessant; sie befinden sich auf einem natürlichen Balkon des Gebirgslandes. Aufnahme
von 2018
Scritti di don Bosco
Opere edite
1844: Cenni storici sulla vita del chierico Luigi
Comollo, Biografia, Opere Edite, Ed. LAS (Libreria Ateneo Salesiano), I,1
1845: Il divoto dell'Angelo Custode, Novena, OE
I,2
1845: Storia Ecclesiastica, Storia, OE I,3
1846: Giordano Felice, Cenni istruttivi di
perfezione, Biografia, OE II,1
1846: Esercizio di divozione alla misericordia di
Dio, Devozionario, OE II,2
1847: Il giovane provveduto, Educazione alla
fede, OE II,3
1847: Storia Sacra ad uso delle scuole utile ad
ogni stato di persone / arricchita di analoghe incisioni, I ed. Torino,
Speirani e Ferrero; ora: Storia Sacra - in: Storia, OE III,1
1848: Il Cristiano guidato alla virtù ed alla
civiltà, Catechismo, OE III,2
1848: L'Amico della Gioventù, Articoli, OE
XXXVIII, 3
1849: Il Sistema metrico decimale, Sistema metrico,
OE IV,1
1849: L'Armonia (1849-1863), Articoli, OE
XXXVIII, 1
1850: Società di mutuo soccorso, Regolamento, OE
IV,2
1850: Breve ragguaglio della festa fattasi nel
distribuire il regalo di Pio IX, Papa, OE IV,3
1850: La Chiesa cattolica-apostolica-romana,
Chiesa, OE IV,4
1852: Catalogo degli oggetti offerti per la
Lotteria, Lotteria, OE IV,5
1853: Avvisi ai Cattolici, Catechismo, OE IV,6
1853: Il Cattolico istruito nella sua religione,
Catechismo, OE IV,7
1853: Notizie storiche intorno al miracolo del
SS. Sacramento, Racconto, OE V,1
1853: Fatti contemporanei, Racconto, OE V,2
1853: Dramma. Una disputa tra un avvocato e un
ministro protestante, Dramma, OE V,3
1853: Vita di Santa Zita e di Sant'Isidoro,
Agiografia, OE V,4
1853: Vita infelice di un novello apostata,
Racconto, OE V,5
1853: Il Galantuomo pel 1854, Almanacco, OE V,6
1854: Il Giubileo, Giubileo, OE V,10
1854: Catechismo cattolico sulle rivoluzioni,
Catechismo, OE V,7
1854: Conversione di una valdese, Racconto, OE
V,8
1854: Raccolta di curiosi avvenimenti
contemporanei, Racconto, OE V,9
1854: Il Galantuomo pel 1855, Almanacco, OE VI,1
1854: Ai Contadini, Galateo, OE VI,2
1855: Maniera facile per imparare la Storia Sacra,
Storia, OE VI,3
1855: Conversazioni tra un avvocato e un curato
di campagna, Catechismo, OE VI,4
1855: La forza della buona educazione, Racconto,
OE VI,5
1855: Vita di San Martino vescovo di Tours,
Agiografia, OE VI,6
1855: Il Galantuomo pel 1856, Almanacco, OE VI,7
1855: La Storia d'Italia, Storia, OE VII,1
1856: La chiave del Paradiso, Educazione alla
fede, OE VIII,2
1856: Vita di S. Pancrazio martire, Agiografia,
OE VIII,3
1856: Vita di San Pietro, principe degli Apostoli
e primo Papa dopo Gesù Cristo, OE VIII,4
1856: Il Galantuomo pel 1857, Almanacco, OE
VIII,5
1856: Avvisi alle figlie cristiane, Educazione
alla fede, OE VIII,6
1857: Catalogo degli oggetti posti in lotteria,
Lotteria, OE IX,1
1857: Due conferenze intorno al Purgatorio,
Catechismo, OE IX,2
1857: Vita di S. Paolo apostolo, Agiografia, OE
IX,3
1857: Vita de' Sommi Pontefici S. Lino, S. Cleto,
S. Clemente Papa, Papa, OE IX,4
1857: Vita de' Sommi Pontefici S. Anacleto, S.
Evaristo, S. Alessandro I Papa, Papa, OE IX,5
1857: Vita de' Sommi Pontefici S. Sisto, S.
Telesforo, S. Igino, S. Pio I Papa, Papa, OE X,1
1857: Vita di S. Policarpo, Agiografia, OE X,2
1857: Il Galantuomo pel 1858, Almanacco, OE X,3
1858: Vita de' Sommi Pontefici S. Aniceto, S.
Sotero, S. Eleutero, S. Vittore e S. Zefirino, Papa, OE X,4
1858: Il mese di maggio consacrato a Maria SS.
Immacolata, Maria, OE X,5
1858: Porta teco cristiano, Educazione alla fede,
OE XI,1
1858: Vita del Sommo Pontefice S. Callisto I Papa,
Papa, OE XI,2
1858: Il Galantuomo pel 1859, Almanacco, OE XI,3
1859: Vita del giovanetto Savio Domenico, OE XI,4
1859: Vita del Sommo Pontefice S. Urbano I Papa,
Papa, OE XI,5
1859: Vita dei Sommi Pontefici S. Ponziano, S.
Antero e S. Fabiano Papa, Papa, OE XI,6
1859: La persecuzione di Decio e il pontificato
di San Cornelio I Papa, OE XII,1
1859: Il Galantuomo pel 1860, Almanacco, OE XII,2
1860: Frassinetti Giuseppe, Industrie spirituali,
Educazione alla fede, OE XII,3
1860: Vita e martirio de' Sommi Pontefici San
Lucio I e S. Stefano I Papa, Papa, OE XII,4
1860: Il pontificato di San Sisto II e le glorie
di San Lorenzo martire, Papa, OE XII,5
1860: Biografia del sacerdote Giuseppe Cafasso,
Biografia, OE XII,6
1860: Il Galantuomo pel 1861, Almanacco, OE XII,7
1860: Angelina o la buona fanciulla, Educazione
alla fede, OE XIII,1
1861: Esempi edificanti, Racconto, OE XIII,2
1861: Una famiglia di martiri, Agiografia, OE
XIII,3
1861: Cenno biografico sul giovanetto Magone
Michele, Biografia, OE XIII,4
1861: Il pontificato di S. Dionigi Papa, Papa, OE
XIII,5
1861: Il Galantuomo pel 1862, Almanacco, OE
XIII,6
1862: Il pontificato di S. Felice primo e di S.
Eutichiano Papi e Martiri, Papa, OE XIII,7
1862: Una preziosa parola ai figli ed alle figlie,
Educazione alla fede, OE XIII,8
1862: Cenni storici intorno alla vita della B.
Caterina De-Mattei da Racconigi, Agiografia, OE XIV,1
1862: Elenco degli oggetti graziosamente donati a
beneficio degli Oratorii, Lotteria, OE XIV,2
1862: Novella amena di un vecchio soldato di
Napoleone I, Racconto, OE XIV,3
1862: Le due orfanelle, Educazione alla fede, OE
XIV,4
1862: Germano l'ebanista, Educazione alla fede,
OE XIV,5
1862: Specchio della dottrina cristiana cattolica,
Catechismo, OE XIV,6
1863: Il giovane provveduto [nuova edizione],
Educazione alla fede, OE XIV,7
1863: Il pontificato di S. Caio Papa e Martire,
Papa, OE XIV,8
1864: Il pontificato di S. Marcellino e di S.
Marcello Papi e Martiri, Papa, OE XV,1
1864: Episodi ameni e contemporanei, Racconto, OE
XV,2
1864: Il cercatore della fortuna, Varietà, OE
XV,3
1864: Il pastorello delle Alpi ovvero vita del
giovane Besucco Francesco, Biografia, OE XV,4
1864: Il Galantuomo pel 1865, Almanacco, OE XV,5
1864: L'Unità Cattolica (1864-1888), Articoli, OE
XXXVIII,2
1865: La casa della fortuna, Dramma, OE XVI,1
1865: Dialoghi intorno all'istituzione del
Giubileo, Giubileo, OE XVI,2
1865: La pace della Chiesa ossia il Pontificato
di S. Eusebio e S. Melchiade, Papa, OE XVI,3
1865: Lotteria d'oggetti, Lotteria, OE XVI,4
1865: Boccalandro Pietro, Storia
dell'inquisizione, Storia, OE XVI,5
1865: Vita della Beata Maria degli Angeli,
Agiografia, OE XVI,6
1865: Il Galantuomo pel 1866, Almanacco, OE XVI,7
1866: Elenco degli oggetti graziosamente donati a
beneficio degli Oratorii, Lotteria, OE XVII,1
1866: Card. Wiseman, La perla nascosta, Dramma,
OE XVII,2
1866: Marchale Vittorio, Una parola da amico
all'esercito, Racconto, OE XVII,3
1866: Metti Giulio, Daniele e i tre suoi compagni,
Dramma, OE XVII,4
1866: Valentino o la vocazione impedita,
Vocazione, OE XVII,5
1866: Chi è D. Ambrogio?! Dialogo tra un barbiere
ed un teologo, Racconto, OE XVII,6
1866: Pratiche devote per l'adorazione del SS.
Sacramento, Devozionario, OE XVII,7
1867: Vita di S. Giuseppe, Agiografia, OE XVII,8
1867: Novelle e racconti, Racconto, OE XVII,9
1867: Il Centenario di S. Pietro Apostolo, Papa,
OE XVIII,1
1867: Vita di San Pietro, Papa, OE XVIII,2
1867: Societas Sancti Francisci Salesii, Società
Salesiana, OE XVIII,3
1867: Lettera del Sacerdote D. Giovanni Bosco al
P. Alessandro Checcucci, Lettera, OE XVIII,4
1867: Il Galantuomo pel 1868, Almanacco, OE
XVIII,5
1868: Il cattolico provveduto per le pratiche di
pietà, Catechismo, OE XIX,1
1868: I Papi da S. Pietro a Pio IX, Papa, OE
XVIII,6
1868: Notizie storiche intorno al Santuario di
nostra Signora della Pieve in vicinanza di Ponzone, Storia, OE XVIII,7
1868: Notitia brevis Societatis Sancti Francisci
Salesii, Società Salesiana, OE XVIII,8
1868: Severino, Racconto, OE XX,1
1868: Maraviglie della Madre di Dio, Maria, OE
XX,2
1868: Vita di S. Giovanni Battista, Agiografia,
OE XX,3
1868: Bonetti Giovanni, Vita del giovane Saccardi
Ernesto, Biografia, OE XX,4
1868: Rimembranza di una solennità in onore di
Maria Ausiliatrice, Maria, OE XXI,1
1868: Il Galantuomo pel 1869, Almanacco, OE XXI,2
1869: La Chiesa Cattolica e la sua gerarchia,
Chiesa, OE XXI,3
1869: Associazione de' divoti di Maria
Ausiliatrice, Maria, OE XXI,4
1869: I Concili generali e la Chiesa Cattolica,
Chiesa, OE XXII,1
1869: Angelina o l'orfanella degli Appennini,
Educazione alla fede, OE XXII,2
1869: Il Galantuomo pel 1870, Almanacco, OE
XXII,3
1870: Nove giorni consacrati all'Augusta Madre
del Salvatore sotto al titolo di Maria Ausiliatrice, Maria, OE XXII,4
1870: Lemoyne G. B., Biografia del giovane
Mazzarello Giuseppe, Biografia, OE XXII,5
1870: Il Galantuomo pel 1871, Almanacco, OE
XXII,6
1871: Apparizione della Beata Vergine sulla
montagna di La Salette, Maria, OE XXII,7
1871: Corona dei sette dolori di Maria, Maria, OE
XXIII,1
1871: Fatti ameni della vita di Pio IX, Papa, OE
XXIII,2
1871: Storia Ecclesiastica [quarta edizione
migliorata], Storia, OE XXIV,1
1871: Il Galantuomo pel 1872, Almanacco, OE
XXIV,2
1872: Società di S. Francesco di Sales. Anno 1872,
Società Salesiana, OE XXIV,3
1872: Fondamenti della Cattolica Religione,
Catechismo, OE XXIV,4
1872: Il Galantuomo pel 1873, Almanacco, OE XXV,1
1873: Vita di S. Pancrazio [quarta edizione],
Agiografia, OE XXV,2
1873: Regulae Societatis S. Francisci Salesii,
Costituzioni, OE XXV,3
1873: Le maraviglie della Madonna di Lourdes -
(Ai benemeriti nostri corrispondenti e lettori), Maria, OE XXV,4
1873: Societas S. Francisci Salesii. De Societate
S. Francisci Salesii brevis notitia, Società Salesiana, OE XXV,7
1874: Regulae Societatis S. Francisci Salesii
(Typis de Propaganda Fide, I), Costituzioni, OE XXV,10
1874: Regulae Societatis S. Francisci Salesii
(Typis de Propaganda Fide, II), Costituzioni, OE XXV,11
1874: Congregazione particolare dei Vescovi e Regolari, sopra
l'approvazione delle Costituzioni della Società Salesiana (marzo 1874), Società
Salesiana, OE XXV,12
1874: Sagra Congregazione de' Vescovi e Regolari,
Consultazione per una Congregazione particolare (marzo 1874), Società
Salesiana, OE XXV,13
1874: Unione cristiana, Regolamento, OE XXV,14
1874: Regulae seu Constitutiones Societatis S.
Francisci Salesii juxta approbationis decretum die 3 aprilis 1874 (Augustae Taurinorum
1874), Costituzioni, OE XXV,15
1874: Società di S. Francesco di Sales. Anno 1874,
Società Salesiana, OE XXV,16
1874: Il Galantuomo pel 1875, Almanacco, OE
XXV,17
1874: Belasio Antonio Maria, Della vera scuola
per ravviare la società, Scuola, OE XXV,5
1874: Il Galantuomo pel 1874, Almanacco, OE XXV,6
1874: Massimino, Racconto, OE XXV,8
1874: Cenno istorico sulla Congregazione di S.
Francesco di Sales, Società Salesiana' OE XXV,9
1875: Associazione di opere buone (Unione
cristiana), Regolamento, OE XXV,18
1875: Il giovane provveduto (quarantesima seconda
edizione), Educazione alla fede, OE XXVI,1
1875: Il Giubileo del 1875, Giubileo, OE XXVI,2
1875: Maria Ausiliatrice col racconto di alcune
grazie, Maria, OE XXVI,3
1875: Opera di Maria Ausiliatrice per le
vocazioni allo stato ecclesiastico, Vocazioni, OE XXVII,1
1875: Regole o Costituzioni della Società di S.
Francesco di Sales secondo il decreto di approvazione del 3 aprile 1874,
Costituzioni, OE XXVII,2
1875: Sagra Congregazione de' Vescovi e Regolari,
Consultazione per la Congregazione speciale, Società Salesiana, OE XXVII,3
1875: Il Galantuomo pel 1876, Almanacco, OE
XXVII,4
1875: Ioannis Tamietti, Sancti Hieronymi De Viris
illustribus, Agiografia, OE XXVII,5
1876: Brevi biografie dei confratelli salesiani,
Necrologio, OE XXVII,6
1876: Storia Sacra (edizione decima), Storia, OE
XXVII,7
1876: Il cercatore della fortuna (seconda
edizione), Varietà, OE XXVII,8
1876: Il cristiano guidato alla virtù ed alla
civiltà (edizione seconda), Catechismo, OE XXVIII,1
1876: Cooperatori Salesiani ossia un modo pratico
per giovare al buon costume ed alla civile società, Cooperatori, OE XXVIII,2
1876: Chiala Cesare, Da Torino alla Repubblica
Argentina. Lettere dei missionari salesiani, Missioni, OE XXVIII,3
1876: Il Galantuomo pel 1877, Almanacco, OE
XXVIII,4
1877: Opera di Maria Ausiliatrice per le
vocazioni allo stato ecclesiastico, Vocazioni, OE XXIX,1
1877: Regolamento dell'Oratorio di S. Francesco
di Sales per gli esterni, Regolamento, OE XXIX,2
1877: Regolamento per le case della Società di S.
Francesco di Sales, Regolamento, OE XXIX,3
1877: Regole o Costituzioni della Società di S.
Francesco di Sales secondo il decreto di approvazione del 3 aprile 1874,
Costituzioni, OE XXIX,4
1877: Bareris Giulio, La Repubblica Argentina e
la Patagonia. Lettere dei Missionari Salesiani, Missioni, OE XXIX,5
1877: Il Galantuomo pel 1878, Almanacco, OE
XXIX,6
1877: Società di S. Francesco di Sales. Anno 1877,
Società Salesiana, OE XXIX,7
1877: Capitolo Generale della Congregazione
Salesiana da convocarsi in Lanzo nel prossimo settembre 1877, Società
Salesiana, OE XXVIII,5
1877: Cooperatori Salesiani ossia un modo pratico
per giovare al buon costume ed alla civile società, Cooperatori, OE XXVIII,6
1877: Inaugurazione del Patronato di S. Pietro in
Nizza a mare, Avvenimento, OE XXVIII,7
1877: La nuvoletta del Carmelo, Maria, OE
XXVIII,8
1878: Deliberazioni del Capitolo Generale della
Pia Società Salesiana tenuto in Lanzo-Torinese nel settembre 1877, Società
Salesiana, OE XXIX,8
1878: Il più bel fiore del Collegio Apostolico
ossia la elezione di Leone XIII, Papa, OE XXX,1
1878: Regole o Costituzioni per l'Istituto delle
Figlie di Maria SS. Ausiliatrice, Costituzioni, OE XXX,2
1878: Società di S. Francesco di Sales. Anno 1878,
Società Salesiana, OE XXX,3
1878: Arrigotti Francesco, Notizie storiche sul
convento e sul Santuario di Santa Maria delle Grazie presso Nizza Monferrato,
Storia, OE XXX,4
1878: Il Galantuomo pel 1879, Almanacco, OE XXX,5
1878: Lotteria di doni diversi a favore dei
poveri giovanetti dell'Ospizio di S. Vincenzo de' Paoli in S. Pier d'Arena,
Lotteria, OE XXX,6
1879: Le scuole di beneficenza dell'Oratorio di
S. Francesco di Sales in Torino, Società Salesiana, OE XXX,7
1879: Società di S. Francesco di Sales. Anno 1879,
Società Salesiana, OE XXXI,1
1879: Il Galantuomo pel 1880, Almanacco, OE
XXXI,2
1879: Lemoyne G. Batt., L'arca dell'alleanza,
Maria, OE XXXI,3
1879: Esposizione alla S. Sede dello stato morale
e materiale della Pia Società di S. Francesco di Sales, Società Salesiana, OE
XXXI,4
1879: L'Oratorio di S. Francesco di Sales,
Società Salesiana, OE XXXI,5
1879: Scelta di laudi sacre ad uso delle Missioni,
Lodi, OE XXXI,6
1880: Letture amene ed edificanti ossia biografie
salesiane, Biografia, OE XXXI,7
1880: Società di S. Francesco di Sales. Anno 1880,
Società Salesiana, OE XXXI,8
1880: Il Galantuomo pel 1881, Almanacco, OE
XXXI,9
1881: Breve notizia sullo scopo della Pia Società
Salesiana, Società Salesiana, OE XXXII,1
1881: Biografie. Confratelli chiamati da Dio alla
vita eterna nell'anno 1880, Necrologio, OE XXXII,2
1881: Eccellentissimo Consigliere di Stato,
Lettera, OE XXXII,3
1881: Esposizione del sacerdote Giovanni Bosco
agli eminentissimi Cardinali della Sacra Congregazione del Concilio, Società
Salesiana, OE XXXII,4
1881: Favori e grazie spirituali concessi dalla
Santa Sede alla Pia Società, Società Salesiana, OE XXXII,5
1881: L'aritmetica ed il sistema metrico (settima
edizione), Sistema metrico, OE XXXII,6
1881: Arpa cattolica o raccolta di laudi sacre in
onore dei santi e delle sante, Lodi, OE XXXII,8
1881: Arpa cattolica o raccolta di laudi sacre in
onore di Gesù Cristo, di Maria Santissima e dei santi, Lodi, OE XXXII,9
1882: Biografie 1881, Necrologio, OE XXXII,10
1882: Biographie du jeune Louis Fleury Antoine
Colle, Biografia, OE XXXII,11
1882: Arpa cattolica o raccolta di laudi sacre
sulla passione sulle feste principali e sui novissimi, Lodi, OE XXXII,7
1882: Deliberazioni del secondo Capitolo Generale
della Pia Società Salesiana, Società Salesiana, OE XXXIII,1
1882: Il Galantuomo pel 1883, Almanacco, OE
XXXIII,2
1883: Biografie dei Salesiani defunti nel 1882,
Necrologio, OE XXXIII,3
1883: La figlia cristiana provveduta (quarta
edizione), Educazione alla fede, OE XXXIII,4
1883: Il cattolico nel secolo [terza edizione],
Catechismo, OE XXXIV,1
1883: Il Galantuomo pel 1884, Almanacco, OE
XXXIV,2
1884: Cenni sulla vita del giovane Luigi Comollo
[seconda edizione], Biografia, OE XXXV,1
1884: Il Galantuomo pel 1885, Almanacco, OE
XXXV,2
1885: Il giovane provveduto (101ª edizione),
Educazione alla fede, OE XXXV,3
1885: Breve notizia sullo scopo della Pia Società
Salesiana, Società Salesiana, OE XXXVI,1
1885: Biografie dei Salesiani defunti negli anni
1883 e 1884, Necrologio, OE XXXVI,2
1886: Il Galantuomo pel 1886, Almanacco, OE
XXXVI,3
1887: Deliberazioni del secondo Capitolo Generale
delle Figlie di Maria SS. Ausiliatrice, Società Salesiana, OE XXXVI,4
1887: Deliberazioni del terzo e quarto Capitolo
Generale della Pia Società Salesiana, Società Salesiana, OE XXXVI,5
1887: La Storia d'Italia (18ª edizione), Storia,
OE XXXVII,1
1888: Elenchus privilegiorum, Società Salesiana,
OE XXXVII,2
Epistolario
Eugenio Ceria, Epistolario
di San Giovanni Bosco, volumi quattro. Dall'anno 1835 al 1880, SEI, Torino
1955-1959;
Epistolario. 1., 1835-1863. (1-726), introduzione,
testi critici e note a cura di Francesco Motto, Roma, LAS, 1991;
Epistolario. 2., 1864-1868. (727-1263), introduzione,
testi critici e note a cura di Francesco Motto, Roma, LAS, 1996;
Epistolario. 3., 1869-1872, (1264-1714), introduzione,
testi critici e note a cura di Francesco Motto, Roma, LAS, 1999;
Epistolario. 4., 1873-1875, (1715-2243), introduzione,
testi critici e note a cura di Francesco Motto, Roma, LAS, 2003;
SOURCE : https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giovanni_Bosco
Don Bosco (1815-1888; photo taken at his request) - Michele Schemboche (Italian photographer, active c. 1860-1906), novembre 1875. Archivo Central Salesiano - Sede Inspectorial (Buenos Aires, Argentina). En la imagen, sentados de izquierda a derecha, Juan Cagliero (1838-1926), Juan Bosco (1815-1888), y el cónsul argentino en Savona, Giovanni Battista Gazzolo (1825-1895). Don Bosco solicitó personalmente que se le saque esta fotografía para dejar constancia histórica de la partida de los primeros salesianos hacia la Argentina. Recurrió a Michele Schemboche, el fotógrafo más cualificado en Turín, quien desarrolló su carrera profesional entre c.1860 y 1906, y posó en su estudio junto a los misioneros y el cónsul. En la fotografía, Don Bosco ofrece a Cagliero un libro: son las reglas de la Sociedad Salesiana. (Ref: Soldà, Giuseppe (1987) Don Bosco nella fotografia dell’800. 1861-1888,
GIOVANNI Bosco, santo
di Pietro Stella - Dizionario Biografico degli
Italiani - Volume 55 (2001)
GIOVANNI Bosco, santo. - Stando ai propri ricordi
personali G. nacque il 15 ag. 1815, festa religiosa dell'Assunta e perciò
beneaugurante secondo la mentalità ecclesiastica; stando ai registri
parrocchiali di Castelnuovo d'Asti (dal 1930 Castelnuovo Don Bosco) nacque dalle
seconde nozze di Francesco con Margherita Occhiena il 16 agosto, festa di s.
Rocco, ugualmente propizio secondo la mentalità contadina, e fu battezzato il
giorno successivo con i nomi di Giovanni Melchiorre.
Il padre era affittuario dei Biglione, famiglia
borghese in difficoltà economiche originaria di Mondovì, e abitava in una loro
cascina ai Becchi nel territorio di Morialdo, frazione di Castelnuovo; in
quell'area di frastagliata proprietà contadina aveva in proprio qualche sparso
appezzamento di terre a vigna e pascolo e alcuni capi di bestiame. Stroncato da
una polmonite l'11 maggio 1817, lasciò alle cure della moglie e dei parenti i
suoi tre figli: Antonio, nato nel 1808 dalla prima moglie Margherita Cagliero,
Giuseppe, nato nel 1813, e Giovanni.
La famigliola, traslocata in una casetta rustica
riadattata ad abitazione, trascorse anni duri in tempi di congiunture
sfavorevoli per il mondo contadino. G., date le strettezze familiari e le
tensioni con il fratellastro a motivo della proprie inclinazioni allo studio,
fu mandato garzone presso famiglie amiche: alla cascina Càmpora per poche
settimane nell'autunno 1827 e alla cascina Moglia dal febbraio 1828 al novembre
1829. Rientrato in famiglia, grazie all'appoggio del vecchio cappellano don G.
Calosso, gli fu consentito di proseguire gli studi elementari a Castelnuovo e
quelli umanistici nel regio collegio di Chieri.
Ventenne, nel 1835, fece la scelta decisiva: entrò nel
seminario vescovile di Chieri che era stato istituito pochi anni prima (1829)
dall'arcivescovo C. Chiaveroti nell'intento di allontanare i propri chierici
dai fermenti culturali e patriottici che fervevano a Torino. La formazione
seminaristica di G. risentì in effetti di queste tendenze conservatrici, sicché
quelli del seminario furono per lui anni di travaglio spirituale, se non altro
perché l'ambiente disciplinato e l'insegnamento teologico morale
rigoristeggiante contrastavano con il suo temperamento portato alla libertà
espansiva e all'inventiva in campo operativo. Poté contare tuttavia sulla
conoscenza di don Giuseppe Cafasso, nativo anch'egli di Castelnuovo e
collaboratore del teologo G. Guala a Torino nel convitto ecclesiastico di S.
Francesco d'Assisi per il perfezionamento del giovane clero nella pratica
pastorale. Ordinato sacerdote a Torino dall'arcivescovo L. Fransoni il 5 giugno
1841, trascorse l'estate successiva e l'autunno tra i Becchi e Castelnuovo in
aiuto del parroco. Nel novembre preferì tornare a Torino nel convitto
ecclesiastico per compiervi il triennio di perfezionamento teorico e pratico.
Oltre a seguire la discussione di "casi di morale" e la loro
soluzione sulla base della teologia tendenzialmente benignista di s. Alfonso
Maria de Liguori (canonizzato nel 1839), G. si dedicò all'istruzione
catechistica di gruppi giovanili e usò accompagnare don Cafasso nell'assistenza
spirituale di giovani rinchiusi nelle carceri cittadine.
Il convitto aveva nelle sue ascendenze gli
orientamenti politici e religiosi antirivoluzionari e filolegittimisti
dell'Amicizia cattolica. La cerchia di simpatie e di appoggi del Guala erano in
effetti più sul versante di J. de Maistre, dei gesuiti e di C. Solaro della
Margarita che non su quello dei seguaci di A. Rosmini Serbati e di V. Gioberti.
Questo complesso di fattori si rifletté su G., che tra le famiglie amiche ebbe
stabilmente anche quella dei Maistre.
Nell'ottobre 1844 grazie ai buoni uffici del Cafasso
G. ottenne un impiego dapprima come cappellano dell'opera del rifugio e poi
dell'ospedaletto di S. Filomena: due istituti femminili fondati da Giulia
Colbert, marchesa di Barolo, entrambi a nordovest della città, non distanti
dalla Piccola Casa della Divina Provvidenza del canonico G. Cottolengo e non
discosti da Porta Palazzo, il grande mercato cittadino. Nella nuova residenza
G. accolse i giovani che gli si erano affezionati al convitto: garzoni,
apprendisti, studenti e ragazzi marginali della zona affluirono dunque in
numero sempre crescente. Grazie alle proprie capacità personali G. li
intratteneva impegnandosi direttamente nei loro svaghi e ottenendone la
partecipazione discreta a momenti d'istruzione religiosa e di culto. A quelle
riunioni tenute al rifugio diede il nome di catechismo e poi stabilmente quello
di oratorio di S. Francesco di Sales (il santo della affabilità e dello zelo pastorale).
Data l'incompatibilità con le istituzioni femminili, fu posto dalla marchesa di
Barolo nell'alternativa tra l'oratorio o l'ufficio di cappellano a tempo pieno;
di conseguenza preferì trasmigrare. L'oratorio divenne itinerante tra il 1845 e
il 1846 pur gravitando nella zona tra i prati di Valdocco, degradanti verso la
Dora Riparia, e Porta Palazzo, dove era più facile contattare ragazzi. A
Valdocco G. si stabilì definitivamente nella primavera 1846, dapprima in poche
stanze e una tettoia adattata a cappella che prese in affitto in una
costruzione di estrema periferia (la casa Pinardi); poi con l'acquisto
dell'intero edificio e del terreno adiacente (19 febbr. 1851), operazione resa
possibile dai sostegni economici procurati in buona parte da don Cafasso.
Sicuramente già in quegli anni diede rilievo al motto "Da mihi animas
caetera tolle" (che usò tradurre: "O Signore, datemi anime e
prendetevi tutte le altre cose") e lo ritenne tanto importante ed
emblematico da farlo riprodurre in un cartello che tenne affisso nella propria
stanza fino agli ultimi giorni di vita.
L'oratorio di Valdocco s'ispirava a quello
corrispettivo dell'Angelo custode aperto nel 1840 da don G. Cocchi (un prete
nativo di Druento) nella zona malfamata e degradata del Moschino, ai margini
del borgo cittadino di Vanchiglia. Dato il favore ottenuto dai due primi
oratori, un terzo intitolato a S. Luigi Gonzaga fu aperto nel 1847 sotto la
direzione dello stesso G. nella zona di Porta Nuova, allora periferica ma con
lo sviluppo assicurato dallo scalo ferroviario; e un oratorio femminile fu
impiantato a borgo S. Donato da G. Saccarelli, teologo dell'Università e
cappellano di corte. Il complesso di questi oratori torinesi si distingueva da
altri tradizionali lombardi o romani perché non era circoscritto a comunità
scolastiche o parrocchiali, ma si rivolgeva indistintamente alla gioventù
cittadina; gli oratori torinesi insomma già negli anni Quaranta avevano
caratteri di novità e di modernità virtualmente in sintonia con la cultura e
gli ordinamenti politici liberali.
G. cominciò a distinguersi anche con la pubblicazione
di alcune operette destinate ai giovani e più volte riedite: La storia
ecclesiastica ad uso delle scuole (Torino 1845), la Storia sacra per
uso delle scuole (ibid. 1847), Il giovane provveduto per la pratica
de' suoi doveri (ibid. 1847), Il sistema metrico decimale ridotto a
semplicità (ibid. 1849). In clima neoguelfo fu anche direttore
responsabile del periodico L'Amico della gioventù, giornale religioso,
morale e politico, di cui a partire dal 21 ott. 1848 uscirono sessantuno numeri
(oggi purtroppo irreperibili a eccezione del primo): travolto il periodico
dagli eventi, G. ebbe strascichi processuali a motivo del deficit finanziario e
delle insolvenze con lo stampatore.
Anche per gli oratori il '48 fu un periodo di crisi.
Don Cocchi fu propenso a condividere gli entusiasmi patriottici dei giovani; G.
si mantenne più cauto e più attento alla linea di opposizione assunta
dall'arcivescovo Fransoni. Nel febbraio 1849 il Cocchi tentò di portarsi a
Novara con un drappello di giovani, ma giunto a Vercelli ebbe notizia della
disfatta subita dai Piemontesi. L'oratorio di Vanchiglia dovette chiudere i
battenti, senza dubbio per intervento dall'arcivescovo. Quello di G. quasi si
svuotò. La ripresa fu possibile attorno al 1850, grazie alla tenacia di
ecclesiastici e laici che collaboravano sia con G. sia con don Cocchi (tra
essi, il teologo G.B. Borel e i cugini Roberto e Leonardo Murialdo). Per
iniziativa del Fransoni, ormai in esilio a Lione, G. fu nominato nel 1852
"direttore capo spirituale" dei tre oratori maschili di Valdocco,
Porta Nuova e Vanchiglia, mentre don Cocchi e altri ecclesiastici ne attivarono
un quarto a Porta Palazzo (intitolato a S. Martino) e avviarono una Società di
carità a pro dei giovani poveri e abbandonati (1850). Dato l'aumento
dell'affluenza giovanile agli oratori, con il sostegno della popolazione e
quello ufficiale delle autorità cittadine G. poté sostituire alla
tettoia-cappella di Valdocco una chiesa più ampia intitolata a S. Francesco di
Sales (1851-52), e poi impegnarsi nell'acquisto di nuovi terreni e nella
costruzione di una "Casa annessa all'oratorio" per l'accoglienza e
l'istruzione sia di giovani studenti sia di apprendisti in alcuni mestieri più
promettenti: calzolai e sarti (1853), legatori (1854), falegnami (1856),
tipografi (1861), fabbri e ferrai (1862). Dopo l'anno del colera (1854), la
popolazione giovanile ospitata nelle scuole-convitto di Valdocco superò
rapidamente il centinaio e giunse fino a oltre ottocento individui nel 1868. In
quest'anno per iniziativa e impegno di G. venne inaugurata sul terreno
dell'oratorio di Valdocco un'ampia chiesa dedicata a Maria Ausiliatrice
(Auxilium christianorum) destinata ai giovani e alle necessità spirituali del
quartiere. L'insieme di queste realizzazioni permise a G. di lanciare gli
appelli più vari nell'intento di mobilitare consensi e sostegni finanziari a
prescindere da schieramenti politici. Grazie senza dubbio ai suggerimenti di
banchieri cattolici vicini anche al Cavour (G. Cotta, M. Gonella e altri), a
partire dal 1853 organizzò lotterie di beneficenza in periodi per lo più di
sicura fluidità monetaria ottenendo introiti che gli permisero di allargare e
migliorare gli edifici degli oratori e di accogliere, gratuitamente o quasi,
giovani artigiani e studenti delle classi ginnasiali. Persino A. Brofferio nel
1857 diede il suo obolo alle opere di G. con l'acquisto di biglietti della
lotteria. Nei suoi confronti furono larghi di sussidi U. Rattazzi e A. Ferrero
della Marmora negli anni in cui furono rispettivamente ministro dell'Interno e
della Guerra.
In appelli indirizzati in genere alla popolazione G.
dichiarava di volere formare "onesti cittadini e buoni cristiani".
Quando si rivolgeva alle autorità politiche e amministrative chiedeva sostegni
e sussidi per opere che miravano "unicamente" a prevenire la
delinquenza minorile, togliere dalla strada giovani che altrimenti sarebbero
finiti nelle carceri, formare cittadini utili alla società. Erano formule che
poi si coagularono nel suo scritto pedagogico più noto: Il sistema
preventivo nella educazione della gioventù (Torino 1877).
Nonostante i suoi limiti e sebbene si riferisca non
all'oratorio o al dinamismo dei ceti popolari, ma all'educazione entro i confini
di un convitto, l'opuscolo contiene alcuni elementi pregnanti che aprono alla
comprensione del sistema educativo da G. messo in pratica e proposto. I
fondamenti del metodo sono sintetizzati nell'espressione: "Questo sistema
si appoggia tutto sopra la ragione, la religione e sopra l'amorevolezza";
vale a dire, poggia, secondo G., sulla massima intesa intellettuale tra
educatore ed educando, sulla loro piena sintonia affettiva e sull'efficacia
attribuita alla religiosità vissuta nel cattolicesimo.
Nel marzo 1853, con il sostegno del vescovo d'Ivrea L.
Moreno, G. iniziò la pubblicazione delle "Letture cattoliche",
collana di fascicoletti periodici di piccolo formato, in media sul centinaio di
pagine, a carattere monografico, scritti in stile facilmente accessibile a
lettori di prima alfabetizzazione del mondo artigiano e contadino.
Si trattava di una iniziativa che colmava una lacuna
entro il ventaglio di pubblicazioni auspicate dai vescovi della provincia
ecclesiastica torinese riunitisi a Villanovetta nel 1849: a fianco di giornali
politici come L'Armonia e di collane - destinate al clero, come la
"Biblioteca ecclesiastica", o per i lettori di media cultura come la
"Collezione di buoni libri" -, le "Letture cattoliche"
indirizzavano i loro messaggi religiosi e implicitamente politici verso le aree
sociali che apparivano più fedeli alla Chiesa, ma nel contempo, dal punto di
vista della gerarchia ecclesiastica, anche più vulnerabili. Negli anni 1854-55
furono pubblicate le corrispettive "Lectures catholiques" che davano
in versione francese i testi già editi in italiano ed erano destinate alle
valli di Pinerolo, alla Val d'Aosta e alla Savoia. Nelle "Letture
cattoliche" G. usò riversare la gran parte dei suoi scritti apologetici,
catechistici, devozionali e agiografici mirando appunto a presentare
positivamente la Chiesa cattolica, il Papato, l'opera degli oratori: Avvisi
ai cattolici (Torino 1853), Il cattolico istruito (ibid.
1853-54) d'indole nettamente antivaldese, Conversione di una valdese (ibid.
1854), Maniera facile per imparare la storia sacra (ibid.
1855), La forza della buona educazione (ibid. 1855), Vita di s.
Pietro (ibid. 1856), Vita di s. Paolo (ibid. 1857), Vite
de' sommi pontefici s. Lino, s. Cleto, s. Clemente (ibid., 1857), le vite
dei papi successivi dei primi tre secoli (1857-65), che perciò avevano coronato
con il martirio la loro fede e il loro ministero nella Chiesa, Il mese di
maggio consacrato a Maria SS. Immacolata (ibid. 1858), Vita del
giovanetto Savio Domenico allievo dell'oratorio di S. Francesco di Sales (ibid.
1859). Varie edizioni ebbe una Storia d'Italia raccontata alla gioventù,
pubblicata a parte la prima volta nel 1855, dove sono evidenti gl'intenti
educativi e moralistici, ma dove anche trapela una presentazione positiva del
dominio temporale del papa e della sua funzione "provvidenziale" a
tutela del ministero del romano pontefice nel governo universale della Chiesa.
Soprattutto nel corso del primo decennio, data la gestione
collettiva e la partecipazione di vari ecclesiastici nella scelta dei fascicoli
da pubblicare, apparvero tra le "Letture cattoliche" libretti
violentemente antirivoluzionari e avversi alla linea del governo, come la
ristampa del Catechismo cattolico sulle rivoluzioni (1854) del
gesuita S. Sordi, I beni della Chiesa: come si rubino e quali siano le
conseguenze, del barone di Nilinse [J.-A. Collin de Plancy] con
appendice sulle vicende particolari del Piemonte (Torino 1855). Impiantata
la tipografia e la libreria all'oratorio di Valdocco, nel 1862-63 con una sorta
di colpo di mano G. si dichiarò unico proprietario e direttore delle
"Letture cattoliche". Ne seguì una controversia che si chiuse
con la rinunzia del vescovo Moreno a ogni rivendicazione; il fatto segnò la
fine di una proficua amicizia, ma non ci furono ripercussioni negative sulla
rete di sostegni che G. e le sue opere avevano nel Canavese; si ebbe anzi un
ulteriore impulso alla diffusione delle "Letture cattoliche" che
dalle 3000 copie iniziali passarono nel decennio dopo l'Unità a una tiratura di
circa 12.000 copie e servirono di modello a pubblicazioni consimili: le
"Letture cattoliche" di Roma, quelle di Napoli e le altre di Padova,
le "Piccole letture cattoliche" di Bologna. La rete dei distributori,
per lo più composta da parroci, e la diffusione sempre più vasta dei
fascicoletti contribuirono ad allargare la base di simpatie e a far crescere
l'afflusso di giovani nelle istituzioni che facevano capo a don Bosco.
La legge Casati (1859) disponendo l'obbligo
dell'organizzazione scolastica nei Comuni offrì a G. l'occasione per allargare
il campo delle sue iniziative. Dopo l'esperimento di piccoli seminari vescovili
gestiti sotto la propria responsabilità (Giaveno, in diocesi di Torino, nel 1859,
e Mirabello Monferrato, in diocesi di Casale, nel 1863, trasferito nel 1870 a
Borgo San Martino), si spinse con più decisione sul terreno delle scuole
pubbliche offrendosi alla gestione sotto la propria responsabilità di
collegi-convitti municipali; fu la volta di Lanzo Torinese (1864), Cherasco
(1869), Alassio (1870), Varazze (1871), Vallecrosia (1875), istituti ai quali
venne di norma affiancato l'oratorio e che si aggiungevano a quelli che a vario
titolo erano legalmente riconosciuti come ospizi di beneficenza o scuole
private (nel 1872 Genova-Sampierdarena, ecc.).
Chiuso per ordine di mons. Fransoni il seminario
metropolitano (1848), G., così come gli oratoriani di S. Filippo Neri e i
lazzaristi (i padri della missione), diede ospitalità a chierici diocesani che
comunque in città seguivano le lezioni impartite dai professori del seminario.
A questi chierici era naturale che si aggiungessero quei ragazzi degli oratori
che entravano nella carriera ecclesiastica. Tali circostanze si prolungarono
fin oltre il 1860 e consentirono a G. di avere un personale più stabile e più
in sintonia con i propri metodi educativi per gli oratori e le scuole. Maturò
così il disegno di sostituire alla Società o Congregazione degli oratori,
formata per lo più da ecclesiastici e laici di buona volontà, un gruppo
reclutato tra i suoi chierici e collaboratori laici. Si era negli anni del
dibattito politico che portò negli Stati sardi alla soppressione di ordini
religiosi e di altri enti ecclesiastici. Seguendo il consiglio di U. Rattazzi,
egli adombrò un'associazione di individui che senza rinunziare ai diritti
civili si proponessero finalità di bene pubblico, e cioè più in concreto
l'educazione della gioventù specialmente più povera e abbandonata. Ma,
all'interno del gruppo, G. dava coesione alle finalità comuni con vincoli
religiosi: il voto a Dio di dedicarsi a opere di carità verso i giovani attorno
al 1854, i tre voti religiosi tradizionali e la vita comune secondo il modello
delle congregazioni canonicamente riconosciute attorno al 1858. Per i suoi
salesiani elaborò pertanto la formula: "cittadini di fronte allo Stato;
religiosi di fronte alla Chiesa". Recatosi a Roma nel febbraio-aprile
1858, venne accolto con simpatia da chi lo conosceva come direttore delle "Letture
cattoliche" e di fiorenti oratori giovanili o anche con la fama di santo
sacerdote e taumaturgo. Ottenuta qualche udienza pontificia, entrò in sintonia
con Pio IX e ne ricevette caldi incoraggiamenti per tutti i suoi progetti. Il
18 dic. 1859 con altri diciotto ecclesiastici e laici diede inizio ufficiale
alla Società di S. Francesco di Sales.
Non mancarono già in quegli anni critiche all'interno
della curia arcivescovile: ci si interrogava sulla sorte dei chierici che
stavano all'oratorio di Valdocco o altrove sotto la direzione di G. e che erano
di norma incardinati nelle diocesi più varie. Un abbozzo di regole della
Società salesiana fu inviato da G. all'arcivescovo e da questo rispedito a
Torino perché fosse esaminato da suoi deputati; non poche riserve furono mosse
dal padre lazzarista M. Durando, autorevole consultore vescovile. Morto
l'arcivescovo a Lione (1862), si profilò per la diocesi torinese un periodo
incerto sotto la gestione del vicario generale G.B. Zappata. G. ruppe ogni
indugio. Nel 1864 ottenne da Roma il decretum laudis per la Pia
Società di S. Francesco di Sales e l'avvio delle pratiche per il corrispettivo
esame delle regole o costituzioni. Suffragato dalle commendatizie di molti
vescovi subalpini, ebbe nel 1869 l'approvazione pontificia definitiva della
Società salesiana e nel 1874 quella delle Regulae seu constitutiones mentre
intanto a Torino si profilavano nuove difficoltà. Non era evidente infatti la
figura istituzionale della Società salesiana: se era da ritenere una pura e
semplice associazione diocesana ovvero una congregazione religiosa di diritto
pontificio con il privilegio di esenzione dall'autorità vescovile.
Riaperto il seminario nel 1863, il vicario capitolare
Zappata pazientò nel richiedere che i chierici di G. risiedessero con gli altri
entro il seminario metropolitano. Insediato nel 1867 mons. A. Riccardi di Netro
come arcivescovo, la situazione divenne più tesa. L'abate G. Tortone,
incaricato d'affari della S. Sede, inviò da Torino una relazione che
evidenziava quelli che considerava i difetti dell'ecclesiastico formato
nell'oratorio di Valdocco, dove i chierici erano trattati con familiarità dai
giovani educandi e perciò non erano adeguatamente formati al decoro necessario
nel sacro ministero. In controluce era possibile vedere piuttosto la modernità
del modello posto in pratica da G., che era in controtendenza con quanto si
proponevano un po' dappertutto i vescovi e la stessa S. Sede, recisamente
inclini alla chiusura totale dei chierici negli anni di formazione sacerdotale
e a una certa separatezza tra clero e popolo. La divergenza divenne conflitto,
quando al Riccardi di Netro (morto nel 1870) successe come arcivescovo L.
Gastaldi (1871), che pure in passato era stato ammiratore, collaboratore e
benefattore di don Bosco.
Il Gastaldi mosse dal presupposto che la Società
salesiana fosse diocesana, perciò a pieno titolo sotto l'autorità vescovile.
Intervenne pertanto pressantemente su G. e presso la S. Sede perché fossero
prese decisioni nel senso da lui voluto. G. intanto toccava con mano la rapida
espansione delle opere da lui promosse anche al di là dei confini della diocesi
torinese. Il contrasto s'inasprì quando nel 1878-79 furono pubblicati a Torino
cinque libelli che criticavano duramente la gestione diocesana dell'arcivescovo,
il suo rosminianesimo e il trattamento da lui usato a don Bosco. Il Gastaldi se
ne lamentò con la S. Sede, insinuando che di essi era ispiratore l'indocile
fondatore dei salesiani. Su richiesta di Leone XIII, G. dovette piegarsi a un
atto di scusa con l'arcivescovo e a un documento di "concordia" (16
giugno 1882); ma il gelo tra i due rimase e si ripercosse a lungo
nell'atteggiamento sia del clero diocesano sia dei salesiani. Morto il Gastaldi
(25 marzo 1883), nella sede di Torino gli successe G. Alimonda. Appena l'anno
dopo G. ottenne il decreto di estensione ai salesiani dei privilegi concessi
dalla S. Sede ai padri redentoristi, incluso perciò quello dell'esenzione dalla
giurisdizione vescovile (28 giugno 1884). Rimasero così appianate le difficoltà
e affermata la linea di sviluppo mondiale per la quale G. si era battuto
tenacemente.
Frattanto fu attento a coltivare i sostegni che era
possibile sollecitare entro i quadri della monarchia e dello Stato liberale.
Nelle lotterie, tra i premi posti in lizza c'erano puntualmente quelli offerti
da qualche membro della casa regnante; nel 1865 ottenne che il principe Amedeo
di Savoia presenziasse alla posa della prima pietra dell'erigenda chiesa a
Maria Auxilium christianorum. Trasferito il governo a Firenze, continuò a
inoltrare richieste di sussidi dai fondi ministeriali a favore delle sue opere
per la gioventù povera. Nel 1866-67 G. Lanza, autorevole esponente della
Destra, fece ricorso anche a lui nelle vertenze tra S. Sede e governo sulla
nomina di vescovi alle sedi vescovili vacanti; un certo ruolo G. ebbe anche nel
corso della missione romana di M. Tonello. Negli anni 1870-71 fu coinvolto da
G. Lanza nella questione dell'exequatur che dopo la legge delle guarentige
il governo rivendicava per autorizzare i vescovi nominati dal papa a prendere
possesso della loro sede. G. colse queste occasioni per ribadire il duplice
ruolo che attribuiva a se stesso, cioè la sincera fedeltà al papa e allo Stato.
Al Lanza scriveva l'11 febbr. 1872: "Assicuro che, mentre mi professo
sacerdote cattolico ed affezionato al capo della cattolica religione, mi sono
pur sempre mostrato affezionatissimo al governo, per i sudditi del quale ho
costantemente dedicate le deboli mie sostanze e le forze e la vita".
Tuttavia non scese mai a carezzare esplicitamente proposte politiche concrete,
come invece fecero altri ecclesiastici piemontesi a lui noti, tra i quali G.
Audisio e L. Murialdo, propensi a una sovranità territoriale pontificia
ritagliata a Trastevere. Ancora nel 1873, con un messaggio di tono profetico
all'imperatore Francesco Giuseppe, G. si mostrò proclive piuttosto a un
intervento austriaco; ma tutto questo rimase coperto dalla massima
riservatezza. Pochi anni dopo si mostrò ben lontano dall'intransigentismo
politico più rigido: il 6 ag. 1876, per esempio, ospitò nel collegio salesiano
di Lanzo gli esponenti della Sinistra A. Depretis, G. Zanardelli e G. Nicotera,
venuti per l'inaugurazione del tratto ferroviario locale; nel 1878 indirizzò a
F. Crispi un memoriale in cui illustrava i pregi del proprio sistema preventivo
prospettandone i vantaggi in ordine alla pubblica utilità.
Proprio durante l'episcopato del Gastaldi egli era
riuscito a fondare le Figlie di Maria Ausiliatrice (1872), cioè una famiglia
religiosa femminile destinata ad affiancare i salesiani nelle loro opere e che
singolarmente aveva come superiore supremo lo stesso G., rettor maggiore dei
salesiani. Anziché rivolgersi a Roma, G. fece approvare le sue religiose e le
loro regole dal vescovo di Acqui G.M. Sciandra, creando un precedente per
approvazioni analoghe da altri vescovi. Con il sostegno delle istituzioni
pubbliche e private più varie poté aprire oratori, collegi, ospizi, scuole
agricole, oltre che in Italia, in varie parti dell'Europa: Nizza Mare (1874),
La Navarre (1878), Marsiglia (1878), Saint-Cyr (1880), Parigi (1884) in
Francia; Utrera (1880), Barcellona-Sarriá (1884) in Spagna; Battersea (1887) in
Inghilterra; Liegi (1887) in Belgio. Intanto, sull'onda dell'emigrazione
europea e in risposta alla domanda sociale e politica d'istruzione, poté
inviare i salesiani e le figlie di Maria Ausiliatrice in vari paesi
dell'America Latina: Buenos Aires (1875), San Nicolás de los Arroyos (1876),
Carmen de Patagones e Viedma (1879), Santa Cruz (1885) in Argentina; Montevideo
(1876) in Uruguay; Niterói (1883) e San Paolo (1884) nel Brasile; Quito (1885)
in Ecuador; Concepción e Punta Arenas (1887) nel Cile; Malvine Falkland (1887).
Le imprese di alcuni pionieri salesiani tra gli indios della Patagonia e della
Terra del Fuoco, riverberandosi epicamente in Europa, accrescevano gli
entusiasmi e mobilitavano vocazioni missionarie entro il mondo giovanile
salesiano, stimolato oltre tutto dalla narrazione che G. faceva
confidenzialmente di "sogni profetici" sull'avvenire dei salesiani
nei cinque continenti.
Sensibile al clima di riorganizzazione delle forze
sociali cattoliche in Italia, nel 1874 G. fondò l'Unione dei cooperatori
salesiani ispirata al principio "vis unita fortior". Ne risultò un
più ampio coinvolgimento dell'opinione pubblica e di vari strati della
popolazione. G. non ebbe scrupoli a inviare l'iscrizione tra i cooperatori
anche a notori liberali e persino a non cristiani, come all'ebreo G. Malvano,
alto funzionario del ministero degli Esteri italiano. La rete dei cooperatori
venne coltivata con apposite conferenze e con il lancio del mensile Bollettino
salesiano a partire dal 1877. Il Bollettino, inviato gratuitamente
anche a non cooperatori, giovò ad allargare simpatie e anche a procurare
finanziamenti per le imprese che G. andava promuovendo. All'edizione italiana
furono affiancate quelle in lingua francese (1879) e spagnola (1886);
seguirono, nell'intento di raggiungere i paesi più vari di tutti i continenti,
quella inglese (1892), tedesca (1895), fiamminga (1913).
Nonostante l'età avanzata e la malferma salute, negli
ultimi anni di vita non cessò di viaggiare a sostegno delle proprie iniziative.
Nel 1883 fu accolto da folle di ammiratori a Parigi; lo stesso anno si recò a
Frohsdorf (Austria) in visita al pretendente al trono francese Henri-Charles de
Chambord; nel 1884 e 1885 a Marsiglia; nel 1886 a Barcellona; nel maggio 1887
per l'ultima volta a Roma.
Si spense a Torino nell'oratorio di Valdocco il 31
genn. 1888, e il capo del governo, F. Crispi, ne autorizzò la sepoltura nel
collegio salesiano di Torino-Valsalice. Beatificato il 2 giugno 1929, fu
proclamato santo il 1° apr. 1934.
Fonti e Bibl.: Roma, Archivio salesiano centrale, in
particolare: fondo Don Bosco, riprodotto quasi tutto in microschede e
computerizzato. Lettere di G. e la documentazione più varia si trovano presso
molti archivi pubblici e privati; a titolo di esempio si veda l'utilizzazione
che, nel pubblicarne l'Epistolario, F. Motto fa di materiali conservati nella
Città del Vaticano, quali l'Arch. segreto Vaticano, l'Arch. degli Affari
ecclesiastici straordinari, l'Arch. della S. Penitenzieria, l'Arch. della S.
Congregazione dei Vescovi e Regolari, l'Arch. della S. Congregazione per le
cause dei santi; in Roma, l'Arch. centr. dello Stato e l'Arch. stor. del
ministero degli Affari Esteri; a Torino, l'Arch. di Stato e l'Arch. stor. del
Comune; a Stresa, l'Arch. stor. dell'Istituto di carità; archivi salesiani di
Torino, Bahía Blanca, Buenos Aires, Montevideo ecc. Tra le edizioni di scritti
di G. si vedano Opere e scritti ed. e ined., I-VI (i soli pubblicati), a
cura di A. Caviglia, Torino 1929-63; Opere edite, Roma 1976-77, divise in
prima serie (Libri e opuscoli, in ristampa anastatica), voll. I-XXXVII, e
seconda serie (Contributi su giornali e periodici, contenente articoli su L'Armonia e L'Unità
cattolica, in composizione tipografica, e L'Amico della gioventù, numero
superstite in ristampa anastatica), vol. XXXVIII (è in preparazione una
ulteriore serie che comprenderà la ristampa anastatica delle Lettere
circolari a stampa); Epistolario, a cura di E. Ceria, I-IV, Torino
1955-59, e in ed. critica a cura di F. Motto, in corso di pubblicazione, I-III,
Roma 1991-99 (dal 1835 al 1872).
G.B. Lemoyne - A. Amadei - E. Ceria, Memorie
biografiche di don (del beato…, di san…) Giovanni Bosco, I-XX,
San Benigno Canavese-Torino 1898-1948 (trad. spagnola, I-XX, Madrid 1981-98;
inglese, I-XX, New Rochelle [NY] 1965-98); F. Desramaut, Les
"Memoires I" de Giovanni Battista Lemoyne. Étude d'un ouvrage
fondamental sur la jeunesse de saint Jean B., Lyon 1962; P. Stella, Gli
scritti a stampa di san G., Roma 1977; Id., G.B. nella storia della
religiosità cattolica, I-III, Roma 1979-88 (prima ed. dei voll. I-II, Zürich
1968-69); Id., G. B. nella storia economica e sociale 1815-1870, Roma
1980; G. Soldà, G. B. nella fotografia dell'800: 1861-1888, Torino
1987; G. B. nella Chiesa a servizio dell'umanità. Studi e testimonianze, a
cura di P. Braido, Roma 1987; G. B. nella storia della cultura popolare, a
cura di F. Traniello, Torino 1987; P. Scoppola - M. Guasco - F.
Traniello, G. B. e le sfide della modernità, Torino 1988; Torino e G.
B., a cura di G. Bracco, I-II, Torino 1989; G. B. e la sua esperienza
pedagogica: eredità, contesti, sviluppi, risonanze, a cura di C. Nanni, Roma
1989; G. B. nella storia. Atti del I congr. internaz. di studi su G. B.,
Roma… 1989, a cura di M. Midali, Roma 1990; A. Miscio, Firenze e G. B.
1848-1888, Firenze 1991; J.M. Prellezo, Valdocco nell'Ottocento tra reale
e ideale (1866-1889). Documenti e testimonianze, Roma 1992; F. Desramaut, G.
B. en son temps (1815-1888), Torino 1996; P. Stella, Juan B. en la
historia de la educación, Madrid 1996. Sugli oratori nel quadro sociale
torinese: E. Reffo, Don Cocchi e i suoi artigianelli, Torino 1896; A.
Castellani, Leonardo Murialdo, I-II, Roma 1966-68, ad indices; M.
Carrozzino, Don Guanella e G. Bosco. Storia di un incontro e di un
confronto, Roma 1989; G. Dotta, La nascita del movimento cattolico a
Torino e l'Opera dei congressi (1870-1891), Casale Monferrato 1999, ad
indicem. Sul conflitto tra G. e L. Gastaldi: G. Tuninetti, Lorenzo
Gastaldi 1815-1883, II, Casale Monferrato 1988, pp. 259-290. Circa la nomina
dei vescovi si vedano le puntualizzazioni di G. Martina, G. B. e i suoi
interventi nella scelta dei vescovi e nella "battaglia" per gli
exequatur, in Id., Pio IX (1867-1878), Roma 1990, pp. 581-583. Sul sistema
educativo di G.: N. Endres, G. Bosco. Erzieher und Psychologe, München
1966; P. Braido, Il sistema preventivo di G. B., Zürich 1964 (prima ed.,
Torino 1955); R. Weinschenk, Grundlagen der Pädagogik Don B.s, München
1987; Éducation et pédagogie chez don Bosco. Colloque interuniversitaire,
Lyon… avril 1988, Paris 1989; L'impegno dell'educare, a cura di J.M.
Prellezo, Roma 1991; G. B. educatore. Scritti e testimonianze, a cura di
P. Braido, Roma 1997; Id., Prevenire non reprimere. Il sistema educativo
di G. B., Roma 1999; P. Cavaglià, El sistema preventivo en la educación de
la mujer…, Madrid 1999.
L'Istituto storico salesiano di Roma, che sta curando
edizioni critiche e studi, pubblica dal 1982 il periodico Ricerche
storiche salesiane e la collana di "Studi", cui si sono aggiunte
la "Piccola biblioteca dell'Istituto storico salesiano" (dal 1984) e,
dal 1995, le "Bibliografie". L'Institute of Salesian Studies
(Berkeley, CA) pubblica dal 1990 il Journal of Salesian Studies.
SOURCE : https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/santo-giovanni-bosco_(Dizionario-Biografico)