Don Bosco and the Salesians Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow: As I see it 1. John Bosco was born in Castelnuovo D’Asti, Italy, in 1815. Lost his father when two years old; looked after by Mama Margaret; grew up with step brother Antony and brother Joseph. Basically worked in their farm until wanting to pursue a bigger dream: to become a priest. There is a legendry dream at nine! He was lucky to have been supported by many priests and benefactors to realise his dream. He was ordained a priest in 1841. As a priest, Don Bosco had several choices, including being a chaplain for wealthy families. (Note: ‘Don’ is a title for priests in Italy.) But at the advice of Don Joseph Cafasso (from Castelnuovo also; later a saint; uncle of Joseph Alamano), he continues to study in Turin. While in Turin he visits prisons. He notices one sad phenomenon: prisons are full of young people! “Why?” He asks. 2. Turin (in Northern Italy) of 1840’s was influenced by the history of Europe: • French Revolution and the Napoleonic wars starting from 1789. Efforts towards the unification of Italy would soon follow. • Industrial Revolution happened in the U.K. roughly between 1750 and 1830; in the Continent, Turin became one of its epicentres. Industrial Revolution gave rise to acceleration of urbanisation – migration of rural masses to the industrial hubs. (The population in Turin had risen from 90,000 in 1800 to 250,000 by 1871; and by 1900, it had 430,000 inhabitants.) Those who made these journeys were mostly hopeful young boys; once in Turin it didn’t take long to realise that it was not a heaven: housing problems, insufficient skills to be properly employed; hence cheap labour, child labour; exposure to moral problems. Coupled with the political climate of those days, young people were also victims of rising anti-Church sentiments. • Interestingly, in a city like London there was no Don Bosco, but there was Charles Dickens with his Oliver Twist (1838); and Marx & Engels with their Communist Manifesto (1848). 3. Don Bosco’s response: • First, continued visits to prisons, together with Cafasso, the apostle of prisoners. (Today in the city of Turin there stands a statue of St. Cafasso – not far from where the gallows were!) • Gathering some boys on Sundays, (The first boy: Bartholemew Garelli, whom DB met on December 8, 1841.) in what he called ‘Oratory’. Oratories were not new. Originally they meant: place/halls of prayer, preaching, where people gathered especially Sunday afternoons! St Philip Neri (1515-1595) founded a congregation of preachers for the effective use of oratories; also introduced sacred music. Hence ‘oratorio’ can also refer to compositions like Handel’s Messiah! The unique contribution of Don Bosco to the concept was to shift the oratory to the ‘playground’ to attract young people to it by the use of fun: games, music, and familial atmosphere! • From Catechism classes (religion-teaching) with games, the oratory begins to take on another dimension: there is a growing need to provide accommodation to the boys; to provide trade-skills to create better job opportunity; to provide a home, parish, playground, and school. So the need for a physical structure was met in the Pinardi Shed – Valdocco! • Number of beneficiaries increases. Helpers come: including his own mother (from 1846 to 1856) and other priests. Don Bosco dreams of a movement of people to work for youth. He begins to recruit also possible candidates from among his ‘good’ boys: D. Savio (dies in 1857), M. Rua, J. Cagliero… • Don Bosco also has a unique set of talents: intelligent, writes books (author of one of the first books in Italian on the Metric System!), music (plays violin), magician, dramatist, sportive physique, etc. But also smart and ‘cunning’ to get people on his side including political figures, benefactors, bishops and popes! Managed to make some enemies too! He was able to spend time playing with the boys (esp. in the beginning years) and solve individual problems, but also do lobbying and advocacy. He signed contracts with employers on behalf of his boys! Responding to the anti-church sentiments esp. through print media – inspired by Francis de Sales! Convincing benefactors to make generous donations. Creating a wave!!! 4. A style of being with the Youth: A unique system of education emerges: the Preventive System. Not a theory, but a lived out experience of what works with the youth in Valdocco. Three pillars: Reason, Religion and Loving Kindness. • Reason: appeal to the intelligence/rationality of the young. Humans are homo sapiens. Practical implication: engage in dialogue; explain ‘why’ rules; listen to their opinion too! • Religion: appeal to the soul and conscience of the young! In practical terms, by offering a possibility of experiencing God through prayer, liturgy and sacraments; help youth to have a transcendental experience. This in turn builds deeper convictions about life – healthy attitude toward God, others and self. • Loving Kindness: appeal to the heart of the young. Make them realise that they are loved and wanted. In practise this means: casual, active, creative, educative presence among them. No remote controls! • All this is realised in activities related to the playground, church, school and home! These four aspects are symbolic, not merely physical structures. 5. The Growth and Expansion: • In 1855, begins to voice aloud his dream for a Society/Religious Order! In 1859, Don Bosco invites the experienced priest Don Alasonatti (47 yrs old), 15 seminarians and 1 high school boy to form the Society of St. Francis de Sales – today known as Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB). The SDB are priests and brothers who make three vows: chastity (to be free to love – and not to enjoy genital pleasure), poverty (not to have personal property, bank accounts, but to have all resources in common), and obedient (to follow a common rule, live a life of healthy discipline, to be available for service where most needed). They also have daily programme of common prayers, common meals, besides their common commitment to service for and with the youth. • Don Bosco meets one Don Pestarino during a train journey. This priest from Mornese asks Don Bosco to take over a group of girls that he had started under the leadership of Maria Mazzarello. Another dream realized. In 1871, he founds a group of religious sisters to do for girls what the Salesians were doing for boys. They are called the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians or simply, the Salesian Sisters. • In 1874, he founds yet another group: the Salesian Cooperators.” These are lay people who would work for young people like the Daughters and the Salesians, but would not join a religious order. There are several other branches in the Family. • His work begins to spread outside Italy. First Salesian missionaries go to Argentina in 1875. By the time of the death of Don Bosco in 1888, there were 64 Salesian houses. • Today, the Salesians number 15,560 (including, 414 Novices and 121 bishops and cardinals) – as on December 31, 2011. The SDB run 1965 centres (schools, youth centres, media houses, parishes, retreat centres, activities for youth in need) in 131 countries. (The Salesian Sisters are 14,655; Co-operators – 24,196). The head office is in Rome. Current leader for SDB, called the Rector Major, is a Mexican: Fr Pascual Chavez. 6. The challenges for today and tomorrow: • Reach out to the youth most in need: In whatever context the Salesians are, they ask the question: who are the youth most in need (the materially deprived are the priority!) in our society? Where are they found? Salesians go to them, to empower them in every way. • Create a vast movement of people empathetic to the youth in need: In every society there are youth in need, and the society tends to forget them. The Salesians alert the conscience of the society, by involving a variety of people. • Be a sign in the world: through their own life as religious men and women in communities, they exemplify the ideals of Christian life. They continue to share these ideals with the young and their supporters. Sahaya G. Selvam, sdb
Posted on: Fri, 31 Jan 2014 05:34:43 +0000
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