The essay describes the educative experiences of Salesians in India from 1906 up to 1951. At first, it speaks about the school system (Elementary, Middle, and High Schools, Technical Schools, and University Colleges). Then it talks about the influence of Don Bosco, like the Preventive System and the experience of “Oratorio di Valdocco”. Finally, it talks about the new building of school with the Salesians education.
It is quite natural that anyone who intends to profile a Salesian personality in South India would quite naturally think of Fr. Philip Thayil as someone deserving of being made known to a wider Salesian readership.
Kristu Jyoti College, built and launched on its mission of theological formation of the Salesians in the whole of India, was envisioned and realized in a fast-changing post-colonial world which was throwing up daunting challenges for the Church and consecrated life in general and for the Salesian Congregation with its professed goal of catering to the young and the needy in particular and that at a time when newly independent India was seeking to find its place in the comity of nations.
The text deals with the theological formation of the Salesians in India, with particular reference to the Kristu Jyoti College (KJC) in Bangalore, in the period 1967-1976. The decision to move the Salesian Studentate of Theology from Shillong to Bangalore was influenced by natural disasters and wars, including the Indo-Chinese War of 1962. Bangalore was chosen for its advantages as a growing metropolis with a mild climate and several prestigious church institutions. Continue reading “Thomas Anchukandam – Theological Formation of Salesians in India with Special Reference to Kristu Jyoti College. Bangalore (1967-1976)”
The second part of this study published in the previous issue of this journal had situated Kristu Jyoti College in its wider historical context.
Several of the above mentioned factors convinced mgr. Louis Mathias, the first provincial of the Salesians in India, of the importance of starting a Salesian house in Bombay.
Don Bosco had the idea of sending missionaries to India after his visits to Pope Pius IX in 1876 and 1877, with the intention of taking up the Vicariate Apostolic of Mangalore. However, the urgent and constant demands for personnel from South America forced him to postpone his plans for India. Years later, in 1883-1884, Mgr. Paul-François-Marie Goethals, Vicar Apostolic of Calcutta, on the recommendation of the Baroness de Monin from Belgium, invited Don Bosco to establish an orphanage in Giridih, southern Bihar, but the lack of personnel prevented Don Bosco from accepting this attractive proposal.
In this context, it is indeed pertinent to explore the interest Don Bosco evinced in sending his missionaries to Mangalore as early as 1876 while it was still a Vicariate Apostolic.
The article discusses the history of the inculturation of Don Bosco’s Charism in India in the first fifty years of the Salesian presence in the country (1906-1956). In India Don Bosco’s charism took three major directions: a special predilection for poor and abandoned youth and their education; mission ad gentes and catechesis; works of charity and human developmental. Continue reading “Jose Kuruvachira – “History of the Inculturation of Don Bosco’s Charism in India: 1906-1956” in “Salesianum””
The achievements of the Salesians during their 22 years of work at Tanjore were certainly remarkable. When they reached that place, there was just a large parish with a miserably housed middle school catering to about 130 boys and an incipient orphanage with a handful of inmates. Continue reading “Joseph Thekedathu – “St Francis Xavier’s orphanage and industrial school at Tanjore, South India (1906-1928)” in “L’Opera Salesiana dal 1880 al 1922. Esperienze particolari in Europa, Africa, Asia”.”
Recent studies conducted in India have shown that both perceived social support and spirituality contribute significantly to increasing life satisfaction of Indian college students. While perceived social support is a major source of subjective well-being for adolescents, offering them physical and emotional comfort and protection from stressful events, spirituality enhances their purpose in life, interconnectedness with others, profound inner life and transcending of ordinary experiences. Continue reading “Antonio Dellagiulia,Giuseppe Crea,Joseph Jeyaraj,Lorenzo Filosa,Robert Ramesh Babu – “The significance of the association between spirituality, well-being and perceived social support of indian college students” in “Atti del Congresso Internazionale, Roma 20-23 settembre 2018, Vol. 2””
The theme of this reflection, entitled: “Encounter of the Salesian Charism: South Asian Context, is self-explanatory. Drawing out its implications, the topic can be articulated in three focal points, implied in the very title, that is, “Salesian charism,” “South Asia,” and finally, the issue of the “Encounter…”.
On 25th January 2015, Don Bosco Navajeevan (A home for street children/Young at Risk) in Hyderabad received 230 young boys. They were rescued by the police who raided bangle-making units in the Old City in Hyderabad. The children, aged between 8 and 18, had been held as bonded labour. This is only the proverbial tip of the iceberg. Mr. Satyarthi, the Nobel Prize laureate, says that the Indian cities have a lot more hidden child labourers working under near-slavery conditions. What is worse, the children did not quite appreciate their release from “child labour” and being sent to their home states: Bihar and West Bengal; many of them said that they would return to the same work later. Continue reading “Thomas Koshy – “The relevance of Don Bosco’s preventive system of education in the context of the young at risk in India” in “Con Don Bosco educatori dei giovani del nostro tempo””
Claudio Eugenio Méderlet (1867-1934), nato in Lorena, dal 1928 è stato vescovo di Madras (Chennai) e primo vescovo salesiano in India.
Don Ricaldone prega ogni giorno e fa pregare perchè il Signore sostenga tutti nei disagi, rischiari nelle difficoltà sempre crescenti, liberi dai pericoli, mantenga tutti uniti nello spirito e nel cuore del Padre, infiammi del suo zelo e renda tutti degni suoi figli nell’immolazione per le anime di fronte agli accresciuti bisogni.
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