Category: Salesiani di don Bosco

Pascual Chavez Villanueva – “Presentazione del Rettor Maggiore” in “Fonti Salesiane 1. Don Bosco e la sua opera. Raccolta ontologica”



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Il Rettor Maggiore, in occasione dell’inizio del Bicentenario della nascita di don Bosco e della fine del suo mandato, esprime la sua soddisfazione per la pubblicazione del primo volume delle Fonti salesiane, intitolato “Don Bosco e la sua opera. Raccolta antologica”. Questo volume era stato richiesto dal Capitolo Generale XXVI per approfondire l’identità carismatica salesiana, e il compito di realizzarlo è stato affidato all’Istituto Storico Salesiano, che ha completato il lavoro sotto la direzione di don José Manuel Prellezo. Continue reading “Pascual Chavez Villanueva – “Presentazione del Rettor Maggiore” in “Fonti Salesiane 1. Don Bosco e la sua opera. Raccolta ontologica”” →

Giovanni Bosco – “Formation of the Salesians through conferences and dream accounts” in “Salesian Sources 1. Don Bosco and his work. Collected works”



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The years of foundation and consolidation of the Salesian Society and the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians are ones where Don Bosco’s horizons expanded in an impressive manner. The priest of Valdocco, ever more aware of having received a divine mission, feels that he has been transported into a huge field of activity, given a charism that makes him father and founder of a movement of apostles, consecrated men and women who are destined to spread over space and time. His spiritual magisterium deepens, his proposals become more radical, all-embracing.

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Giovanni Bosco – “Personal letters to Salesians and Daughters of Mary Help of christians” in “Salesian Sources 1. Don Bosco and his work. Collected works”



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These brief items of correspondence, written in familiar tone, contain simple advice on spiritual life. Don Bosco knew those he wrote to, their character, defects, the circumstances in which they worked. In a practical way he invited them to focus on concrete attitudes essential for nurturing their attachment to their Salesian vocation, constantly keeping their hearts leaning to God and charity.

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Giovanni Bosco – “Constitutional documents” in “Salesian Sources 1. Don Bosco and his work. Collected works”



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The first document contained in this part (no. 225) is the oldest text of the rule that we have. It was written in beautiful handwriting by cleric Michael Rua between 1858 and 1859, beginning from an earlier draft by Don Bosco which has not been preserved. From this draft came all the other constitutional drafts up to the definitive document in 1874. To draw it up Don Bosco, who had no experience of consecrated life, had recourse to constitutions of other religious institutes.

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Giovanni Bosco – “Don Bosco’s ‘theology’ of religious life” in “Salesian Sources 1. Don Bosco and his work. Collected works”



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As an introduction to the first Italian edition of the Salesian Constitutions, published in 1875, Don Bosco wrote a wide-ranging letter To the Salesians, to guide them in interpreting the rules and to infuse in them a correct idea of religious life. He later refined and extended it with the help of the master of novices, Fr Barberis, for the third Italian edition of the Constitutions (1885). It is a relevant document from a spiritual point of view. “One can think of it as a brief summary, the most complete one, of what could be called Don Bosco’s theology of religious life. Ideas flow together in it which had matured in him little by little, beginning from when he wrote the history of the Church and the Popes, then as he drew up the Constitutions and documents written to gain approval, further enriched by local and general conferences, instructions given at retreats in the late 1860s and early 1870s, and expressed in individual letters and circulars and in private advice.”

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Giovanni Bosco – “Appeals to private charity” in “Salesian Sources 1. Don Bosco and his work. Collected works”



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The financial contributions asked for and obtained from public authorities and institutions were certainly not enough to help him confront the huge expenses of the Salesian Work. It was necessary to appeal to private charity. Logically, Don Bosco turned especially to families and individuals who had financial possibilities, meaning those belonging to the nobility, mostly large property owners, and the upper and middle class of the time who were notably ready to dispense charity. Some of these, albeit modest in their private savings, could actually find an outlet in educational and charitable works such as those of Don Bosco.

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Giovanni Bosco – “Recourse to public charity” in “Salesian Sources 1. Don Bosco and his work. Collected work”



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As we have just said, for the financial resources needed to supply the everincreasing costs of his work, Don Bosco appealed to institutions: the Royal family, Government authorities, public officials (local council, provincial, state …), existing charitable organisations locally, the National Bank, parishes, dioceses, the Holy See itself through his best supporters, including the Pope.

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Giovanni Bosco – “A missionary project in rapid development” in “Salesian Sources 1. Don Bosco and his work. Collected work”



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What were Don Bosco’s missionary plans for Argentina once he had set foot in that land? With the information in his possession thanks to research by Fr Giulio Barberis, and to correspondence with local authorities and Salesian missionaries, six months after the first expedition Don Bosco was able to send the Prefect of the Sacred Congregation of Propaganda Fide, Cardinal Alessandro Franchi, a first report on the immediate results of the work of Salesian missionaries in Argentina.

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Giovanni Bosco – “Difficult relationships with the Archbishop of Turin” in “Salesian Sources 1. Don Bosco and his work. Collected work”



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Relationships between Don Bosco and Archbishop Gastaldi went through two different stages, one of great understanding and cooperation, and another of notable difficulties and conflicts. The watershed could be considered to be Gastaldi’s transferral from the Episcopal See of Saluzzo to being Archbishop of Turin in 1871.

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Giovanni Bosco – “Interventions to solve the matter of Bishops’ ‘Temporalities’ (1872-1874)” in “Salesian Sources 1. Don Bosco and his work. Collected works”



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The Law of Guarantees on 13 May 1871 and decrees applying to this required that for newly appointed bishops to enter into possession – the so-called temporalities – they had to present the Minister with the original decree of appointment and formally ask for the exequatur to be granted. This act, in the Holy See’s judgement, implied recognising the Kingdom of Italy which came into being in 1861, and included part of the Papal States ‘illegally’ taken from the Pontiff.

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Giovanni Bosco – “Indicators to the Holy see for the choice of new bishops for vacant sees (1867-1877)” in “Salesian Sources 1. Don Bosco and his work. Collected work”



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One of the most difficult conflicts to resolve in relationships between the Holy
See and the new Kingdom of Italy was that of the dozens of Episcopal sees left vacant
for political reasons. Both parties were aware of the seriousness of the situation, but
attempts to exit from the situation were shipwrecked by the persistent serious friction
brought about by proclaiming a Kingdom which comprised territories taken from
the Papal States (1861). Only in 1865-1867 did a process of détente coming
into place, where, having overcome mutual resistance, the Holy See succeeded in
appointing many bishops with the agreement of authorities of the Kingdom.

Continue reading “Giovanni Bosco – “Indicators to the Holy see for the choice of new bishops for vacant sees (1867-1877)” in “Salesian Sources 1. Don Bosco and his work. Collected work”” →

Giovanni Bosco – “The two “official” regulations (1877)” in “Salesian Sources 1. Don Bosco and his work. Collected Works”



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In the years from 1853 to 1862, Valdocco was transformed from a festive Oratory—an open institution—into a complex work: hospice and boarding, college with boarding section, trade workshops, internal classes and publishing centre, amongst the most important sections.

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Giovanni Bosco – “First salesian colleges founded outside Turin (1863-1864)” in “Salesian Sources 1. Don Bosco and his work. Collected Works”



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In 1863, Saint John Bosco undertook a pivotal study by founding the Mirabello College and crafting meticulous regulations for its governance. These regulations, initially handwritten and later printed, were intended as the foundational statute for future institutions. Continue reading “Giovanni Bosco – “First salesian colleges founded outside Turin (1863-1864)” in “Salesian Sources 1. Don Bosco and his work. Collected Works”” →

Giovanni Bosco – “Summary of goodnights to the boys at Valdocco (1864-1877)” in “Salesian Sources 1. Don Bosco and his work. Collected Works”



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Amongst the more original practices put in place as part of the educational praxis at Valdocco, and maintained in the Salesian tradition that then followed from it, we would have to highlight the “Goodnights”: brief “talks” or “short speeches” after night prayers. Don Bosco addressed the pupils in the presence of their educators (superiors of the house, teachers assistants), in a familiar way using simple and attractive language.

Continue reading “Giovanni Bosco – “Summary of goodnights to the boys at Valdocco (1864-1877)” in “Salesian Sources 1. Don Bosco and his work. Collected Works”” →

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