Michael Rua (1837-1910) was a pupil, then the lifetime collaborator and finally, the first successor of St John Bosco as Rector Major of the Salesian Society (1888-1910). During his Rectorate the Salesians grew from 1030 members in 64 houses to 4420 confreres scattered across the globe. What is presented here is a collection of 238 letters that Don Rua sent to the confreres of the English Province in the twenty years of his Rectorate. They represent only a tiny fragment of what must have been the unrelenting and massive correspondence that he carried on with the confreres in every mission right across the world.
Michele Rua (1837-1910) fu allievo, poi collaboratore a vita e infine primo successore di san Giovanni Bosco come Rettor Maggiore della Società Salesiana (1888-1910). Durante il suo Rettorato i Salesiani sono passati da 1030 membri in 64 case a 4420 confratelli sparsi in tutto il mondo. Quella che qui viene presentata è una raccolta di 238 lettere che don Rua ha inviato ai confratelli della Provincia inglese nel ventennio del suo Rettorato. Rappresentano solo un minuscolo frammento di quella che doveva essere l’incessante e massiccia corrispondenza che intratteneva con i confratelli in ogni missione in tutto il mondo.
Index:
- Introduction
- The writer
- Don Rua’s correspondents
- Don Rua’s style of pastoral cares
- Don Rua’s style of governance and obedience
- Don Rua’s and poverty, finance and property
- Don Rua’s spirituality
- Conclusion
- Criteria used in editing these letters
- Archivial Sources and a note of the editor
- Personal details of the people mentioned
- Letters
- Year 1888
- Year 1889
- Year 1890
- Year 1891
- Year 1892
- Year 1893
- Year 1894
- Year 1895
- Year 1896
- Year 1897
- Year 1898
- Year 1899
- Year 1900
- Year 1901
- Year 1902
- Year 1903
- Year 1904
- Year 1905
- Year 1906
- Year 1907
- Year 1908
- Year 1909
- Index of names of places occurring in the letters of Don Rua
- Index of people whose names occur in Don Rua correspondence
- Guide to themes in the Don Rua letters
Reference time period: 1887 – 1909
M. Rua, Letteres to the confreres of the english province (1887-1909). Introduction, critical text and notes by Martin McPake and William John Dickson, LAS, Roma, 2009.
Reference institution:
Istituto Storico Salesiano