Over one hundred years ago, on November 28, 1898, three Salesians arrived in New York to initiate a Salesian apostolate among the Italian immigrants of that metropolis. In March of the previous year four of their confreres had undertaken a similar mission in San Francisco.
La prima parte della nota si sofferma sull’origine militare del Forte, sulla storia di quello che sarebbe diventato il santuario di Maria Ausiliatrice e sullo sviluppo dell’opera salesiana locale, compresa la fondazione del “Museo Regional y Misionero D. José Luro”, che darà poi origine all’attuale Museo, recentemente voluto e inaugurato dal Rettor Maggiore, don Juan Edmundo Vecchi, figlio della Patagonia e ex allievo della stessa casa di Fortín Mercedes. La seconda parte presenta il Museo stesso nella sua progettazione ideale, nella realtà delle sale espositive e dei materiali in esse conservati, nelle opportunità continuamente offerte ai visitatori.
Dalla corrispondenza di mons. Cagliero, mons. Lasagna, don Vespignani e altri, si costata una voglia di autonomia dalle curie diocesane riguardo sia alla vita delle comunità religiose che al loro apostolato. Non solo le esperienze avute a Montevideo, a San Paolo del Brasile, a Cuiabá, a La Plata, ad Ancud generavano un tale sentimento; provenienti essi da Valdocco, portavano inciso nell’animo il ricordo dei difficili rapporti tra don Bosco e la curia torinese. Continue reading “Antonio Ferreira da Silva – Patagonia: I- Realtà e mito nell’azione missionaria salesiana – Il vicariato apostolico della Patagonia Settentrionale”
The Salesian Cooperators association, which came into being in 1876, just two years after the approval of the Constitutions of the Salesian Society, is the last group that Don Bosco founded. As with ADMA he did not ask the Holy See for formal, canonical approval of the association; he considered it sufficient for the aims of the Salesian Cooperators Association to gain moral recognition through the granting of indulgences by the Pope and favourable recommendation by some bishops.
Continue reading “Giovanni Bosco – Salesian Cooperators Association”
When he had built the church of Mary Help of Christians at Valdocco in Turin in 1868, Don Bosco had it consecrated with an entire cycle of celebrations made available for the public domain through an appropriate booklet. Then he set out to make it an attractive centre for prayers, thanks and donations through a second larger book. Still not satisfied he sought to give stability to general devotion to Mary under the title of Mary Help of Christians through a lay association which bore that name.
Continue reading “Giovanni Bosco – Association of Devotees of Mary Help Of christians”
Don Bosco, at the advice of his spiritual director, St Joseph Cafasso from autumn 1844 to summer 1846 lived at the Barolo Refuge as chaplain of the Little Hospital of St Philomena, opened in August 1845. In the same place and in other temporary places not far from Valdocco, he carried out his early priestly ministry on behalf of boys, mostly immigrant lads who had no parish of reference. On the vigil of his move to the Pinardi house, he drew up for the civil authorities of the city of Turin, who were responsible for and concerned about public order, a very brief account of his three years of catechetical activity, indicating the aims and results he had achieved that were positive both for civil society and the Church (no. 1).
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)”
The origin of this authoritative document, the Confidential Reminders, is a letter written to Fr Michael Rua whom Don Bosco called on to take up the running of the first Salesian house outside Turin in autumn 1863: the college or junior seminary of St Charles in Mirabello Monferrato. In a letter sent to the young Rector/Director, Don Bosco wanted to pass on pedagogical and spiritual guidelines which had already been in practice at Valdocco. These were to also characterise the apostolic and educational work in the new foundation.
Continue reading “Giovanni Bosco – Guidelines for running salesian houses (1863-1887)”
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.
Continue reading “Giovanni Bosco – The two “official” regulations (1877)”
The Programme—also called Regulations—of the school in Mornese was printed by Don Bosco at the Oratory Press like all the other Regulations for Salesian houses. The text copies many of the items in use at colleges he founded.
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