This article furthers the theme of collaboration between women and men, showing this as central to Salesian history and spirit. Dr. Nancy J. Bowden brings us back to Francis de Sales and Jane-Frances de Chantal in the founding of the Visitation-the first Salesian community.
This article is written by our own Arthur J. Lenti, of the Institute of Salesian Spirituality in Berkeley. The article studies “Don Bosco’ s Beatification and Canonization Story: Highlights and Sidelights,” and incorporates material that Fr. Lenti has developed for classes and retreats over the course of the last year.
Continue reading “Arthur Lenti – Don Bosco’s beatification and canonization”
Fr. Arthur J. Lenti tells the story of Don Bosco’ s efforts to mediate between the Holy See and the Italian government during the tense years of Italian unification. Of special importance was the appointment of bishops. After offering background on the historical events leading to the estrangement between the Church and state in Italy, the author goes to the sources in an effort to answer the question why someone so politically unimportant as Don Bosco, should become involved in a capacity of “negotiator.”
Si offre l’edizione critica di sette schemi autografi di predicazione di don Bosco conservati nell’ASC e composti in occasione di alcune feste mariane. Solo due di essi sono datati (3 giugno 1842 e 11 settembre 1864). Altri due, in base alla grafia, possono essere attribuiti ai primi anni di ministero sacerdotale, mentre i restanti appartengono certamente agli anni della maturità. Nonostante la concisione, questi manoscritti contengono alcuni dei punti che caratterizzano il magistero mariano di don Bosco, Continue reading “Aldo Giraudo – Gli appunti di predicazione mariana di don Bosco. Edizione critica”
Il volume presenta gli Atti del Convegno mariano internazionale, svoltosi a Roma dal 27 al 30 dicembre 2004 sul tema: “Io ti darò la Maestra …”. Il coraggio di educare alla scuola di Maria.
La ricchezza di questa storia non sta in una semplice visione d’insieme, ma nelle pieghe che esse svela, nelle sue luci e nelle sue ombre, descrivendo i passaggi da un periodo all’altro, la fisionomia delle persone coinvolte nell’avventura, l’adattamento ai tempi.
Si coglie così, con piacere, che la “Lega del Bene” è una fondazione assistenziale prettamente femminile, voluta dalla Martinetti e sostenuta inizialmente soprattutto da altre donne benestanti di Pavia; che la Martinetti aveva cercato di aiutare i minorenni non solo sotto l’aspetto pratico, cioè con la sua fondazione, ma aveva anche tentato di promuovere una riflessione sulle loro difficoltà, per poter arrivare a migliorare gli interventi in loro favore; che il fascismo ha influito sulla struttura della istituzione, facendola rientrare nel grande complesso delle opere sovvenzionate dall’ONMI e portandola anche a mutare parzialmente il suo fine originario che, non mettendo più in primo piano il minorenne, si concentra – col 1931 – anche sul bambino divezzo; infine, che anche la chiamata di un istituto religioso – le Figlie di Maria Ausiliatrice – risponde ai segni dei tempi e a quanto si verifica in altre istituzioni, per rendere stabili le opere e – viene pure sottolineato – per diminuire le spese del “Nido”.
Periodo di riferimento: 1914 – 1936
Paola Cuccioli – Grazia Loparco (eds.), Donne tra beneficienza ed educazione. La «Lega del Bene “Vittorio Emmanuelle III”» a Pavia (1914-1936), Roma, LAS 2003.
Istituzione di riferimento:
Pontificia Facoltà di Scienze dell’Educazione “Auxilium”
St John Bosco’s correspondence mirrors his manifold activities as a promoter of educational and welfare type work, publishing and missionary enterprises. Also documented is the broad network of relationships he had built up. His letters are those of a man of action, the tireless organiser, avid communicator, religious founder and a passionate animator of Catholic initiatives. Little space is given to spiritual aspects which he prefers to deal with in preaching, personal talks or in the context of the Sacrament of Penance.
Continue reading “Giovanni Bosco – Spiritual counsel in Don Bosco’s letters to boys and older youth”
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 ten brief documents that follow—some perhaps less known than the previous ones in Salesian history—are also interesting from the point of view of the maturing and practice of Don Bosco’s educational system. We have a necessarily limited selection here of personal letters to people responsible for public education, or to young people and teachers, and circulars on pedagogical and didactic issues.
“Don Bosco,” Fr Michael Rua writes in a brief note in 1867 “sad at seeing the great evil that was happening especially amongst young students because of bad literature, planned to set up an association of good classical and modern literature.”
The plan became a reality the following year, when he began publishing the “Library for Italian Youth” or “Library of Italian Classics.”
Continue reading “Giovanni Bosco – Educational reading and spreading good books (1860-1885)”
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 his 1877 booklet on pedagogy, Don Bosco highlights the advantages of the Preventive System and other reasons for which it should be preferred. At the same time he recognises that the “practical application” of the educational approach he is proposing implies “certain difficulties” for educators.
Continue reading “Giovanni Bosco – Reminders to practise the Preventive System (1884-1885)”
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