This study will look at how the Salesian brother’s vocation appears in official Salesian writings while Don Bosco was founding the Salesian Congregation, and at how the Congregation has theologically reflected on that vocation as part of its renewal of its Constitutions. It will then examine how this identity has been applied.
Joseph Boenzi writes of the many times that the figure of St. Francis de Sales enters into the life and ministry of Don Bosco. The final word may never be written on why Don Bosco chose Francis de Sales as the patron of his Congregation but What is Salesian in Don Bosco? throws light on the subject.
Continue reading “Joseph Boenzi – “What is salesian in Don Bosco?” in “Journal of Salesian studies””
Sr. Mary Greenan, FMA presents the theme of collaboration in a commentary on the recent letter of Fr. Juan Edmundo Vecchi, rector major of the Salesian Society, and Mother Antonia Colombo, superior general of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians.
Don Bosco’s Circular letters to the Salesians and Daughters of Mary Help of Christians are small masterpieces of spirituality. The Saint expresses in them a vigorous view of consecrated life: by the vows we give ourselves completely to the Lord, ready to follow him through tribulations until death, courageously facing up to fatigue and difficulty in order to win souls for God. Seen this way the Salesian and the Salesian Sister are encouraged to remain firm in their vocation; to flee worldly spirit; to practise obedience and poverty magnanimously; to cultivate union with God and confidence in their Superiors; to know how to put up with all kinds of inconvenience serenely to “save souls”; to faithfully observe the rules.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
In the years immediately preceding and following Italian Unity (1858-1866), Don Bosco kept constantly in touch with Pius IX by letter. He did this not only for interests directly relating to his work, but also in reference to the worrying situation the Church was going through in Piedmont, to encourage him in his defence of the faith against the enemies of religion, and to pass on to him any likely reserved information in his possession. Continue reading “Giovanni Bosco – “Confidential letters to the Pope concerning the political situation (1858-1867, 1873)” in “Salesian Sources 1. Don Bosco and his work. Collected work””
On April 3, 1874, Pope Pius IX definitively approved the Constitutions of the Society of St Francis de Sales and on the following April 13 the competent Congregation of Bishops and Regulars promulgated the relevant decree.
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.
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. Continue reading “Giovanni Bosco – “Beginning, extension and charismatic and institutional consolidation of the work at Valdocco” in “Salesian Sources 1. Don Bosco and his work. Collected works””
Lo studio che viene proposto prende in esame “quanto” e “come” la Congregazione salesiana, a partire dal Concilio Vaticano II a oggi, ha riflettuto sulla natura della sua missione educativa e pastorale tra i giovani. Punto di partenza di questa indagine è il CG19 celebratosi nella primavera del 1965 a lavori conciliari ancora in corso. Negli Atti del CG la Congregazione esprime in modo netto la propria identità educativa consolidata dalla tradizione salesiana e sintetizzabile nello slogan formare “buoni cristiani e onesti cittadini”. Continue reading “Sabino Frigato – “Educazione ed evangelizzazione. La riflessione della Congregazione salesiana nel Postconcilio” in “Evangelizzazione e educazione””
While preparing pilgrimages and spiritual exercises in Annecy and the neighborhood, I discovered reliable sources among the German and Dutch Oblates of St Francis de Sales. As a consequence of keeping contact with various participants, they invited the undersigned to take part in the annual meetings of their Arbeitsgemeinschaft (“study group”) in Eichstätt, Germany.
Proudly powered by WordPress | Theme: Baskerville 2 by Anders Noren.
