Arthur Lenti – Margaret Occhiena Bosco (1788-1856). Don Bosco’s Mother, Educator and Vocational Support

Who was Margaret Occhiena Bosco? What do we know about her, and how? Don Bosco’s biographer, Fr. John Baptist Lemoyne, and ultimately Don Bosco, are our chief sources. The Biographical Memoirs contain abundant biographical material pertaining to Don Bosco’s mother. Volume I in particular, especially in its first part (Chapters 2-25), gives much more space to Margaret (affectionately known as Mamma Margaret) than it does to John. Where did Lemoyne get the information? Father Lemoyne had not known Mamma Margaret personally. She had lived at the Oratory from 1846 until her death in 1856, and Lemoyne had joined Don Bosco only in 1864, 8 years after Mamma Margaret’s death. However, passionately engaged as he was in collecting and recording everything that had to do with Don Bosco and his work, he was eager to gather information also on Don Bosco’s mother. Continue reading “Arthur Lenti – Margaret Occhiena Bosco (1788-1856). Don Bosco’s Mother, Educator and Vocational Support”

Rik Biesmans – The Magna Carta of the Salesian Educational System, vol. 1

The text now available offers the English translation of the first volume of a Dutch study consisting of two volumes. It is entitled: The Magna Carta of the Salesian Educational System. This first volume contains 4 chapters:

  1. The first chapter should acquaint readers with certain circumstances in the extensive and multifaceted activities in the Valdocco Oratory in the years 1880-1884.
  2. The second chapter offers an insight into how the first section of the extended or ’combined version’ (manuscript D) may have been constructed. This section of the larger chapter, a sort of circular letter, was meant for the Salesians in Valdocco.
  3. The longer third chapter consists of the discussion of the content of the “circular letter” (manuscripts C and D).
  4. The short fourth chapter draws attention to the main pedagogical and pastoral components.

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Eugenio Valentini – Il primo studio critico sulla vita di D. Bosco

Si narra che, un giorno dell’inizio del secolo, alla stazione di Milano un salesiano fu avvicinato da un Reverendo distinto, che gli chiese: — Quand’è che voi Salesiani scriverete una vita di D. Bosco ? — E alla risposta « che c’era già, che l’aveva scritta D. Lemoyne e che ne esistevano anche altre », il Reverendo aveva insistito: — No, no. Una vita.

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Arthur Lenti – Saint with a human face: Don Bosco in Father Giulio Barberis original chronicle

The Central Salesian Archive contains numerous eyewitness reports of Don Bosco’s words and deeds, particularly in the form of chronicles and memoirs. I drew heavily on these documents for previous articles which saw the light of day in the pages of this Journal. I shall do the same for the present article.

Continue reading “Arthur Lenti – Saint with a human face: Don Bosco in Father Giulio Barberis original chronicle”

Arthur Lenti – Key-concepts, concerns and fears of a founder- Don Bosco in his declining years

My article on Don Bosco’s last years, which saw the light of day in this Journal, was based on chronicles and memoirs held in the Central Salesian Archive. Besides these chronicles and memoirs, there are other important documents to be found in the archive relating to Don Bosco’s last years.

Continue reading “Arthur Lenti – Key-concepts, concerns and fears of a founder- Don Bosco in his declining years”

Michael Ribotta – The Roman Letter of 1884 and its aftermath

In retrospect, one can appreciate why Don Bosco had become so distraught by the message that was played out in his dream (reverie?) during his Roman sojourn of 1884. His old friends, Joseph Buzzelli and Ferdinando Valfre, had demonstrated all too realistically what he could expect when the educational principles of his Sistema Preventivo and the “love environment” he strove so hard to cultivate for 40 years at the Oratory had been allowed to dissipate.

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Arthur Lenti – Don Bosco’s Boswell: John Baptist Lemoyne-the man and his work

Part I will present a biographical sketch of the man; Part II will deal with the sources and the editorial history of the Biographical Memoirs; and Part III will inquire into the historical criteria and into the method with which the author worked, for an evaluation (by way of conclusion) of the historical character of the Biographical Memoirs.

Continue reading “Arthur Lenti – Don Bosco’s Boswell: John Baptist Lemoyne-the man and his work”

Pietro Stella – Apologia della storia Piccola guida critica alle Memorie biografiche di don Bosco

Le Memorie Biografiche sono state il testo importante sul quale tante generazioni di salesiani hanno costruito la propria immagine di Don Bosco. Di fronte alla critica storica qualcuno teme che esse vengano accantonate. svolgendo il mestiere di storico nessuno mai sogna di togliere dalle mani dei salesiani e di chiunque altro le MB. Tuttavia nemmeno è pensabile a tutt’oggi che i salesiani si possano limitare ad esse. Le apprensioni hanno forse alla radice una percezione poco chiara del momento di revisione critica che si sta attraversando in modo irreversibile. Continue reading “Pietro Stella – Apologia della storia Piccola guida critica alle Memorie biografiche di don Bosco”

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