THE DON BOSCO I NEVER KNEW
The astounding thing about Don Bosco is that you never finish knowing him. No wonder that the directive of the General Chapter of the Salesians is to love and study Don Bosco and to make him known. For the Salesians the study of Don Bosco is a fifth gospel which urges them to get close to Jesus. The study of Don Bosco is fascinating because every time one discovers new treasures. Today I would like to share with you some new impressions and insights which I gained recently.
Don Bosco a man of study
Don Bosco attached much importance to study, reflection and updating. The historian Fr Stella tells us that even when Don Bosco was mainly preoccupied with Sunday or festive oratories and with the boarding school at Pinardi house, he could find plenty of intervals of spare time to retreat to the library of Turin, Convitto Ecclesiastico or to the home of Joseph Brosio to spend time in personal reading and study. His scholarly library was filled with works of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. On his desk were hundreds of French works in the original or in Italian translation.
Family
Don Rinaldi says that more than a society Don Bosco wanted to found a family based almost entirely on sweet, loving, watchful fatherliness of the superior and the filial traditional affection of the members. The family spirit is a hall mark of the Salesian spirit. A Salesian house becomes a family when affection is mutual and when all, both confreres and young people, feel welcome and responsible for the common good (C. 16)
The rich should give to the poor
One day a great benefactress asked Don Bosco when she visited him: “Don Bosco, tell me what am I to do to make sure that I will be saved for all eternity?’ Don Bosco replied “In order for you to be saved you will have to become as poor as Job”. Don Bosco was repeating by means of a hyperbole one of his well known ideas that the rich should give if they do not want to fall short of the social mission entrusted to them by Divine Providence. At the words of Don Bosco the lady was greatly taken aback, and for awhile she did not know what to say or do. Once they were outside the house , Father Stephen Belmonte, asked him how he had ever found the courage to say such a thing a to a person who had already given away so much in alms, “You see, there is no one who dares to tell rich people the truth” Don Bosco replied. Don Bosco wanted a booklet to be written on how rich people should use their money. He was very strict on this topic. One day Don Bosco related a dream: “A few nights ago I dreamt I saw Our Lady, who reprimanded me for keeping silent on the obligation to give alms. She said that many priests were afraid to speak out from the pulpit on the obligation of giving one’s superfluous wealth to the poor.”
A vast vision for the welfare of the young
Don Bosco could not fulfill all his plans during his life time. One of his sons Fr Philip Rinaldi founded a Society of consecrated lay women called the Volunteers of Don Bosco (VDB); they live the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience working for the welfare of the young in their own families and work environments. Today they are over 1300 spread over the world. When he started the Institute on 20th May 1917 Fr Philip Rinaldi said that such an institute was truly in the mind and in the plan of Don Bosco. Don Bosco wanted two religious congregations that lived in communities and another that lived in the world.
The secret of his success
An article published on 16th June 1883 in “The Illustrated Catholic American” said “Probably the secret of Don Bosco’s success is in this that he had very clear objectives and a decided will to realize them”. We Salesians call this clear objective of Don Bosco the ‘grace of unity’. Don Bosco never lost sight of his purpose, he had only one aim that he realized whether he prayed or worked or whatever else he did, the salvation of souls. To his boys in Valdocco he wrote: ‘My affection for you is based on the desire I have to save your souls’.
“He took no step, he said no word, he took up no task that was not directed to the saving of the young…Truly the only concern of his heart was for souls.”
Happy Feast of Don Bosco
Dear members of the Salesian Family and friends, may I exhort you to study Don Bosco more deeply during this month of preparation for his feast. May his life and his example inspire each one of us to live our Christians lives with greater commitment and joy. I take this opportunity to invite you to belong to any of the branches of the family of Don Bosco.
1. |
Salesians of Don Bosco: (with novices and bishops) |
* 16,092 |
2. |
Daughters of Mary Help of Christians: |
** 14,655 |
3. |
Salesian Co-operators: |
* 24,196 |
4. |
Past Pupils of Don Bosco: |
* 97,357 |
5. |
Past Pupils of the FMA: |
130,000 |
6. |
Women Volunteers of Don Bosco: |
1,308 |
7. |
Daughters of Sacred Heart: |
** 378 |
8. |
Salesian Oblates of the Sacred Heart: |
** 221 |
9. |
Apostles of the Holy Family |
** 69 |
10. |
Caritas Sisters of Miyazaki: |
** 1068 |
11. |
Missionary Sisters of Mary Help of Christians: |
** 1011 |
12. |
Daughters of the Divine Saviour: |
109 |
13. |
Sisters Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary: |
109 |
14. |
Sisters of Jesus the Adolescent: |
43 |
15. |
Association Damas Salesianas: |
3,000 |
16. |
Association of Mary Help of Christians: |
35,000 |
17. |
Catechists Sisters of Mary Immaculate Help of Christians: |
500 |
18. |
Daughters of the Queenship of Mary Immaculate: |
57 |
19. |
Volunteers with Don Bosco: |
62 |
20. |
Witnesses of the Risen Lord TR 2000: |
650 |
21. |
Congregation of St. Michael the Archangel |
** 357 |
22. |
Congregation of Sisters of the Resurrection |
50 |
23. |
Sisters Announcers of the Lord |
23 |
24. |
The Disciples - Secular Institute |
** 400 |
25. |
Friends of “Canção Nova” |
|
26. |
Sisters of St Michael the Archangel (Michaelites) |
** 261 |
