A biographical outline

Don B osco’s life may be divided into three periods:

The period o f preparation (1815-1844); the period w here the fundam ental features o f his educational activity are outlined (1844-1869); the period w hen his institutions receive both organisational and theoretical substance (1870-1888).

Here we single out the m ore im portant m om ents o f his life’s w ork and educational activity.

1815 (A ugust 16) Don B osco is born in the Becchi in the M unicipality o f Castelnuovo.

1817 D e a th o f his father.

1824 A priest, Fr Joseph Lacqua, introduces John Bosco to reading and writing.

1827 First Communion, around Eastertim e.

1828 (February) Farmhand at the M oglia fam i (until late autumn 1829).

1829 Study o f Italian and Latin resumed with Fr John Calosso (who died November 21,1829).

4 G iovanni B osco e il suo secolo, At the month’s mind in the Church of Mary Help of Christians in Turin, March 1,1888. Homily by Cardinal Archbishop Gaetano Alimonda (Turin, Tipografia Salesiana, 1888), 11.

5 Ibid., 13-15.

6Ibid., 21-24.

7 Ibid., 39-40.

1830

John Bosco attends Castelnuovo Public school (Christmas 1830-summer 1831) From N ovem ber onwards John Bosco attends the public school in Chieri to study grammar, the humanities and rhetoric.

John Bosco enters the seminary in Chieri and begins his philosophy and theology courses.

June 5, the Vigil o f thè feast o f thè Holy Trinity, Don Bosco is ordained priest.

(N o v e m b e r) D on B o sco is e n ro lle d in th è Convitto Ecclesiastico (Ecclesiastical College) in Turin for the practical study o f moral theology and hom iletics; he begins to gather young people and adults and teach them catechism.

(October) Don Bosco is appointed chaplain to one o f the works of Marchioness Giulia di Barolo.

(M ay )-1846 (M arch) The W andering O ratory begins at St Peter in Chains Church to the Dora Mills, to thè M oretta house, to thè Filippi meadows.

(Aprii 12) The Oratory fìnds its definitive location in thè Pinardi Shed in the suburb o f Valdocco. It is here that D on Bosco and his m other com e to live.

The evening schools begin during the winter o f 1846-1847.

The opening o f the first home; the St Aloysius Oratory is opened in the area o f PortaN uova; the St Aloysius Sodality begins.

(O ctober 21) B eginning o f thè publication L'amico della Gioventù (The Friend o f Youth), a religious, moral and politicai N ew spaper (which would last only eight m onths and later m erge into thè Istruttore del Popolo (The People ’s Instructor).

Don Bosco takes on the m anagem ent o f the Guardian Angels Oratory from Fr Cocchi, in the area o f Vanchiglia in Turin; he founds the workers society or the mutuai aidsociety for which he would draw up a constitution in 1850 (M arch 31 ) A rchbishop Fransoni is exiled to Lyons (France). He appoints Don Bosco the director and spiritual head o f the Turin Oratory o f St Francis de Sales, with the oratories o f St Aloysius and the Guardian Angel dependent on it.

Don Bosco begins the publication o f the Catholic readings and also opens a m odest shoem aker’s workshop in the Oratory.

The book-binding shop is opened. As an experiment, the seminai beginnings o f the Salesian Society, Don Bosco proposes an associative, apostolic form o f life to two clerics (Bl. Michael Rua is one and would become Don Bosco’s first successor), and two other young men, one o f whom becomes the future

1855

Cardinal John Cagliero, Don Bosco has his first encounter with Minister Urban Rattazzi. Dom inic Savio enrols as a pupil in the Valdocco Oratory ( 1842 -

1857).

The third high school grade is introduced at the Oratory (up till now the students attended schools run by private individuals).

The first carpentry shop is opened a tth e O ratory; the first two high school grades are introduced. The beginning ofthe Immaculate Conception Sodality.

Beginning o f the Blessed Sacrament Sodality; the creation o f the A itar Boys Sodality; the St Vincent de Paul Conference for young people commences.

Don B osco’s first trip to Rom e to present Pope Pius IX with the pian for his R eligious Society dedicated to w orking for youth. The first outline o f the Saiesian Constitutions.

The high school curriculum is completed (5 grades); beginning o f the St Joseph’s sodality; the Saiesian Society com es to the fore but as a private religious association in practice.

The first lay helpers (Coadjutors) are admitted into the privately constituted Society.

(Decem ber 31) Authorisation is given to open the printing shop.

The blacksm ith’s shop is introduced; first profession o f religious vows (May 14).

The first school outside Turin is inaugurated under the direction o f Fr Michael Rua. On this occasion Don Bosco writes a letter to Fr Rua. It would become the originai core o f the future Confidential Memo to Rectors (the school would move to Borgo San Martino in 1870). The beginning o f the construction o f the Church of'Mary Help o f Christians in Turin.

The Lanzo Torinese C ollege (boarding school) becom es operative. The Decretum Laudis on b eh alf o f the Saiesian Society is issued.

Don B osco’s new project: Bibliotheca degli scittori latini (The Library o f Christian Authors). It actualiy began in 1866 with the title: Selecta ex latinis scriptoribus in usum scholarum (Selections from Latin Authors fo r thè

Use o f schools),

Consecration o f the Church o f M ary Help o f Christians.

(Feb. 19) The Holy See definitively approves the Saiesian Society; the school at C herasco is opened; the first volum e o f the Biblioteca della gioventù italiana (Library fo r Italian youth) is published (It would come to an end in 1885, the last publication would be No. 204).

1870 The college at Alassio is founded.

1871 The college at Varazze and the technical school in Marassi are opened (The latter would transfer to Sam pierdarena near G enoa the following year).

1872 The Valsalice College for young noblem en is accepted. The foundation takes place o f the religious female branch o f thè Salesian Society with the title o f Institute o f the Daughters o f M ary Help o f Christians.

1874 Final, definitive approvai o fth e Salesian Constitutions by the Holy See.

1875-1887 The Salesian effort spreads throughout Europe (France, Spain, England) and South America (Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, etc.) with undertakings related to emigrants, schools and other educational Institutions and missionary activities.

1876 Pope Pius IX approves the Pious Union o f Salesian Cooperators.

1877 The first General Chapter o f the Salesian Society o f St Francis de Sales is held. Three others would follow in Don B osco’s lifetime: 1880,1883, and

1886. In 1877, the pages w ritten by D on Bosco on The Preventive system are published as well as thè II Regolamento per le case (Rules fo r the Hoitses). In A ugust, Il bibliofilo cattolico (The Catholic book lover, The Salesian Bulletin) begins,

1880 Don Bosco accepts responsibility for building the Basilica o f the Sacred Heart in Rome. The Basilica would be consecrated on M ay 14,1887.

1881 (February) The Utrera College (Spain) is opened.

1883 Don B osco’s trium phant trip to Paris.

1884 N ext-to-last trip to Rom e (thè 19th). The so called Privileges are finally granted in June 1884.

1886 Aprii 8-M ay 6: extraordinary w elcom ing reception given to Don Bosco in Spain, Don B osco’s stay in Spain at Sarria and Barcelona.

1887 (May) Don B osco’s last trip to Rome on the occasion o f the consecration o f the Basilica o fth e Sacred Heart.

1888 (Tuesday, January 31, at4:45 a.m. Don Bosco dies.