Don Bosco, educator and author of pedagogical literature

Even though Don B osco had published m any things, in none o f them had he provided a systematic explanation o f his ideas on pedagogy or provided basic directions

contd. 12

for understanding Don B osco’s educational system, cf., P. Braido, li sistem a preventivo di Don Bosco; and” Los escritos en la experienda pedagògica de don Bosco” in: San Juan Bosco, Obras fundam entales, edición dirigada por Juan Canals Pujol y Antonio Marti'nez Azcona, (Madrid: BAC 1978), 14-32.

13 Cf. P. Braido, “L’esperienza pedagogica di Don Bosco nel suo divenire”, in Orientamenti Pedagogici36 (1989): 11-39; L. Pazzaglia, La scelta dei giovani e la proposta educativa di Don Bosco, in Don Bosco nella storia,Atti del 1 Congresso Internazionale di Studi su Don Bosco (U PS-R om a, Jan. 16-20,1989), ed. M.Midali, (Rome, LAS 1990), 259-288; in paticular, 273-282.

for his educational praxis. How ever, there w as little he w rote which did not have some connection with the education o f young people and the masses, whether he was writing history, apologetics, didactic material, catechetics, religious content, hagiography, biography or normative texts.14

Forthis reason, any faithful reconstruction o f Don Bosco’s ideas on education should not leave out any o fh is w ritings, published or unpublished, even though a privileged place should be given to the more explicitly pedagogical writings. Added to these should also be the abundant endorsements by his co-workers and contemporaries:

books, chronicles, memoirs, biographical profiles, the history o f institutions, minutes o f generai and particular meetings or conferences, General Chapter and Superior Chapter meetings. The collected letters are particularly important.15 We shall limit ourselves to singling out writings and endorsements o f an obvious pedagogical nature and intent, both theoretical and practical.

“A cheerful and happy way o f living as a Christian” is what Don Bosco wanted to teach young people with his Companion o f Youth written in 1847.16The first essays on the pedagogical thinking o f the Oratory are: An introduction to the regulated pian oflife\ the Historical outline o f the Oratory ofSt Francis de Sales 1852-54

and the Historical outlines o f the Oratory o fS t Francis de Sales, 1862.17

Linked to the structure o f the college-seminary are some well-known biographical outlines published during the decade 1859-1868: On the life ofDominic Savio (1854);18 A biographical sketch o f the young Michael Magone (1861 ) ,19 The little shepherd o f theAlps, namely the life ofBesucco Francesco from Argenterà (1864).20 Similar to these are some stories with instructional and biographical background: The Power

14 A complete summary o f Don Bosco’s vast literary output including writings o f other genres,( such as hagiography, history, juridical etc) and offered by P. Stella, G ii sc ritti a stam pa di S. G iovan n i B osco, (Rome: LAS 1977). We find a grouping by literary genre in P.

Stella, Don B osco n ella sto ria della re lig io sità cattolica, v o i , 1 230-237.

15 Four volume edition ed. Eugenio Ceria, (Turin: SEI 1955-59). Amore complete criticai edition is under way: G Bosco, E pistolario. Introduzione, testi critic i e note, ed. F. Motto, 2 vols, (Rome: LAS 1991/1996: voi 1 (1835-63); II (1864-68).

16 Cf. P. Stella, Valori sp iritu a li n el “G iovan e pro vved u to " d ì San G iovanni Bosco, (Rome, PAS 1960), 131 pages.

17 Cf. P. Braido, D on Bosco p e r la gioven tù p o v e ra e abban donata in due inediti del 1854 e d el 1862^,in P. Braido, ed., Don B osco n ella C h iesa al se rvizio d e l l’umanità, (Rome: LAS, 1987), 13-81.

18 Cf. La v ita d i S avio D om en ico e “S avio D om en ico e don B osco ”. Study by A. Caviglia, (Turin, SEI, 1942-43), 43-92.609 pages.

19 Cf. A. Caviglia, Il “M agone M ic h e le ”. Una cla ssica esperien za educativa, in II prim o libro di Don Bosco. Il “M agone M ic h e le”. (Turin, SEI, 1965), 129-202.

20 Cf. A. Caviglia, La “ Vita di Besucco F rancesco ” sc ritta da don Bosco e il suo contenuto spiritu ale, in La v ita di Besucco Francesco, (Turin: SEI, 1965), 107-262.

o f a Good Education (1855),21 Valentine or thè story o f an obstructed vocation (1866);22 Severino or the adventures o f a young man from the Alps (1868)',n

Confidential Memo fo r Rectors is full o f solici pedagogical m eaning. These Remìnders, as m entioned earlier, are a letter addressed to Fr M ichael Rua w ho had ju st been appoìnted rector o f the college at M irabello M onferrato (Italy),2'1

The Memoirs ofthe Oratoiy ofSt Francis de Sales is an exceptional document o f lived pedagogy in reference to the years 1815-1854 and in particular to the first initiatives vis-a-vis the festive oratory in Turin and the start o f the hom e or Annex.

These M emoirs edited by Don Bosco between 1873 and 1879,were published for the first tim e in 1846,25 The Preventive System in the education o f youth is the best lcnown w ork written by Don Bosco in 1877.26 A memo sent to the Italian m inister for the interior, Francesco Crispi in February 1878, has the same title but different content.27 Don Bosco compiled various regulations for his educational institutions, Wide- ranging and im portant are: Rules o f the Oratory o fS t Francis de Sales fo r day students (1877)28 and The Regulations fa r thè Society o fS t Francis de Sales, In these lattei* regulations the introductory articles are the most important, pedagogically speaking.29

Even though relegated to later writings (1881 -1882) Don Bosco’s two positions on his system o f education, in two different conversations in 1854 and 1864 should be considered reliable: the first is the one Don Bosco took with Urban Rattazzi, a

21 Cf, J. Schepens, “La fo rza della buona educazione ”. Étude d'un écrit de don Bosco,in L ’impegno deli 'educare,ed. J. M. Prel lezzo, (Rome, LAS, 1991). 417-433.

22 Cf. G. Bosco, Valentino o la vocazione impedita. Introduction and criticai text,ed. M.

Pulingathil, (Rome, LAS, 1987) 1 11 pages.

23 B. Decanq, “Severino". Studio dell'opuscolo con particolare attenzione al “prim o oratorio”1,RSS 11 (1992): 221-318.

24 Cf. F. M otto,/ “ Ricordi confidenziali ai direttori” di don Bosco,RSS 3 (1984): 125-166.

25 Only two editions exist o f these, one with a twofold structure, variants, and history, the other with only historical apparatus, ed. A. Ferreira da Silva, (Rome: LAS, 1991). The first o f these is used in this book. On the particular pedagogical value o f the Memoirs o fth e Oratory, cf. P. Braido, "Memorie” delfuturo,RSS 11 ( 1992): 97-127.

26Cf. G. Bosco, li sistem a preventivo nella educazione della gioventù. Introduction and criticai texted. by P. Braido, RSS ( 1985) 171 -321.

27 Ibid., 300-304.

28 Cf. OE XXIX 31 -94 and 97-196.

29 Cf. P. Braido, Il “sistem a p rev en tivo ” in un “d eca lo g o "p er educatori, RSS 4 (1985):

131-148.

governm ent m inister o f the K ingdom o f Sardinia.30 The other was in conversation with an elem entary school teacher, Francis B odrato.31

We also have an exceptional letter on punishm ents very d o s e to Don B osco’s way o f thinking and with interesting references to thè Preventive System. It has definite connection with the experience atthe very heart o f Don Bosco’s undertakings, namely the Valdocco Oratory in Turin.32 There are also two significant letters dated May 10,1884: thè first, a short one, was sent to community o f youngsters at Valdocco;

the second contains m aterial for thè Salesians w orking a tth e Oratory. Both letters were inspired by Don Bosco and edited by Fr John B aptist Lem oyne.33

Ideally connected with The Confidenti al Remindersfor Rectors are two letters written by Don Bosco in A ugust 1885 to the Salesians in Argentina and Uruguay.34

O f particular interest for catechetical and religious form ation o f the young are his Church history (1845); Bible history (1847); Warnings fo r Catholics:

Fimdamental truths ofth e Catholic religion (1850 and 1853); A Practical way o f knowing Bible history (1855).

Other writings o f a scholastic nature deserve our attention: The Metric System simply Explained (1849); The History o f Italy Explained to the Young (1855).

Among writings o f a recreational nature we should include the following: A Theatrical Presentation ofthe Metric Decimai System in Dialogue ( 1849); A Debate Between a Lawyer and a Protestant Minister (1853); The House ofFortune: Drama ( 1865);

The Delightful Story o f an Old Soldier o f Napoleon I (1862); Pleasant Stories about Pius I X ( 1871).

30 BS 6 (1882)n. 10-11, Oct.-Nov,, 171-172 and 179-180, speak o f it for the first time. Cf.

Conversazione con Urbano Ratlazzi ( 1854), ed. By Antonio Ferreira da Silva, in P. Braido, (ed)., Don Bosco educatore. Scritti e testimonianze,(Rome, LAS, 1997), 75-87.

31 The first reconstruction can be found in a biography o f Saiesian Francesco Bodrata, in draft form, written 1881 : cf. li dialogo tra donBosco e il maestro Francesco Bodrato ( 1864), ed. by Antonio Ferreira da Silva in P. Braido (ed), Don Bosco educatore, 187-198.

32 J. M. Prellezzo, D ei castighi da infliggersi nelle case salesiane. Una lettera circolare attribuita a don Bosco,RSS 5 ( 1986): 263-308.

33 Cf. Due lettere datate da Roma 10 maggio 1884, ed. by P. Braido, in P. Braido (ed.), Don Bosco educatore,344-308.

34 For some principies, cf. F. Motto, Tre lettere a salesiani in America,in P. Braido, Don Bosco educatore,439-452; also, to don G. Fagnano, Aug. 10, 1885, EIV 334-335; todon G.B.

Allavena, Sept. 24,1885, EIV, 339-340; to don L. Lasagna and to don Lorenzo Girodano, Sept.

30,1885, EIV 340-341.341-342.

Chapter 7