The oratory is the soul of our Pious Society 6

From the reading of the first volumes of the life of our Venerable Father, written with so much love and scrupulous accuracy by our beloved Father Lemoyne, it appears crystal-clear that Don Bosco’s first work, for many years the only one, was the festive oratory, his festive oratory, as he had already glimpsed it in the mysterious dream he had at the age of nine and in subsequent dreams that progressively illumined his mind about the work that Providence was entrusting to him.

We must never forget, dear confreres, that Don Bosco’s festive oratory is an institution all its own that differs from anything similar both for its intended purpose and for the means it uses.

According to Don Bosco, the oratory is not for a given category of young people in preference to others, but for everyone without distinction from the age of seven onwards. Family status or the presentation of the young person by relatives is not required. The only condition for admission is to come with the good will to have fun, be instructed, and fulfil one’s religious duties together with all the others.

Causes for a young person’s removal from the oratory cannot be live-liness of character, nor occasional insubordination, nor lack of good manners, nor any other youthful defect caused by lightmindedness or natural stubbornness; but only systematic and contagious insubordination, swearing, dirty talk, and scandal. Except in these cases, the tolerance of the superior must be unlimited.

All young people, even the most marginalized and wretched, must feel that the oratory is their family home, their refuge, their ark of salvation, their sure means of becoming better, under the transforming action of the director’s more than fatherly affection.

Don Bosco wrote in 1843, almost at the very beginning of his work:

These young people really need a beneficial hand to take care of them,

6 From the circular letter “Festive Oratories, Missions, and Vocations” (31 May 1913),

and thus train them to virtue and remove them from vice. The difficulty consists in finding out how to gather them, speak to them, and teach them right and wrong.

This was the mission of the Son of God; only his holy religion can do this. But this religion, which is eternal and immortal in itself, which was and always will be the Teacher of humanity, contains such a perfect law that it knows how to bend to the events of the times and adapt to the distinct personalities of humanity.

Festive oratories are among the means to spread the spirit of religion in uneducated and marginalized hearts. … I intended to work to make good citizens on this earth, so they might one day be worthy inhabitants of heaven. May God help me be able to continue in this way until the last breath of my life.

And the Lord helped him not only to continue to the last breath of his life in this apostolic aspiration, but to perpetuate it prodigiously amid various peoples by drawing out of his magnanimous heart the Pious Salesian Society, which was born in his Oratory and for the Oratory. It cannot live and prosper except for this.

Therefore, Don Bosco’s festive oratory, which is spreading more and more, reproducing itself in a thousand different places and times, but is always unique in its nature, is the soul of our Pious Society. If we are true sons of such a Father, we must keep this precious, vital heritage in its genuine integrity and splendour.

Everywhere Don Bosco’s sons are found, his oratory must flourish, open to all young people, in order to gather them, speak to them, teach them right and wrong, and make them worthy citizens not only of this earth but, above all, worthy inhabitants of heaven.

Although our Pious Society takes on a variety of works, it is agreed that all aim at producing the precious and natural fruit of the Society itself, which is the festive oratory; by doing otherwise we do not deserve to be regarded as true sons of the Father. …

Father Rua said one day to a Salesian he was sending to open a festive oratory: “There is nothing there, not even the grounds and the premises to gather boys, but the festive oratory is in you. If you are a true son of Don Bosco, you will do well to find where you can plant it and make it grow into a magnificent tree rich in beautiful fruit.” And so it was; in a few months a beautiful and spacious oratory arose, crowded with hundreds of boys, the oldest of whom had quickly become apostles of the smallest.

Of course, the oratory needs staff and help, but these are not the main factors. Give me a director full of the spirit of our Venerable Father, thirsty for souls, rich in good will, ardent with affection and interest in young people, and the oratory will flourish wonderfully even if it lacks many things.

Father Rua himself, after hinting at the abundant healthy fruit that had been garnered in several oratories, continues:

But you might believe that such joyous things can be counted only of those oratories that have a suitable building, an appropriate chapel, a vast playground, a theatre, gymnastic equipment, and many attractive games.

These are certainly very effective means for attracting many young people to the oratories, and for the good principles sown in their hearts to take deep roots. Still, I must tell you with the greatest joy that in many places the zeal of the confreres has made up for the lack of these means. Oratories were started in the same way that Don Bosco began at the Rifugio: a school or a pathetic room that served as a chapel, while a small lot without shelter served as a playground, and it seemed to everyone quite impossible to continue. Yet the youngsters, attracted by the fine ways of the Salesians, came in large numbers.

The interest that was shown to them induced them to say: Elsewhere we can find large halls, big playgrounds, beautiful gardens, games of all kinds. But we prefer to come here where there is nothing, because we know that we are loved so much.

That is exactly how it is: the sincere affection of the director and his helpers makes up for many things. Let us not believe we have made the oratory the way Don Bosco wanted it when we have set up a recreation room where a few hundred boys are gathered.

Although it is desirable that the oratory be abundantly equipped with every kind of comforts and entertainment in order to increase the number of pupils, yet all this must never be apart from the most diligent concern to make them good and well formed in religion and virtue.

Do not believe that in preaching it is enough to tell them whatever comes to your mind. Let instructions, explanations of the Gospel, as well as catechism lessons be prepared. Tell the young things tailored to their needs and in the most interesting way that you can, for individual sanctifi-cation and the restoration of all things in Christ Jesus.⁷

7 Editor’s note: An allusion to the motto of Pope Pius X (1903-1910), “To restore all

When a director of a festive oratory has achieved the result that every Sunday there is a certain number of Communions, he can be sure that in his oratory he will no longer have only children, but very devoted young men who will be the backbone of the sodalities and clubs and of all those works of improvement that must embellish the oratory as fruits does a plant. These are treated extensively in the Report on Festive Oratories and Schools of Religion, a report that I hope each director has received and will re-read from time to time.⁸ I merely mention it to you so as not to dwell on it overmuch in this letter; I would like it to be taken as the theme of discus-sions in your meetings.

If study and experience suggest some practical modifications or additions, please inform me. In this Report, you will find a vast repertoire of what can be done to attach adults to the oratory. Do not forget, however, that all those works have as their only purpose to be means of attaining the vitality of the oratory, while Holy Communion is its very life.