Don Bosco — A legacy to inform the future

Consecrated Life Supplement

Interact with most under a certain age without the advantage of perspective and you’re likely to subscribe to the view that the past is a snarling beast, whose remnants continue to lurk our free and tolerant society with a menace that needs to be attentively fended off wherever it’s perceived to be festering.

Go one further and boldly suggest that there was genuinely some veritable good contained in our past and prepare to face the indignant wrath of the ill-informed and incorrigible – the common social graces of the time.

But what those critics fail to remember is that some messages encapsulated in certain periods, messages which largely accord with the secular gospel of today, deserve to be recognised in their individual merits if they were truly committed to countering injustice, empowering the marginalised and dispensing mercy to those who aren’t considered likely recipients – regardless of what era they occurred in or the auspices in which they were provided.

January 31 marks the feast day of Saint John Bosco, more popularly known as “Don Bosco” whose mere presence in the litany single-handedly elevates its altruistic dimension manifold. The Feast of Don Bosco is a commemoration of an Italian priest, educator and champion of poor and economically disadvantaged children.

Reflect

It compels us to reflect on the works and deeds of the humanitarian saint and how his undying message is still being delivered by those who continue to abide by Don Bosco’s ultimate goal as members of the religious congregation that formalised his social objectives, the Salesians – which currently boast over 15,000 members working in 134 countries.

Don Bosco originally began his work in Turin, Italy, in the mid-1800s by gathering poor boys and young men who had no place to live and little education. He established a place called an oratory where these young people could gather and call their home.

He developed teaching methods based on love rather than punishment, a method that became known as the Salesian Preventive System. From among the young men at the oratory, he founded a religious congregation, the Salesian Society, which consisted of priests and brothers.

Don Bosco was a follower of Saint Francis de Sales’ simple spirituality and philosophy of kindness and established the Society of St Francis de Sales in his honour in 1859—popularly known as the Salesians. Don Bosco established a network of organisations and centres to carry on his work.

With the help of Sr Maria Domenica Mazzarello, Don Bosco founded a society for women, the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, known as the Salesian Sister, dedicated to the care and education of poor girls.

Don Bosco also started with the help of many laypeople. In 1876, he founded a movement of lay persons, the Association of Salesian Cooperators, with the same educational mission to the poor.

Resonance

The widespread resonance of Don Bosco’s unwavering commitment to the transformation of young people’s lives through the medium of education meant that expansion to other regions of the world was inevitable and after there was a flourish of Salesian-run schools established in countries such as China, India, South Africa, Venezuela and the US by 1911, Ireland welcomed its first congregation in 1919 on the invitation of Dr Denis Hallinan, the Bishop of Limerick.

The timing of the invitation to develop the Salesians as a prominent educational force in Ireland can be interpreted as a posthumous tribute to the now-deceased Bosco, who would’ve marvelled at the fact that his vision was still blossoming in death.

Today, Ireland hosts approximately 40-45 members of the Salesians in five communities, maintaining schools in Limerick and Kildare. Despite the decrease in numbers, the religious are more active than before as to pastoral initiatives.

Supplied with the compelling facts, can we credibly say this legacy and holistic approach to the development of needy children be disregarded purely because of the times they were initially conceived? The only logical answer to this question should be an emphatic no.

Attitudes

Don Bosco’s personal attitudes to inequality in society culminated in the Salesian’s overarching goal to help young people who live in poverty – both materially and spiritually at a time when social taboos dictated that such mercies weren’t in abundance across societies.

As we enter the 105th year of Salesian presence in Ireland, 105 years marked by tireless work and support of young people and their families, you will continue to find Salesians offering their support and guidance to some of the country’s most vulnerable and disadvantaged young people.

From schools to youth clubs and homes for the homeless. From working as missionaries with street children to serving as chaplains in schools – the Salesians continue to offer joy in the face of despair, light in the midst of darkness and hope in climates where it is in limited supply. All of these acts, inherent in the mission of Don Bosco, are symbolic of a legacy which was cultivated by the past to inform the future.