DON BOSCO FOR POOR AND ABANDONED YOUNG PEOPLE IN TWO PREVIOUSLY UNEDITED DOCUMENTS OF 1854 & 1862

Edited by Peter Braido SDB

Translated with selected annotations by Patrick Laws, SDB

PREFACE

There are three texts: 1] An Introduction to the draft plan for the festive oratory; 2] An Historical Outline on the development of the work of the Oratories at Turin from 1841 to 1854; 3] other Historical Outlines on the development of the work of the oratories at Turin from 1841 to 1862.In the primitive redactions of the rule of the oratory, the 'Introduction' and the 'Outline' constitute a sort of preliminary explanatory and historical section. This appears from the successive manuscript copies distributed among those responsible for the oratories and in those copies prepared for publication and in the definitive and official edition [of the Regulations] in 1877.The 'Introduction' was published, incomplete [lines 1-25; 47-51], by Fr Lemoyne in Vol. II of the Memorie Biografiche, and assigned the date November 3rd, 1841, when Don Bosco, ordained only a few months, settles in Turin...It appeared, probably for the first time, wholly transcribed from Don Bosco's manuscript version in the collection ''S. Giovanni Bosco, Scritti sul sistema preventivo nell'educazione della gioventu", edited by P. Braido [Brescia, La Scuola, 1965].The 'Historical Outline', the oldest and most interesting testimony written by Don Bosco at the very beginning of his work, has never before been published. The best writers on Don Bosco, however, know of it and refer to it.The 'Historical Outlines', according to Lemoyne, were supposed to have been published, and as such are listed, by P. Stella ["Gli Scritti a Stampa di S. Giovanni Bosco, Rome 1977]. A passage, corresponding to lines 186-202 of the present edition is reproduced in MB VI 8045. Subsequent corrections and refinements make one regard it as a document being gradually prepared for publication. But of such there is no trace, not even in the archives and libraries of those for whom it would have most obviously been intended [for example, the bishops from whom Don Bosco requested letters of commendation in order to obtain approval for his nascent religious society.


Outline of Regulations for the Boys' Oratory of St Francis of Sales in Turin, in the Valdocco district.

Introduction

Ut filios Dei, qui erant dispersi, congregaret in unum. Jn Ch 11, v.52

It seems to me that the words of the Holy Gospel which speak to us of the divine Saviour come down from heaven to earth to gather together all the children of God scattered all over the world, could be applied literally to the young people of our times. They constitute the most vulnerable yet valuable section of human society. We base our hopes for the future on them, and they are not of their nature depraved. Were it not for careless parents, idleness, mixing in bad company, something they experience especially on Sundays, it would be so easy to inculcate in their young hearts the principles of order, of good behaviour, of respect, of religion, because if they are ruined at that age, it is due more to carelessness than to ingrained malice.These young people truly have need of some kind person who will take care of them, work with them, guide them in virtue, keep them away from vice.The problem lies in finding ways of gathering them, of being able to speak to them, of making them good.The Son of God was sent for this; only his holy religion can achieve it. But this religion which of itself is eternal and unchangeable, which has been and in every age always will be the teacher of the people, contains a law so perfect that it can change according to the events of the time, adapt itself to the character of all peoples. Among the appropriate means for spreading the spirit of religion among hearts that are uncultivated and abandoned, one may find that of the Oratories. These Oratories are a sort of gathering in which the young people are involved in pleasing and harmless recreation, after they have attended the church services.The support which the civic and church authorities have given me, the zeal shown by many worthy people who have come to my aid both in kind and by working directly, are a clear sign of the blessings of the Lord, and of the gratitude of the public.It is now time to set out a regulatory scheme that might serve as a guideline for the administration of this aspect of the sacred ministry, as well as an indication to the priests and lay people who in goodly numbers work so hard in it with such loving care.I have often begun, and I have always given up on account of the innumerable difficulties I had to overcome. Now, and to ensure the preservation of the unity of spirit and uniformity of discipline, as well as to satisfy not a few persons in authority who have counselled me to do so, I have decided to complete this work, no matter what it costs.

I begin by saying that above all I have no intention of dictating either law or precept; my aim is to set out what we do in the Boys' Oratory of St Francis of Sales at Valdocco, and the way that we do it.It could be that someone will find expressions that seem to show that I am seeking honour and glory: let them not believe it. Such an impression may be attributed to the anxiety I have to write about things as they have actually happened and as they are to the present day.When I gave myself to this aspect of the sacred ministry, I saw myself as consecrating every effort of mine to the greater glory of God, and to the good of souls; I saw myself as working to make good citizens for this earth, so that they might be one day worthy inhabitants of heaven. May God help me to be able to continue in this way to the last breath of my life. So be it.

Historical Outline on the Oratory of St Francis of Sales

This Oratory, or gathering of young people on [Sundays and] feast days, began in the Church of St Francis of Assisi. For many years during the summertime, the Rev. Fr Caffasso used to teach catechism every Sunday to bricklayers' lads in a little room attached to the sacristy of the aforementioned Church. The heavy burden of work on this priest caused him to interrupt this work which he enjoyed so much. I took it up towards the end of 1841, and I began by gathering in that same place two young adults, who were seriously in need of religious instruction. These were joined by others and during 1842 the number went up to twenty, and sometimes twenty-five. From these beginnings I learnt two important truths: that in general young people are not bad in themselves, but more often they become such through contact with evil persons; and [even] these same evil ones separated one from the other are susceptible to great moral change.

In 1843 the catechism classes continued on the same footing and the number increased to fifty, a number the place assigned to me could scarcely contain. During the same period, by attending the prisons of Turin I was able to verify that the poor unfortunates sent to that place of punishment are generally poor young men who come into the city from far away either because they need to find work, or encouraged by some scapegrace. Particularly on feast days these people, left to themselves spend on games [of chance] or on sweetmeats the little money they earn during the week. This is the beginning of many vices, and those young people who were good become all too soon at risk themselves, and dangerous for others. Nor can the prisons better them in any way, because while they stay there they learn more refined ways of doing evil, so that when they get out, they become worse.I turned therefore to this class of young person as the most abandoned and in danger, and in the course of each week, either with promises or little gifts, I managed to gain pupils. As their number had grown a lot, and having been, in the summer of 1844, given a more spacious locale, I found myself at times with some eighty youths around me. My soul rejoiced at seeing myself surrounded by pupils, just the ones I was seeking, all with a job, whose conduct, whether on weekdays or weekends, I could in some way stand surety for. I kept an eye on them, and I saw one return to the parents from whom he had fled, another put to a master, all of them on the way to being taught their religion.But the community regimen, characteristic of the clergy hostel of St Francis of Assisi, the silence and good order required by the public functions of that church, having as it did such a large congregation, got in the way of my plans. And even though the late lamented Canon Guala encouraged me to persevere, nevertheless I became aware that another locale was absolutely necessary. Given that religious instruction occupies the young people for only a certain period of time, afterwards it is necessary to afford them some outlet, either going for walks, or playing games.Providence arranged that at the end of October 1844 I should go to the Refuge as Spiritual Director. I invited my sons to come and visit me in my new residence, and the next Sunday they were there in a much bigger number than usual. So my room became Oratory and playground. What a sight! There was not a chair, a table or anything else that wasn't attacked by this friendly invasion.Meanwhile, together with the Rev. Canon Borelli, who from that time was the Oratory's strongest supporter, we had chosen a room intended as dining room and common room for the priests working at the Refuge, which seemed big enough for our purposes and adapted it as a chapel. The Archbishop gave permission, and on the day of the Immaculate Conception of Our Lady (December 8, 1844), the chapel we had long hoped-for was blessed, with the faculty of celebrating the holy sacrifice of the Mass, and of giving benediction with the Blessed Sacrament.The news of a chapel destined exclusively for the young, the Liturgy prepared especially for them, a bit of open space to romp around in, proved to be powerful attractions, and our church, which at that time began to be called Oratory, became overcrowded. We made do as best we could. Rooms, the kitchen, corridors: in every corner there were catechism classes. It was all Oratory.Things went ahead this way when an incident, or better Divine Providence with hidden purpose, set our Oratory topsy turvey. On August 10th 1845 the Little Hospital of St Philomena was opened and the locale we had been using for nine months had to be given over to other uses. It was necessary to find another place. As the result of a formal request the city Mayor gave us permission to go to the church of St Martin near the "Molazzi", the Mills of the city. So that Sunday our change of residence was announced. Those youngsters, on the one hand upset because they had to leave a place they had come to love as their own, on the other excited by the novelty, all prepared themselves for the departure. You would have seen one carry a chair, another a bench; this one a picture or a statue, that one vestments, or breadbaskets, or cruets. Others, much more carefree, carried stilts, bags of bocce balls or ninepins; but all of them anxious to see the new oratory.We happily passed two months there, even though we could not do everything we wanted, insofar as we could not celebrate Mass, hold Benediction with the Blessed Sacrament, or recreate with freedom. That calm was the forerunner of a storm that was to put the Oratory to a severe test. Word got around that such gatherings of youngsters were dangerous, and that in a moment it could change from a recreation to an uprising. Some uprising poor ignorant young fellows could carry out, without weapons and without money, who gathered together only to learn their catechism, and who would have trembled had a crow flown overhead. Notwithstanding this, the rumours go on spreading, and a report is made to the mayor, in which I was nominated as the head brigand; that at the Mills an unbearable racket was being made, an intolerable disturbance, with great damage to the walls, to the [church] benches, and even to the paving of the courtyard. I was hard put to it to show that these assertions were unfounded: all in vain. An order is issued commanding us to vacate forthwith the locale they had made available to us.

I asked then to be allowed to go to the cemetery church of the Holy Cross, called St Peter in Chains. The request was granted. We went there with great joy; but it was for one Sunday only. Due to the fact that new reports were made in writing to the Mayor, in which our meetings were described as acts of insubordination, we were forthwith forbidden to set foot there again.I will not mention the names of the individuals who made these harsh reports in the City. I simply observe [God forbid I should rejoice in it ] one of them lived but one day more, the other three until the day the report was made, something that made a profound impression on the souls of the young men, who had come to know about these things. What to do? I had a heap of equipment for church and for recreation. A crowd of boys who followed me everywhere, and not an inch of ground to call my own.

Afraid that my sons would cease to attend, I kept my worries to myself and each Sunday would take them, sometimes to Sassi, sometimes to Our Lady of the Fields, sometimes to the Capuchins-On-The-Hill. Far from decreasing the numbers, this increased them. In the meantime, as the winter was drawing near, and the weather no longer favourable for excursions into the countryside, in accord with Canon Borelli we rented three rooms in the Moretta House, a building not far distant from the actual Oratory of Valdocco. During that winter our activities were limited to simple catechism lessons each Sunday afternoon.

At this time there was other gossip that had already been spread around, that the oratories were a deliberate way of getting young people away from their particular parishes, to instruct them in suspect principles. This accusation grew from the fact that I allowed my young people every kind of recreation, as long as they did not sin, or do anything against good conduct. With regard to the former I sought to excuse myself, saying that my purpose was to gather together only those young people who did not belong to any parish, and of whom most, being outsiders, did not even know to which parish they belonged. The more I tried to explain the truth of the matter, the more it was interpreted badly.

Furthermore, certain events came together to make us leave the Moretta house, in so far as in March 1846 I had to rent a bit of meadow from the Fillippi brothers, precisely where there is a pig iron foundry today. And there I was, under the clear blue sky, in the middle of a field, with a big hedge about me which kept out only those who did not want to come in, surrounded by about three hundred young people who saw in that Oratory heaven on earth, which appeared to be, and was, heaven itself.

In the meanwhile, the Vicar of the City, the Marquis Cavour, who had already been informed of these weekend gatherings, sent for me, and having summarised for me all that had been communicated to him about the oratory, said to me, "My dear Reverend sir, let me give you a piece of good advice. Let those villains go their way; these gatherings are dangerous". I replied,

"All I am trying to do is better the lot of these poor children, and if the Municipality would care to assign a locale to me, I have every hope of being able to lessen the number of the troublesome ones, and at the same time, the numbers of those who go to prison."

"You deceive yourself, dear Father, you labour in vain. From where will you get the means? I cannot permit these meetings."

"I am convinced by the results that my labour is not in vain. The means are in the hands of the Lord, who often uses the basest means to carry out his work..."

"But I cannot permit these meetings".

"Do not permit them on my account, Marquis; permit them for the good of these children who would be ruined if left to their own devices."

"I am not here to argue: this is a disorder, and I mean to stop it; do you not know that every assembly without legitimate permission is unlawful?"

"My gatherings have no political purpose - only to teach the catechism to these poor lads. And I do this with the Archbishop's permission."

"The Archbishop knows about these things?"

"He knows of them, and I have never moved a finger without his counsel and consent."

"But I cannot permit that you hold these assemblies".

"Marquis, I cannot believe you want to forbid me from teaching catechism, something my Archbishop has permitted?"

"Very well, I shall speak with the Archbishop, but then you will no longer refuse the orders which will be given you. Or you shall force me to take measures I do not wish."

The Archbishop was informed of everything, and he encouraged me to be patient and courageous. In the meantime in order to be able to attend more directly to the care of my children, I resigned perforce from the Refuge, as a result of which I was without employment, without means of support; every project of mine taken the wrong way, mentally and physically exhausted, so much so that the word was put around that I was mad.

Failing to make others understand my plans, I sought to mark time, because I was deeply convinced that the facts would justify what I was doing. Furthermore, I wanted so much to have a suitable site, that in my mind I considered this to be already achieved, and it was for these reasons that these same dear friends of mine judged me to be out of my senses; and my helpers, given I would not go along with them and give up my plans, abandoned me completely.

Canon Borelli agreed with my ideas and not being able to act otherwise, thought well to choose a dozen lads, and teach them their catechism privately, in expectation of better times for achieving our ideals.

I replied, "This is not the way. The Lord has begun the work, He must bring it to term".

"But meanwhile, where will we gather our boys?"

"At the Oratory".

"Where is this Oratory?"

"I see it there, already existing: I see a church, I see a house, I see a playground: it is there, and I see it."

"Where are these things?'

"I do not know where they are, but I see them."I said this because of a lively wish to have these things, and I was thoroughly convinced that God would have given them to us.

Canon Borelli felt sorry for me, the way I was, and he too went about saying he greatly feared I was out of my mind. Fr Cafasso told me to take no decision at that time. The Archbishop was of the opinion I should continue.In the meanwhile the Marquis Cavour, determined to stop these gatherings, which he regarded as dangerous, and not wishing to decide anything which might displease the Archbishop, called a meeting of the Ragioneria, which was the same as the Municipal Council, in the Palace of the Archbishop. The Archbishop told me later how it seemed to him like the Last Judgement. After a brief discussion it was decided that these gatherings be absolutely forbidden.One member of the Ragioneria was Count Provana di Collegno, then Comptroller General. He had always encouraged me, and he had helped me out of his own estate, as well as on behalf of His Majesty [King] Charles Albert. This prince, God rest him, used to love hear tell of this oratory; he helped me in cases of particular need; and he made known to me several times by means of the above-mentioned Count of Collegno, how much he admired this aspect of the sacred ministry, and that he regarded it after the manner of the foreign missions; and that it was his wish that similar gatherings of poor young people who might be in danger should be held in every city of his domains.When he came to know of my critical state he sent me three hundred francs by the hand of the above-mentioned count with words of encouragement, requesting him to communicate to the Ragioneria that he wished such gatherings might continue, and that in case of danger of disorder, measures should be taken to anticipate and prevent them. At the receipt of this message the Vicar remained silent, and said that he would take measures such that disorders would not occur. The arrangement was that, every Sunday, a certain number of municipal officers, a kind of officials, would be dispatched to assist at our meetings in order to report in due course to the one in charge.

The officials were present at the catechism lessons, at the sermon, at the recreation, and reported all things in detail to the Vicar, such that in a few months he had a better opinion of the Oratory, and things began to take on a better aspect.

The Beginning of the Actual Oratory of Valdocco and its growth up to the present time.

It was a Sunday evening, the fifteenth of March, a memorable day for our Oratory. Looking at this large number of youngsters playing, and I alone in their midst, totally spent in energy and health, not knowing where to turn, because the field I had rented was to be used for another purpose, I became so upset I began to weep. "My God", I kept saying, raising my eyes to heaven. "Why do you not show me the place where you want me to gather together these dear children? Show it to me, or tell me what I must do".I was turning over such expressions in my in my mind when along comes one Pancrazio Soave telling me of a certain Pinardi who had a place he could rent to me, very suitable for my needs. I went at once: it was a shed. To discuss, to agree on the price; how to turn the place into a chapel: it was done in a couple of minutes. I rushed pellmell back to my children, I gathered them together, and carried away with joy, I began to shout, "Courage, my sons, we have an Oratory.

We will have a church, a sacristy, a schoolhouse, a playground".This news was received with enthusiasm. And on Easter Sunday, the [12th] day of April, we carried to the place all the equipment for church and recreation, and the new chapel was inaugurated. Soon after, other rooms of that same Pinardi house were rented in which the Sunday and evening schools were begun. Cavalier Gonella, distinguished benefactor of this Oratory, was so pleased with these schools that he arranged for them to be started at the [church of] St Pelagia. The municipality itself was impressed with the evening schools and they were opened in various quarters of the City where today any worker who so wishes is offered the opportunity to be instructed. The events which followed this period being known to all, I will limit myself simply to noting them.In the year 1846, on a day in April, the actual church was blessed with the faculty of celebrating Holy Mass, teaching catechism, preaching, and imparting Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.The Sunday and evening schools made great progress with classes in reading, writing, singing, Bible History, the elements of arithmetic and the Italian language, in which a public display was given by the pupils of the Oratory.

By the month of November I had established my dwelling in the house attached to the Oratory. Many priests including Canon Vola, Canon Carpano, Fr Trivano, took part in the life of the Oratory.

The Sodality of St Aloysius was established with the approval of the ecclesiastical authorities: we got a statue of the saint; we made the 'Six Sundays' preceding the solemn feast of St Aloysius, with a large attendance. On the feast day of the Saint the Archbishop came to administer the Sacrament of Confirmation to a large number of boys and a short play was acted, along with singing and music.Other rooms were rented, thanks to which some evening classes were expanded. Two poor young men, orphans, unqualified, ignorant of religion, were given a place to stay, and so boarding began and continued to grow.With so many boys coming to the Oratory so that the church and yard at Valdocco became overcrowded, on the feast of the Immaculate Conception, a new Oratory was opened at Porta Nuova, in the house of Vaglienti, previously of Turvano, under the title of St Aloysius Gonzaga, and its administration was entrusted to the Rev. Canon Giacinto Carparno. It began with the same rules and scope as that of Valdocco, and in a short time had a large attendance.1848. The number of boarders grows to fifteen. Following difficulties which arose out of the admission of the young people to Holy Communion, the Archbishop formally conceded the faculty of being able to admit to Confirmation, to Communion, and to fulfil one's Easter Duty in the Oratory chapel.The annual retreat was preached for the first time to a certain number of youths who lived in the house attached to the Oratory, and very good results could be observed. The Municipality sends a commission to visit the Oratories, and following a favourable report, offered a grant of 600 francs. Also the 'Work for the Instruction of the Poor' came to the aid of the Oratories with a provisional grant. In the month of May a solemn procession to the sanctuary of the Consolata was held to receive solemn communion in honour of Mary Most Holy. This had already been done for two years, but not processionally. The pictures of the holy Way of the Cross were blessed, we together visited the Altars of Repose on Holy Thursday, and on the evening of the same day the function of the Lavabo was held for the first time.In this same year lessons in piano and organ were begun, and the children began to go to sing Mass and Vespers in the choirs of Turin, Carignano, Chieri, Rivoli, etc.1849. The whole of the Pinardi house, and the area in front of and behind the house is rented; the size of the church is increased almost by half. The number of youngsters boarding increases to thirty. The Pope leaves Rome and flees to Gaeta in the Kingdom of Naples, and the children of the Oratory take up a collection, on account of which the Pope is greatly moved, and has Cardinal Antonelli write a letter of thanks, and he sends his blessing to the children of the Oratory. He further sends from Gaeta a packet with 60 dozen rosaries for the children of the Oratory, and on the twentieth of June with a great feast, they are solemnly given out. See the booklet printed on that occasion.

Because of the war Rev. Fr Cocchis closes the Oratory of the Angel Guardian, which remains closed for a year. Then it is sublet by us, and the administration is confided to the Rev. Canon Vola.The Senate chamber and the ministry send a commission to visit the Oratories and they present a favourable oral and written report. See the Piedmontese Gazzette of March 29th, 1849.Ascanio Savio becomes the first young man from the Oratory to put on clerical garb.1850. The Pinardi house is purchased, with the surrounding land. The number of boarders rises to fifty. The attendance of boys at the Oratory of St Francis of Sales is extraordinary, a new Church is planned and on June 20th Cavalier Cotta lays the foundation stone, and Canon Moreno blesses it, with a huge crowd attending Transcribe here the Report of the Function .The Bishop of Biella recommends the construction of the new church in a circular written for the purpose, and raises one thousand francs. The money being lacking to continue the Church, a lottery is organised which is drawn the following year, and which is very well received. Three thousand three hundred objects are collected, which produce, after expenses, the net result of 27 thousand francs.On June the first the Mutual Aid Society is founded, the rules of which can be read in the printed booklet.1851 On June 20th, feast of Our Lady of Consolation, with great display, with a great many distinguished persons in attendance, with great joy, the new church is blessed and the sacred functions are conducted for the first time. The following poem offers a sample of what was done on that day: "Like bird from bough to bough", etc.A number of things were bought for the church, the altar of St Aloysius was bought. The choir loft was built.1852. The explosion of the powder factory on April 26th of the previous year shook and considerably damaged the house of the Oratory, for which reason in this year the building of a new wing is begun. Just before the roof went on [December 2nd], most of the building fell down, frightening everyone and doing much damage. No harm came to persons.Mr Michael Scanagatti provided a set of elegant candlesticks for the High Altar. The belltower is built. There not being any room for evening classes, classes are organised in the new church. The old church is turned into a dormitory, study rooms and school. Fr Cafasso has the actual pulpit made.

1853. The main body of the ruined house is rebuilt; it is completed, the greater part of it is furbished, and in the month of October it is occupied. The new locale permits the dormitories and the dining room of the boarders to be better organised. Their number rises to 65.

Cavalier Dupre buys a marble altar rail, and embellishes the altar of St Aloysius. The Marquis Fassati provides a marble altar with columns, a set of candlesticks in bronzed brass for the altar of the Madonna.

Count Cays, Prior of the Sodality of St Aloysius, buys a bell, and it is blessed by the Parish Priest of Rorgodora. He provides the present baldachino.

The Devotion of the Forty Hours was held for the first time, with the Easter octave.

To remove the disturbance caused by the public house and to remove people of doubtful conduct from the Bellezza house, near the church, the whole house is rented.

1854. Given the bad year, no new work is taken on. Only a few really necessary things are attended to. Count Cays is re-elected Prior of the St Aloysius Sodality and he provided a new long fringe which hung all around the cornice of the church.

The shortage of foodstuffs, the lack of work, exposing many young people to dangers in both body and soul [demand that] many be brought into the house, and their numbers grow to 86.

Historical Outline Concerning The Oratory of St Francis of Sales

The idea of the Oratories came from my ministry to the prisons of this city. In these places of temporal and spiritual misery many young people are found, in the flower of their youth, with lively minds, good hearts, well capable of becoming the consolation of their families and the pride of their country; and yet they were shut in there, degraded, made the reproach of society. When one pondered carefully on the reasons for this unhappy affair one could conclude that for the most part their misfortune came rather from lack of education than through wickedness. One noted also that, as little by little one got them to be aware of their human dignity, they were beings endowed with reason who must needs earn their bread with honest work and not with theft; at the moment in short that one caused religious and moral considerations to enter their minds, this brought them to want to be better. In fact, many of them changed their behaviour in the prison itself, others, on being discharged lived in such a way as never again to go astray.One, then, confirmed with the facts that these youngsters were reduced to this unhappy state for lack of moral and religious instruction and that these two means of educating were those well capable of working together to keep good those who already were, and to bring the troublesome ones to their senses when they leave those places of punishment.

To put this to the test, we began to give appropriate religious instruction in the prisons of this capital and a little later in the sacristy of the church of St Francis of Assisi, and then we began the Sunday gatherings. We invited to these those discharged from prison and those who during the week hung about the squares and in the streets as well as those who got together in the factories. The attractions we offered to occupy them on the Sunday were moral and religious stories, the singing of hymns, small gifts, a few playthings.

It was the year of 1841 and the young people who attended averaged about seventy. The oratory continued on the St Francis of Assisi site for three years to everyone's great satisfaction, until the extraordinary number of boys forced us to choose a bigger locale. For which reason in the year 1844 Fr John Bosco having by ecclesiastical appointment passed to the direction of the pious work of the Refuge in Valdocco, a place more adapted to our needs was chosen there, and on the eighth day of December 1844 the first chapel dedicated exclusively to the boys was blessed. This church consisted of two rooms next to the building set aside for the priest-directors of the above-mentioned work of the Refuge. The Oratory lasted here for a year.

In the autumn of 1845 due to the growing number of boys who often exceeded two hundred, and the building which up to then had served as a church being needed for other purposes, we must needs look for another place. or the space of about four months we went to the church of St Martin near the mills of the city, eventually ceasing in order to make way for other catechism classes intended for girls. The cemetery of St Peter in Chains, the Moretta house, the Pinardi field, all served as Oratory until the spring of 1846.

In this year the Pinardi house in the Valdocco area, where the Oratory of St Francis of Sales grew up, was rented and later purchased. The number of the boys grew, such that in the year 1850 they often exceeded two, and even three, thousand.

In order to provide for this need in the year 1851 the present church was built and this was done with the help of Art Unions and with private offerings.

The Oratory of St Aloysius at Porta Nuova. In the year 1847 given that owing to the great number of boys they could no longer all be fitted into the Oratory of St Francis of Sales, another was opened at Porta Nuova between the Avenue of the Plane Trees and Valentine Avenue.The direction of it was entrusted to the Rev. Canon Joachim Carpano, later it passed to others and presently the Rev. Canon Leonard Murialdo is its zealous Director. The average number of boys there is about 500.

Oratory of the Holy Angel Guardian . The extraordinary attendance of boys at the Oratory of Porta Nuova rapidly made it evident that a new site needed to be chosen there, where the need was. Vanchiglia is a very populous area of Turin, full of young people who wander everywhere on Sundays. The good Fr Cocchi had opened an Oratory there which he had to give up because of his other occupations. In that same place and with virtually the same scope, in the year 1849 the Oratory of the Holy Guardian Angel was opened to the public in that zone. Fr Robert Murialdo was entrusted with its direction; at this time, given the former's failing health, Father Michael Rua is in charge. The average attendance at this Oratory is about four hundred.

General Comments. One could define these Oratories as places designed to care for young people in danger on feast days, with attractive and legitimate amusement after having been to church. Hence as well as churches, there are reasonably large areas for recreation and suitable places for school and to shelter the pupils from the inclement weather during the cold season, or when it rains. To encourage the boys to attend we give them medals, holy pictures, fruit, a snack or some item of food; sometimes a pair of trousers, shoes or an article of clothing for the poorest; finding them a job, helping their parents or even their employers. The games are tenpins or bowls, stilts, various kinds of swings, giant swing, military drill, singing, concerts with vocal and instrumental music. But what attracted the boys more than anything was the cordial welcome they had. Long experience has made it clear that good results in the education of the young are achieved especially by knowing how to make oneself loved so that one might then be feared.

The religious services on Sundays are as follows: in the morning, opportunity for Confession for those who wish; Mass, followed by the telling of an episode of Bible, or Church, History, or the explanation of the Gospel of the day; then recreation. In the afternoon, catechism in class groups, Vespers, a brief instruction from the pulpit, Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, followed by the usual recreation. When the religious services are over, each one is free to remain and play, or go home. At nightfall, everyone is sent home and the Oratory is closed.

There are special regulations which guide all that happens in church, in recreation and in school. Involved in the work are priests, seminarians and lay people of good class who help out in all that takes place. In the season of Lent, in all three locations there are daily catechism lessons at midday for those who are not free at other times of the day.

The Month of Mary is celebrated as well with a sermon or comparable spiritual reading, the Rosary and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, either at sunrise or at the time of the evening Angelus, according to circumstances.

Those who assumed the most active role at the beginning of the Oratories, in addition to those already mentioned, were: Fr Ponte, Fr Trivero, Fr Pacchiotti, the Rev. Canon John Vola. Then in a special way the Rev. Canon John Borelli deserves mention. He was the heart, the mainstay both by exercising his sacred ministry, and with moral and material support. Also the [Rev.] Cavalier Baricco helped out on numerous occasions.

The Sunday Schools. Either through lack of time or of means many young people found themselves already on in years without having the instruction necessary for getting an apprenticeship. They were unable to go to any kind of school during the week, a need that suggested the establishment of Sunday Schools. We began these for the first time in 1845. In the beginning it was quite a problem, there being no books or people who could counsel or guide us in the matter. However we overcame this in part by taking only one subject at a time and assigning only one lesson for study during the week. By these means we managed to teach them first to read and write and following that, the four operations in arithmetic, followed by the elements of the metric system, of Italian grammar and Bible History, but without ever passing from one branch of teaching to a new one unless what was already in hand had not been well learnt. The public displays which were given were to the satisfaction of public figures such as Father Aporti, the Mayor of the City Cavalier Bellono, and the Rev. Cavalier Baricco, all of whom wanted to honour us with their presence.

Evening Schools. Among that multitude of young people who came along another need appeared, insofar as although the Sunday instruction produced good effects, nevertheless for many it was not enough. We began therefore to invite them to come during the week on those days and at those times more convenient to the pupils. One youngster involved another, and in a short time it was judged opportune to establish a fixed time for all, and this time was the evening, more precisely when the young workers had finished their daily work. And so in 1846 the evening schools were begun for the first time. The attendance was extraordinary, so that we had to limit ourselves to a number of pupils compatible with the limited size of the place. Since the evening schools were then opened in many quarters of the city by the City Council, so the need for these schools in the other oratories ceased. They continued, up until the present, only in the Oratory of St Francis of Sales. The subjects to be taught are: reading, writing, the metric system, the Italian language, plain chant, vocal music, instrumental music, and to some, piano, organ and the French language.

Daytime Classes during the Week. Another class of youngster wandered at risk around the city, and they were those boys who, either because they were badly dressed or not being able to get used to regular discipline, are not accepted in the public schools or are expelled from them. Mostly orphans, or neglected by their parents, even at a very young age they run free in the streets and squares, fighting, blaspheming, thieving. A day school was opened for them in the Oratory of St Francis of Sales and in that of St Aloysius. In both oratories they attended in great numbers, and through the care of aware and kind teachers they got satisfactory results in terms both of morality and discipline. Many of them were then admitted to the Council classes, and some put to a master.

The House at the Oratory of St Francis of Sales . Among the young people who attend these oratories one finds some so poor and abandoned that every care for them was exercised in vain without a place where they could be provided with accommodation, food and clothing. We sought to provide for this need with the house attached to the place, and also called the Oratory of St Francis of Sales There in the beginning we rented a house in 1847 and we began to gather together a few among the poorest. At that time they used to go to work in the city returning to the house of the Oratory to eat and sleep. But the grave need that was experienced in various localities of the province made us decide to extend admission also to those who did not attend the Turin oratories.

One thing led to another. Abandoned youths flocked like ants from everywhere. For that reason a criterion was established according to which we accepted only those young people who were between twelve and eighteen years of age, without father or mother, completely poor and abandoned. Because going in to the city to commercial workshops had bad consequences, then having extended the existing locale, a new one was constructed, and at the present time [the boarders numbering seven hundred] the plant, or workshops, are all here in the house. The crafts in which they are engaged are tailoring, bootmaking, bookbinding, carpentry, bookbinding, printing and study for those who by their good conduct and particular aptitude for studies, render themselves worthy of it.

The ardent desire so many lads showed of following the regular courses of schooling caused us to make some exceptions to the conditions for acceptance. Hereafter we admitted to study also boys who were not abandoned and not completely poor as long as their good conduct and their attitude were such as to positively indicate an honourable and Christian outcome in some academic career.

Administration. At the same time, there exists in this house a Regulation according to which everything is done. There is a Rector from whom each one depends; a Prefect acts in his place and is responsible for the bookkeeping and the correspondence; a Director looks after the school, deals with the teachers, with the assistants in study, with the catechists or spiritual directors; an Economer looks after the service personnel and in general all the domestic arrangements. The heads or crafts masters in each workshop are also responsible to the Economer. There is no fixed revenue or income. So the house is maintained by sheer charity, mostly private. The Municipality gives an annual subsidy of 300 lire for lighting and wood for the evening classes, in the winter time. It is impossible to calculate the exact cost for the whole house but one may calculate about 60 centesimal each day for each one, everything included. The Church, the buildings, the sites for the house and oratory of Valdocco are the property of the Rev. John Bosco. Those for Porta Nuova and Vanchiglia are rented.

The Results. To understand the results obtained by these schools, by the Oratories, and by the house known as the Oratory of St Francis of Sales it is necessary to divide the pupils into three categories: the troublesome, the thoughtless, the good. The good are kept that way and go on getting better in a marvellous way. The thoughtless, that is, those who have already become accustomed to wandering free, with little experience of working, are also brought on to obtain good results with skill, with assistance, with instruction, with being kept busy. The troublesome ones keep us very busy; one can get them more or less accustomed to working, and for the most part they improve. By the means I have mentioned, one can get certain results that one can express in this way: 1, they don't get worse; 2, many of them get some sense into them, and later earn their bread honestly; 3, those very ones who under supervision appear unheeding with time allow the good principles they were taught to take hold in them, so that they produce their good effects later on.

For these reasons every year we have succeeded in finding places for several hundred young people with good employers from whom they have learnt a trade. Many have returned to their families from which they had run away, and then show themselves more amenable and obedient. Not a few then were put to service in good families.

About three hundred young people enter and leave this Oratory each year. Many of these find places in the band of the National Guard, or in military bands; others continue with their trade with some firm or other; others go into service in good families; a fair number also go into teaching. These latter, having passed the required examinations, either remain here in the house or go as schoolmasters to those centres that ask for them. Others also follow careers in the civil service.

Amongst the [school] students many follow a career in the church. These, having finished high school, are sent, most of them to their respective bishops, who lovingly take care to help them and have them follow their desired career. From this group are chosen those who act as teachers in this house, who teach catechism in the Festive Oratories, who assist in the various workshops and dormitories. Having been ordained, many continue to exercise their sacred ministry in favour of the young people who live here, or who attend the other Oratories of the city. Others follow their inclinations and go to work in those aspects of the ministry for which the ecclesiastical superior judges them fit.

A person to whom the oratories and this house owes much is Father Victor Alassonatti who for many years now has tirelessly dedicated his energies for this charitable work.

None of the personnel of this house and of all the oratories, including those in service, receive a wage; each one gives his work gratuitously.