(from part 1/4 continued... )
The
Author of the Text
The
author of the
text lived in an era that was unafraid because it was also a time
where he literally held hands with God. The zeal for which the
missionaries of the 19th
century moved should also be contextualized. And
this contextualization of the author could also trivialize him and
simply lump him and fit him into a common drop box called Missions of
the 19th
Century. It should be considered too that the
very hand that wrote the Mementos, were coming from an author that
was not
only a man of his milieu, even
if this could account for the style and language of his writing. But
in reality, the author is also expressing an experience uniquely his
own and irreplaceable. Don Bosco was a student of the theology,
ecclesiology, soteriology, and pastoral sociology of his time.1
Don
Bosco rejoiced
in experiencing and contemplating God as a father
to
him2.
For Don Bosco giving
God glory finds perfect sense and meaning because it is but just to
the honor God
for His
great work in the world.3
And
all apostolic endeavors are all at the service of the glory of God.
It was natural for Don Bosco to conceptualize doing
mission as
a normal extension
of God's reign
ie. Enhancing the growth of
the kingdom of God.4
When
putting flesh into
all of these
experiences
of the goodness of the
Fatherhood of God,
Don Bosco could not help but hurl himself untiringly
for the glory of God in the
saving of (more) souls.5
This energy to work for the glory of God can be recalled in Don
Bosco's writing
to one of the
missionaries
of
the first hour,
to
Don
Tomatis in 1876. He
wrote:
Listen
to
me Don Tomatis;
A
missionary must be prompt
to
give (his) life for the glory of God; and must he not then be able to
withstand a
little with the
dislike
for
a companion, and even (with
his)
obvious defects?
The
terms 'savages' and 'pagans' in the nineteenth century reflects the
ecclesiology6
of the time which can be summed up with the phrase outside
the church, there is no salvation.
Don Bosco can be accused of using such self-righteous
nominatives when using frequently 'pagans' to refer to the indigenous
or natives of the mission lands. These apparent insensitive
remarks if applied
two
centuries after his time obviously
would not sound at all 'tolerant'. Such referrals would easily pass
as 'racist remarks' today. However
for his era, the very language simply reflected the identity
of
reflection on the dominant
responsibility of
the Church of
the nineteenth century
instead
of the shared responsibility to be THE instrument
of light and of salvation for people who do not believe in Christ,
who
is fully and truly found only in the Roman Catholic Church. And
outside of this Church, no one can be saved. This therefore brings
one to a natural consequence to seek out the others and try with all
energy to bring them into the Catholic Church through baptism. Fr.
Francis Desramaut quotes an article of Don Rua in the Bolletin
Salesiano
of January 1898, that explained to the Salesian Cooperators the very
missionary thoughts of Don Bosco: Every
day in every place on earth, millions of hearts are on fire with
charity that rises towards throne of God in prayer: Holy be Your
Name,
Your
Kingdom
come, Your
Will
be done. How fortunate they are who with their apostolate to
those in
distant missions can contribute in making known the name of God, to
make Him
reign in many hearts, to accomplish His
Will
on earth through the observance of His
commandments! Ah this honor, the glory (of God) which the humble sons
of Don Bosco aspire for, and does not seek to be recompensed by the
costly toll of bidding farewell to his own
country,
relatives, renouncing
comfortable
lives
in civilized countries, and instead to condemn oneself to inevitable
sufferings of deadly environments, an unbearable heat and to all
sorts of privations.7
This
could not in any way be construed otherwise. This missionary intent
of Don Bosco was only for the glory of God and the means to do this
was in teaching many
others
to
call on the holy
Name
of the Lord.
Don
Bosco may be condemned by liberalists
today as triumphalistic as the Church to which he belonged.
And yet on a different stand
point,
it would be of little effort to see another
side of him
as a sincere priest who simply wanted to advance the Glory of God and
not his own
glory.
To
seek more souls and not to collect scalps or trophies. Don Bosco
sought more ways
to win more souls made him a zealous apostle of the church because he
was deeply a man of God.
It
should be noted that the intention of Don Bosco for his sons to go to
the Missions was to go in the name of the Pope, that means in the
name of the Church. Don Bosco knew that the colony of the Italian
immigrants were
growing in numbers and also growing in the laxity of their Christian
faith. Thus for Don Bosco, a
missionary has the duty to usher in the pagans and heretics into the
true Church, that is in the Church of Rome, the one governed by the
Pope; and because of this many savages will come to be part of the
flock (fold) of the Jesus Christ.8
A
natural consequence of seeking the Glory of God and through
increasing membership into the Church, the work for the salvation of
souls9
is more assured. And
this should
not be a surprise if aptly
expresses it
in
the motto of
the Society he founded, Da
Mihi Animas Coetera Tolle. It
was paramount that he and all his sons understood the necessity
or 'absolute need to save souls
from
hell and eternal perdition.' This
can easily be gleaned or derived
according to Desramaut, through the re-published
volumes and
study
of the language
of writings Don Bosco utilized in his many printed apostolate.
Third
to the last of
the characteristics that defines the author, Don Bosco, is his
concept of 'development' of peoples and of societies. Don Bosco and
his time was punctuated by a time of social and moral decadence more
than wars and strife. Thus Don Bosco should be seen as the author who
would propose a missionary insertion for the development of a
Christian civilization. And by Civilization is meant a way of life
that is not depraved or immoral. But for Don Bosco there is only this
formula to be understood. That there could never be a civil life
without moral life. And there could not be a moral life without
religion. And there is no other religion capable or up to the task
save that of the Catholic Church because
in the Catholic Church is found the true Christ and the complete
Christ, its Savior and founder.10
Because
Don Bosco was a prolific publisher, again in his publications he
asserts that the 'civility' of Europe is the fruit of Christian-ism.11
The
journey away from a barbarous life is Christianity. In his Storia
Ecclesiastica
much earlier before his sons left for the missions ad gentes, Don
Bosco wrote that if peoples were enlightened by the light of the
Gospel, they would not be drunkards, unchaste, thieves, and in error
and cannibalistic. Instead they would cast away their pride, become
chaste, temperate, be fervent and shed fearlessly their blood for the
sake of Christ.12
The
fourth and last but the distinguishing element that characterizes the
Author, Don Bosco from other nineteenth century founders and mission
expedition organizers is the strategy of winning
souls rather than imposing God and Christ, imposing
the
commandments of the Church, and imposing
the
sacraments. With
the sweetness of St. Francis of Sales the Salesians will pull the
population of America to Jesus Christ. It will be most difficult to
bring morals to the savages. But their children will obey with ease
all the words of
the missionaries and with them we will establish the colony, civility
will take the place of
barbaric
lifestyles and because of this many savages will belong to the flock
(fold) of Jesus Christ.13
Don
Bosco time and again explained and in a way taught the very basic
concept of his Missionary strategy. He recounted to them his
missionary dreams in full color and detail. He offered to his sons
not a combative approach to mission territories, He offered this wise
and patient strategy...instead
of flinging yourself in the midst of the tribes of savages, establish
trade schools, hospitals in civilized towns, where you
can
study the modes of approaching and the means to penetrate.14
This
trade
schools and hospitals will be founded primarily as a service to the
Italian immigrants that have grown in great numbers in Argentina
as well as grown without
faith
and lack of civility or moral standards; and
then to the Catholics of the city and soon (ben presto) to the
countryside of South America, where the fruits of the Salesians lie.15
The
establishment of the first presence would be in the midst of the
migrants to serve as 'listening posts' to the main objective which is
to evangelization of the native Indians.16
The
earlier missionaries prior to the arrival of the Salesian had the
same missionary desire which was to evangelize the native Indians,
but failed. And instead, Don Bosco sends his own sons with the
apprehension of a true father and yet with the prudence and the
wisdom that made him teach them with a more 'sweeter' and more
attractive approach.
On
May 12, 1875 five months before the expedition, Don Bosco gave a
goodnight about the finalizing of the foreign missionary Project of
Argentina.
He
recounts not a morbid, wild and rough outlook of missionary territory
and recipients as previous years would have him do. He would instead
speak of 'at
our disposal a school and sufficient pasture land for as many as
eighth thousand sheep with an orchard, playgrounds, etc. Don Bosco
continues to narrate the kind of workforce needed in that mission...
There will be enough work for all sorts of people. Priests will be
needed to preach and conduct services in the public churches;
teachers for the schools; singers and musicians,
for they are very fond of music; shepherds to take the sheep to
pasture, sheer them, milk them, and make cheese, and then, people for
various domestic chores. From
here Don Bosco shows his change
of words and tone...
More
important still, my dear sons, not far from San Nicholas lies a
territory inhabited by savage tribes. Now these natives are friendly
and great many of them have already expressed their willingness to
embrace our Faith, if someone will volunteer to instruct them. At
present no one has come forward, and so they live in idolatry. Now
let us take courage and endeavor in every way to prepare to go to
these lands and do some good there. Soon we shall select the
personnel, and those chosen will start learning Spanish, the language
spoken in Argentina...17
Don
Bosco may have used again the term savages
to mean the collective and uses the term native
when they show more signs
of civility,
ie.
friendliness
to the faith.
These
missionary mementos are the fundamental principles and examples of
the master educator and apostle of Turin, Don Bosco himself. Don
Bosco wanted his missionary sons to learn quicker
and not to commit the same mistakes he probably did earlier.
After 60 years of life experiences, Don Bosco wanted his sons to take
to heart in
most part, an ascetical
way
in order
to survive the
new missionary life beyond
his assisting reach.
After
having assured the Argentine project as more feasible than ever, Don
Bosco wrote his circular letter to the Salesians dated February 5,
1875.18
In
this circular Don Bosco asks only for volunteers. He ask them to make
their intentions explicit through writing. He and the Superior
council will meet and after invoking the Holy Spirit, will proceed to
choose those who posses the following qualities: health,
intellectual capacity, physical endurance, moral strength and
above all only those
whom the superiors believe will be more advantageous for the
salvation of their own soul and for the greater glory of God. The
circular continues with the third point which states that those who
would be chosen would gather together to study
the language and customs of the people to whom they intend to bring
the words of everlasting life. The
fourth and last point, Don Bosco already mentions the scheduled date
of departure, which was October of the same year, unless
circumstances
says otherwise.
By
the end of July 1875 Don Bosco writes to a parish priest of San
Nicolas de los Arroyos, Don Pietro Ceccarelli19
and Italian migrant who would be the one facilitating the insertion
of the Salesians beyond the capital of Buenos Aires. Don Bosco says
he is making changes to the personnel that had been requested. He
would be choosing five (5) priests who are all qualified teachers and
holding certified state diplomas. They would be the back bone for the
church and school services required in the missions. Further more,
two (2) Lay Salesian Brothers would to handle church maintenance and
the residential quarters of the school. For greater dependability Don
Bosco wanted the whole domestic staff to be made up of members of his
Salesian Society. Don Bosco concludes by insisting that his
anxiousness should be appeased by requesting the Argentine Consul
residing at Savona, Hon. John Gazzolo, accompany his sons in this
first long sea voyage to an unknown world. He then assures that by
the middle of November they will leave for Argentina.20
In
his second letter to the Don Ceccarelli in August, three months
before the time for departure, Don Bosco discusses
minute details of the needs of the church and the school in San
Nicholas. It is worthy to note his words when he commented on the
regulations of the school he is sending a copy, which was
in place for all Salesian schools
in Europe. Don Bosco reiterates that “the
best regulation lies in the quality of the teacher.” He
continues, “I
want to cut a good figure so that no one may say, it is a shoddy
operation. ” Since the honor of a budding Congregation is at stake,
I intend to spare neither personnel nor expense if this will
contribute to the success of the undertaking.”21
Don
Bosco took pains to make up his mind to finally decide the final
choice of personnel for the first expedition. And he and his council
chose ten (10). With all that was mentioned above, of the human
qualities required, the kind of services needed as well as the
responsibility and honor they would be representing, the choices must
never be considered haphazard. Don Bosco and his counselors had the
job of sifting or screening and of elimination instead of worrying
due to the lack of available personnel. On the contrary, there were
many volunteers and among them only ten would be picked.
These
were the ten in the final hand written list of Don Bosco:
1)
Fr. John Cagliero, aged
37;
2) Fr. Joseph Fagnano, aged 31;
3) Fr. Dominic Tomatis, aged 26;
4)
Fr. Valentine Cassini, aged 24; 5) Fr. John Baptist Baccioni,
aged 24; 6) Cleric John Baptist 'James' Allavena, aged 20; 7) Brother
Bartholomew Scavini, aged 36; 8) Brother Batholomew Molinari, aged
21; 9) Brother Vincent Gioia, aged 21; 10) Brother Stephen Belmonte,
aged 30.
Within
two years, by 1877 one Salesian would die of illness (Baccino) and
one would leave the Society (Molinari). Later
on one would return to Italy (Scavini). And
in due time
the other Salesians would end up assisting founding of further
Salesian Mission presences one
in
the East (Allavena
for Uruguay)
and two
in the
West (Tomatis
and Gioia for Chile).
Leaving
the remainder
of the first group in
Argentina till the end of their lives.
First
Expedition 1875
|
year
of birth
|
yr
of death
|
yr.
of vows
|
Yr.
of Ord.
|
As
of 1875
|
Age
at death
|
Burial
site
|
||
Age
departing
|
Age
as w/vows
|
As
priest
|
|||||||
1)
Fr. John Cagliero22
|
1838
|
1926
|
1862
|
1862
|
37
|
13
|
13
|
88
|
Argentina
|
2)
Fr. Joseph Fagnano23
|
1844
|
1916
|
1864
|
1868
|
31
|
11
|
7
|
72
|
Argentina
|
3)
Fr. Dominic Tomatis24
|
1849
|
1912
|
1867
|
1873
|
26
|
8
|
2
|
63
|
Chile
|
4)
Fr. Valentine Cassini25
|
1851
|
1922
|
1871
|
1875
|
24
|
4
|
0
|
71
|
Argentina
|
5)
Fr. John Baptist Baccino26
|
1843
|
1877
|
1869
|
1873
|
32
|
6
|
2
|
34
|
Argentina
|
6)
Cl. John Baptist 'James' Allavena27
|
1855
|
1887
|
1874
|
1878
|
20
|
1
|
n.a.
|
32
|
Uruguay
|
7)
Brother Bartholomew Scavini28
|
1839
|
1918
|
1869
|
na
|
36
|
6
|
n.a.
|
79
|
Italy
|
8)
Brother Bartholomew Molinari29
|
1854
|
left
|
1869
|
na
|
21
|
6
|
n.a.
|
n.a.
|
n.a.
|
9)
Brother Vincent Gioia30
|
1854
|
1890
|
n.a.
|
na
|
21
|
n.a.
|
n.a.
|
36
|
Chile
|
10)
Brother Stephen Belmonte31
|
1846
|
1905
|
1872
|
na
|
29
|
3
|
n.a.
|
59
|
Argentina
|
Table:
These
are the names and the ages of the ten missionaries
whom Don Bosco chose
among
the volunteers
and thought
of
when
he wrote his twenty mementos.
They
were young.
The average age of the group would be 27. Only two priests were past
their quinquennial year of priesthood. Only Cagliero was more than a
decade in the priesthood.
It
would be interesting to note the difficulties, not so much of the
climate, the culture or the pastoral challenges of these first group
but rather of the internal difficulties. Case in point is Molinari.
Who upon arrival, did not gel well with his team.
When
Father Ceccarelli enthusiastically
wrote
to Don Bosco on
Christmas day of 1875, just a month after the team had arrived, that
he was so amazed at the how tireless and indefatigable the Salesians
are, specially Brother Molinari. In
addition to teaching first level classes, he was directing the
singing, the music band and taught religion to the externs.1
And
yet ironically
and for the purpose of this paper more significantly, according
to Cagliero, Molinari rezaba
poco2
ie.
He prayed little. And this is exactly what is important to note.
First,
the
contrasting impressions
of
what people expect a missionary should be. Second,
and more significant is that
where there
is a problem,
a
response that serves as a solution
finds
'air-time' ie. opportunity for depth of reflection comes to the fore.
(...to be continued in part 3/4)
1
F.Desramaut. IL PENSIERO MISSIONARIO DI DON BOSCO: Dagli scritti e
discorsi del 1870-1885.
2
F.Desramaut, p.50
3
F.Desramaut, p.50
4
F.Desramaut, p.51
5
F. Desramaut, p.51
6
F. Desramaut, p.52-54
7
Bollettino Salesiano (Gennaio 1898) 5. ' Ogni
giorno, su ogni punto del globo, da milioni di cuori infiammati
dalla carità s'innalza fino al trono di Dio la preghiera: Sia
santificato il tuo Nome, venga il regno tuo, sia fatta la volontà
tua. Che fortuna per coloro che col loro apostolato nelle lontane
missioni possono contribuire a farvi conoscere il Nome di Dio, a
farlo regnare in molti cuori, a far compiere sulla terra la sua
volontà per mezzo dell'osservanza de' suoi commandamenti! A
quest'onore, a questa gloria aspirano gli umili figli di Don Bosco,
e non par loro di pagarla troppo cara dando l'addio alla patria, ai
parenti, rinunziando alle agiatezze dei paesi inciviliti, per
condannarsi alle inevitabili sofferenze d'un clima micidiale, d'un
insopportabile calore, ad ogni sorta di privazioni.'
8
F.Desramaut, p.54
9
F.Desramaut, p.54-55
10
F.Desramaut, p.56
11
F.Desramaut, p.56
12
G.Bosco, Storia Eccles. (1870) p.309-310
13
F.Desramaut, p.57 'Con la dolcezza di San Francesco di Sales i
Salesiani tireranno a Gesù Cristo le popolazioni dell'America. Sarà
cosa difficilissima moralizzare I selvaggi; ma I loro figli
obbediranno con tutta facilità alle parole dei Missionari e con
essi si fonderanno colonie, la civiltà prenderà il posto della
barbarie e cosi molti selvaggi verrano a far parte dell'ovile di
Gesù Cristo.'
14
F.Desramaut, p.58; cfr. E.Ceria. Annali I, 251.
15
F.Desramaut, p.58; cfr. E.Ceria. Annali I, 251-252
16
F.Desramaut, p.58
17
G.Barberis, Cronachetta autografa, Notebook 1,11, in EBM XI,
133-134; A.Lenti. DON BOSCO: HISTORY AND SPIRIT: Expansion of the
Salesian Work in the New World and Ecclesiological Confrontation at
Home, Vol. 6, p.67.
18
G.Bosco to the Salesians, Circular, Turin, February 5, 1875
(A.Lenti, DON BOSCO: HISTORY AND SPIRIT Vol. 6: Expansion of the
Salesian Work in the New World and Ecclesiological Confrontation at
Home. Ed A.Giraudo, p. 64-65; Motto, Epistolario IV, 408-409; EBM
XI, 130-131)
19
A.Lenti, p55. Fr. Peter Ceccarelli (1842-1893) was born in Modena,
Italy and having been ordained and having obtained doctor's degree
in Theology and Canon Law, he migrated to Argentina while
accompanying the body of Archbishop Mariano de Escalada of Buenos
Aires who happen to die in Rome in 1870 during the first Vatican
council. He was appointed pastor of San Nicolas del los Arroyos in
1873 and ministered to the people for 20 years. On his pilgrimage to
Rome in 1893, he died is buried in his native city of Modena.
20
A.Lenti, p.69
21
G.Bosco to P.Ceccarelli, Turin, August 12, 1875 (Motto, Epistolario,
VI, 502-504); A.Lenti, p.70
22
ed. E. Valentini. PROFILI
DI MISSIONARI.
LAS, Roma:1975, p.1-8
23
ed. E. Valentini. PROFILI
DI MISSIONARI.
LAS, Roma:1975, p.2-19
24
ed.
E. Valentini. PROFILI
DI MISSIONARI.
LAS, Roma:1975, p.20-21
25
ed. E. Valentini. PROFILI
DI MISSIONARI.
LAS, Roma:1975, p.10-12
26
ed. P. Ambrosio DIZIONARIO
BIO-BIBLIOGRAFICO:
DELLE MISSIONI SALESIANE.
Centro Studi
di Storia
delle Missioni
Salesiane.
Roma: 1977, p.6
27
ed. E. Valentini. PROFILI
DI MISSIONARI.
LAS, Roma:1975, p.9-10
28
ed. E. Valentini. PROFILI
DI MISSIONARI.
LAS, Roma:1975, p.10-12
29
A.Fasulo. Le Missioni Salesiane Della Patagonia. LA PATAGONIA,
Missioni Salesiani. Società Editrice Internazionale, Torino: 1925,
p.20. Coadiutore Molinari Giuseppe, maestro
di musica vocale ed instrumentale, nato a Genova nel 1847. A.Lenti.
A.Giraudo, ed. DON BOSCO: HISTORY AND SPIRIT. Vol. 6. LAS,Rome:
2009, p.72, Bartholomew
Molinari. (1854-...), 21 years of age, worked as director of music
at San Nicolàs de los Arroyos. Always listed as a lay novice he
left the Salesians in 1877.
30
ed. E. Valentini. PROFILI
DI MISSIONARI.
LAS, Roma:1975, p.55
31
ed. E. Valentini. PROFILI
DI MISSIONARI.
LAS, Roma:1975, p.10
32
H.Baratta. RESEÑA
BIOGRÀFICA DE LOS DIEZ PRIMEROS MISIONEROS SALESIANOS LLEGADOS A LA
ARGENTINA. Coleccion Archivo Historico Salesiano Nro. 5. Buenos
Aires. 1986, p.26.
Molinari, indefatigable... ademàs
de tener las clases de primer grado, dirigia la escuela de canto ,
la banda de musica, y tambien, daba clases de religion a los
externo.
33
H.Baratta, p.26
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