One man’s story of faith in the goodness of young people.
This is the true story of a priest whose single-handed battle to save the children of the streets inspired the formation of the Salesians, one of the largest networks working for young people in the world.
“But father he’s far too young; he’s never touched a razor in his life.”
“Well he has to start some time.” And so saying the young priest sat himself resolutely on the barber’s chair. The boy diffidently took the blade in his trembling hands and started the delicate operation. As the boy went along he got more confident, being constantly reassured by the priest’s smile.
“See there is nothing to it”, said the priest as the boy finished. This was the beginning of a lifelong friendship. But not without a price – the minute the priest walked out the door, he had to rub his face vigorously to ease the pain!
A REMARKABLE AND COURAGEOUS MAN.
This is one of the many interesting anecdotes which punctuate the life of Don Bosco, a most remarkable and courageous man, as many discover after reading his life story. He was the type of a man who was daring enough to take the whole of juvenile prison out for a day’s outing all by himself, and to bring them all back in the evening; an incident which deeply impressed the minister Rattazzi. From then on the minister held don Bosco in great esteem, and was always ready to help him even though he himself was quite anti-clerical.Don Bosco was born in the Northern Italy in 1815 to a poor farming family. His early experience of poverty equipped him with an understanding of the poor and the hardships they had to suffer.
He knew what it was like to be without a father; how it felt to be bullied by an older step-brother; what it was like having to leave home at the age of ten in order to find work; how hard it was to find opportunities to further one’s studies, having no money at all; how important it was to be skilled in a trade so as to be able to find work; how vulnerable a young worker was to exploitation and how much exposed one was to moral dangers and to the vices of drink, gambling and stealing.
GETTING THINGS OF THE GROUND
One can imagine how Don Bosco must have felt when he first came to Turin as a young priest. It was the height of the Industrial Revolution. Turin, the political capital of Northern Italy was fast becoming an industrialized city, and it had its fair share of problems.
It was the problem of poor youth that Don Bosco tried to tackle. For indeed in such a situation the young are the most vunerable and open to exploitation. What he saw made him shudder: many had to work from dawn to dusk while others idled in the many bars of Turin. Many had to sleep rough while others slept in crowded prisons. This was the condition of the young - “that part of human society so much exposed to danger and yet so rich in promise” as Don Bosco optimistically saw them.
What was he to do when faced with such an impossible situation. “I always went ahead as the Lord inspired me and as circumstances demanded,” he used to say with a smile later in life whenever asked by a puzzled admirer how he managed to get things off the ground.
FRIENDSHIP, THE KEY TO HIS SUCCESS
What really attracted the young to Don Bosco was his friendliness – “It is not sufficient to love the young; they must know that they are loved,” he would say to anyone having difficulty in his work with the young. And really this was the basis of Don Bosco’s success. It is only when the young feel that they are loved that they can grow.
He on his part truly loved them: “Here in your midst I feel completely at home; my life is to be spent here among you.” These were no mere idle words and his dedication to the young was something to be admired. Often he had to pay a high price for his efforts; because of them he lost his job and the steady income it brought with it, was chased away from every quarter of the city, was suspected of subversive activity and was even taken for a madman by his fellow priests who wanted to lock him up in a madhouse. ‘Circumstances’ constrained him to buy a field with a shed attached to itso that the young could have a place where they could meet and make new friends and be themselves.
MORE THAN JUST A FRIEND
Once a friendly relationship had been established, Don Bosco was in a position to help. And help he did!
His interest was not limited to their daily lives and jobs. He used to visit them on their place of work and where necessary, spoke out for them. He often reminded employers of their duties and obligations. He even went as far as drawing up work contracts to protect the interests of the lad concerned. It is quite impressive to read these neatly written documents of his, dating back more then a hundred and fifty years ago when nobody thought of protecting the young form injustice and exploitation.
As time went on the Lord kept on inspiring and circumstances kept on demanding! Whenever he met a lad sleeping rough he used to invite him to stay in his place. He was soon short of space and so he had to buy the house adjoining the shed. He started to teach himself the trades he himself learnt as a young lad.
He was always short of money but never short of ideas. Very soon he had to expend and build a new extension to the house. This was the first of his many secondary and technical schools. He always relied on divine providence and on his tact to interest influential people in his work with the young to get the financial backing he required. He was always favourably received because of the positive social value of his work.
Yet, far more pressing then the financial problem was the one on having helpers in his ever expanding work.
INVOLVING OTHERS
He needed to spread his work beyond the limits of Turin, throughout Italy and even, why not, the whole world. His vision was as daring as his resources were limited; his idea was crazy as the situation seemed hopeless. The political situation and the struggle for a unified Italy put religious orders in a very precarious position.
Yet Don Bosco knew that if he wanted his work to spread and continue he had to have a group of men gathered together as a religious congregation. This was a very ambitious programme which took nearly twenty years of hard work and heartache to achieve.
HIS WORK CONTINUES
Don Bosco died over a hundred years ago, yet his youthful optimism and cheerfulness are as relevant today as then. “He took no step, he said no word, he took up no task that was not directed to the saving of the young.” This was a most fitting tribute to a man who gave his whole life to the welfare of young people, for in spite of the many problems facing youth he firmly believed that they were “so rich in promise.” His life story shows how right he was!
Even today the Lord continues to inspire and circumstances continue to demand, for there are still young people in need. The Salesian Family that he founded – which consists of priests, brothers and sisters, as well as helpers, benefactors and past pupils – continues to spread his work the world over. It truly shares with Don Bosco his predeliction for the young – “That you are young is enough to make me love you very much.”
Perhaps today the Lord is inspiring you to help in some way in his work for the young, whether through prayer, donations or active involvement. Or perhaps through the dedication of your whole life for the welfare of young people.
Why not!
