Don Bosco’s Last Years, His Last Illness and Saintly Death from Eyewitness Accounts

Don Boscos Last Years: His Last Illness and Saintly Death

Introduction
Part I: Chronicles and Memoirs
I-Carlo Maria Viglietti: His Chronicles and Memoirs
(1)Viglietti, Don Bosco’s Secretary
(2)Viglietti’s Chronicles and Memoirs
[i] Original Chronicle
[ii] Transcribed and Edited Chronicle 1884-1888
[iii] Short Autobiographical Memoir
[iv] Diary
[v] Additional Chronicle 1884-85
[vi] Scrapbook-Style Collection 1886-1896
[vii] Partial Calligraphic Chronicle 1884-1885
II-Pietro Giuseppe Enria and His Memoirs
(1)Enria, Don Bosco’s Sick-Room Attendant
(2)Enria’s Memoir
III-Antonio Sala and His Memoir
(1)A Word about the Man
(2)Sala’s Memoir
IV-Francesco Cerruti and His Memoir
V-Father Michael Rua’s Reports
VI-Dr. Giovanni Albertotti and His Biography of Don Bosco
Part II: Don Bosco’s Bouts with Illness and the Years of His Decline
I-Antecedent Medical History
II-The Crises of 1884
(1)February 1884
(2)Journey to France and Dr. P.-M Combal’s Diagnosis
(3)September 1884
III-The Period of Quasi-Retirement and Decline (1885-1887)
(1)The Trip to Southern France in Early 1885
(2)Summer and Autumn of 1885
(3)Don Bosco’s trip to Spain (Barcelona) in Early 1886
[i] Passing through Southern France
[ii] Barcelona
(4)Back in Turin in the Latter Half of 1886
(5)Don Bosco in Early 1887
(6)The Last Journey—to Rome
(7)Summer and Autumn of 1887
(8)Foreboding of the End: December 1-20, 1887
Part III: Don Bosco’s Last Illness and Saintly Death
Introductory Comment of the Nature of Don Bosco’s Last Illness
I-The First Crisis: December 20-31, 1887
II-Period of Illusory Recovery: January 1-20, 1888
III-The Final Crisis and Don Bosco’s Saintly Death: January 21-31, 1888
(1)Sudden and Inexorable Relapse: January 21-28, 1888
(2)Hope No More: January 29, 1888
Conclusion

The Bosco-Gastaldi Conflict (1872-82), Part II

The Bosco Gastaldi Conflict Part II

Introduction: Establishing a Framework
Part I. The Bosco-Gastaldi Conflict from the Approval of the Salesian Constitutions to Archbishop
Fissore’s Failed Mediation (May 1874 – February 1875)
Recalling the Issues in Context
Initial Action by the Protagonists: Renewed Recourse To Rome
The Planned Spiritual Retreat for School Teachers
An Incident Regarding the Giving of the Clerical Habit
Don Bosco’s Acceptance of Diocesan Seminarians and
New Appeals to Rome
Further Episodes and Don Bosco’s Appeals to Rome
Archbishop Fissore’s Mediation
Part II. Developments and Episodes in the Years 1875-77 Leading to the Break
Don Bosco’s Petition for More Extended Privileges
The Work of Mary Help of Christians (Sons of Mary) and the Salesian Cooperators-and Gastaldi’s
Opposition
Don Bosco’s Supposed “Suspension”
Gastaldi’s Threatened Resignation
Don Bosco’s Publication of Graces of Mary Help of Christians
Archbishop Federico Aneiros’ Visit
Former Diocesan Seminarian Father Angelo Maria Rocca
Father Giovanni Perenchio and Father Giuseppe Lazzero
Part III. The Final Phase Of The Bosco-Gastaldi Connict (1878-1882)
The Five Anonymous Anti-Gastaldi Pamphlets
The Bonetti-Gastaldi Confrontation: Origin and Early Development to Father Bonetti’s Suspension (1878-1879)
Development of the Bonetti-Gastaldi Controversy with Don Bosco’s Involvement (1879-1880)
The Bosco-Gastaldi Conflict after the Appearance of the Defamatory Pamphlets to the Conclusion of the Bonetti Affair and the Concordia (1880-1882)
Concluding Comments on the Final Phase of the Conflict
General Concluding Comments and Evaluation
Bibliographical Note

The Earliest Biographies of Don Bosco and Their English Translations

The Earliest Biographies of Don Bosco and Their English Translations

by Arthur J. Lenti, SDB

Subjects:

Early Sketches
Dr. Charles D’Espiney’s Don Bosco and its Enghlish Language Counterparts
Biography in the Miracle-Oriented, Laudatory Tradition
Criticism of Dr. D’Espiney’s Biography
Dr. D’Espiney’s Dom Bosco for the English-speaking public
Miss McMahon Translation of 1884
Mrs. Barker’s 1885 Adaptation of D’Espiney Dom Bosco
Fr. Bonetti’s Storia and its English-Language Derivative
Fr. Bonetti’s Cinque Lustri and Its English Counterpart
Don Bosco’s Early Apostolate
Importance and Character of Fr. Bonetti’s Biography
Mr Du Boy’s Dom Bosco
Don Bosco’s Revisions
Mr. Du Boys’ Conscientious Use of Sources
Mr. Villefranche’s Vie de Dom Bosco and Lady Martin’s English Translation
Quality of the Original Work and of its Translation
Don Bosco’s Ambivalent Attitude Toward His Own Biography
Conclusion: General Evaluation of Early Biographical Writing on Don Bosco