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 Bosco-Gastaldi Conflict (1872-82), Part I

The Bosco Gastaldi Conflict (1872 82) Part I

General Introduction
Nature and Serious Character of the Conflict
Length and Complexity of the Conflict
Method Employed in the Present Study
SECTION ONE: LAWRENCE GASTALDI-A BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
Introduction
Lawrence Gastaldi’s Early Life to His Appointment as Bishop of Saluzzo (1815-1867)
Family, Education, and Priesthood
Rosmini’s Institute of Charity and Missionary Activity in England
Pre-Episcopal Period in the Turin Archdiocese
Five Years of Activity as Preacher and Writer
Father Gastaldi and Don Bosco
Lawrence Gastaldi, Bishop of Saluzzo (1867-1871)
The Man and the Priest
Gastaldi’s Ministry as Bishop of Saluzzo
The Setting
The Pastoral Visitation
The First Vatican Council
New Pastoral Goals and Illness
Lawrence Gastaldi, Archbishop of Turin (1871-1883)
Appointment
Facing a Difficult Situation
The Struggle for the Exequatur
Gastaldi the Reformer-Pastor Bishop
Rosminian Influence
Gastaldi’s Conception of Episcopal Office
Gastaldi’s Personality and Character
Gastaldi’s Collaborators
Reform of the Clergy and Church Life: Synods
Assessment of Church Life
Synod of 1873
Synod of 1874
Synod of 1878
liturgical Calendars
Reform of Structures for the Education and Formation of the Clergy
The School of Theology and the Theological Faculty
Reform of Diocesan Seminaries
Reform of the Convitto Ecclesiastico and of the Teaching of Moral Theology
Archbishop Gastaldi’s Pastoral Activity among the People
New Parishes
Preaching and Religious Instruction
Doctrinal Teaching
Pastoral Visitation
The Social Question and the Catholic Lay Movement
Archbishop Gastaldi’s Relationships with Religious
Marie-Louise-Angelique Clarac
Francesco Faa di Bruno
Archbishop Gastaldi’s Death
SECTION TWO: FIRST PHASE OF THE CONFRONTATION: ARCHBISHOP GASTALDl’S CLASH WITH DON BOSCO OVER THE SPIRIT OF THE SALESIAN SOCIETY AND THE APPROVAL OF ITS CONSTITUTIONS
Antecedents
Initial Phases in the Development of the Salesian Constitutions and the Decretum Laudis
New Move for Approval and Archbishop Riccardi’ s Opposition
Approval of the Society Not of the Constitutions
Lawrence Gastaldi Archbishop-Initial Estrangement
Hardening of Gastaldi’s Position
Process for the Definitive Approval of the Constitutions Begun
Gastaldi’s “Declaration of Intent”
Clash over the Approval of the Constitutions (1873-1874)
Gastaldi’s Conditions for His Support
Gas taldi s Brief Presented in Rome: Objections and Demands
Trials and Tribulations of the Approval: The First Unsuccessful Presentation
Petition for Definitive Approval
Further Incidents in a Deteriorating Situation
The Bianchi-Vitelleschi Thirty-Eight I Twenty-Eight Animadversiones (Critical Observations) on the Text of 1873
Don Bosco’s Response to the Animadversiones (Critical Observations)
Don Bosco’s Second Petition, Further Revisions, and Definitive Approval
Conclusion

Bosco’s “Boswell” Fr. John Baptist Lemoyne and his Work

Don Boscos Boswell John Baptist Lemoyne: The Man and His Work

Fr. John Baptist Lemoyne (1839-1916)-A Biographical Sketch
Early Years
Seminary Formation and Priestly Ordination
Meeting With Don Bosco
One Year with Don Bosco and Perpetual Profession
Director of the Salesian School at Lanzo (1865-1877)
Local Spiritual Director of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians at Momese and Nizza (1877-1883)
Secretary to Don Bosco and to the Superior Chapter (1883-1916)
Father Lemoyne and the Biographical Memoirs
The Origin of a Biography and the Choice of Lemoyne for the Work
Lemoyne’s Systematic Search for and Collection of Biographical Documentation
Lemoyne’s Documenti
The Biographical Memoirs
Schematic View of the Publication History of the Biographical Memoirs in the Original Italian Edition
Lemoyne as Historian – His Method in Editing the Biographical Memoirs
Lemoyne’s Compilation Method
Lemoyne’s Interpretation of Documents
Lemoyne’s Use of Documentation
Lemoyne’s Charismatic Portrayal of Don Bosco