Upright Citizens and Good Christians

On August 19 [1865], health inspectors suddenly showed up at the Oratory. All city institutions were being checked for hygienic conditions in view of the cholera epidemic then threatening various Italian towns. This unexpected inspection was being made at a time when the whole Oratory was going through its yearly cleanup and furniture of all sorts was being moved around, repaired or replaced. The health inspectors ignored this situation and submitted a nasty report of untidy and overcrowded dormitories, classrooms and study halls, of rundown restrooms, and of garbage bins too close to kitchen and dining areas. These and other deficiencies were either baseless or deliberately exaggerated. As a result, the Health Department ordered Don Bosco to take immediate steps to remedy this situation and "not to accept new boys until health inspectors had rechecked the premises and determined the capacity of dormitories, classrooms, etc." The second inspection took place a week later. It set the number of boarders at five hundred, and the study hall occupancy at two hundred. It is to be noted that accompanying the health inspectors were anticlerical newsmen who readily made capital of this situation to blacken Don Bosco's name. La Gazzetta del Popolo led the attack, but it was promptly rebuffed by Unita' Cattolica on August 30. On his part, Don Bosco did his best to cooperate with the health authorities. He hurried the clean-up and repairs, excused himself from carrying out certain injunctions that were beyond his means, and, not the least put out, without curtailing even by one the number of his boys, made room for the expected cholera orphans. Eventually the residents increased to nine hundred. After these inspections the Oratory had no further trouble from the Health Department, and state and local authorities did not hesitate to entrust orphans to him. BM Vol. 8, ch. 15, p.97-98

Keep in mind that Don Bosco was a man of his times. He deeply respected the will of God through the political signs of his nation. The primary inspiration of the oratory was to build up good Christians and honest citizens, and he showed utmost support to the government by indeed complying with every means necessary to build up a greater nation. Make the same effort as well, because as religious, we also have to keep abreast with the times.

Article 31: Total development “...We educate and evangelize according to a plan for he total well-being of man directed to Christ, the perfect Man. Faithful to the intentions of our founder, our purpose is to form ‘upright citizens and good Christians.’”