St. John Bosco, famously known as simply Don Bosco, is a 19th Century Italian saint in the Catholic Church who is recognized as the father and teacher of youth. He was born and brought up in a very humble background that exposed him to the difficulties of growing up in such. He would later define himself as one who was an apostle of the poorest youth in the streets of Turin and beyond. Don Bosco’s mission was and continues to be salvation of the young people. It is because of this he took his personal motto to be: Da Mihi Animas Cetera Tolle (Give me souls, take away the rest). The Shrine of Mary Help of Christians in Nairobi is privileged to be the only place in Africa, and among few others in the world, to house the relic of this great saint.
The core of the Salesian Spirituality is Pastoral Charity, which is the driving force in the mission. This Don Bosco’s God-given vocation for the salvation of the young (especially the poorest) “involves many people and groups in a common spirituality and a shared educational and pastoral method which is the preventive system” (Salesian Youth Ministry Frame of Reference, P.85). This preventive system (that is opposed to the repressive system) is lived in a family spirit and has three pillars, namely, Reason, Religion and Loving Kindness.
Thus, Don Bosco’s model for the oratory, and any Salesian presence for that matter, was that it becomes;
☆ A parish that evangelizes
☆ A home that welcomes
☆ A school that prepares young people for life
☆ A playground where friends could meet and interact.
This is the very model that the MSSC will embrace in its scope.
