Transcript Don Bosco’s Method

Questions
Don Bosco speaks from the experience
of someone living in a Catholic culture…
 Can his approach be applied in our
post-Christian age?

Questions
Don Bosco’s experience was with
adolescent boys and young adults…
 Does his approach work with girls…
 Does his approach work with children?
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Intensely lived

the art of positive
education by putting
forward what is
good through
appropriate
experiences which
call for the
involvement of the
pupil and are
attractive;
Intensely lived

the art of producing
growth in the young
persons ‘from
within’ by appealing
to their inner
freedom to oppose
external conditioning
and formalism;
Intensely lived

the art of winning the
heart of young people
so as to inculcate in
them a joyful and
satisfied attraction to
what is good, correcting
deviations and
preparing them for the
future by means of solid
character formation.
Focus

“The preventive
system is more
attuned to the
person than focused
on the generic
demands of
education.”
Francesco Motto
Context

“We are talking about
the ordinary
environment in which
the young persons
lives, and it is there that
the salesian educational
path begins… which is
a path to holiness”. Luc
Van Looy.
Don Bosco’s language
Insights into the vocabulary that
John Bosco used when describing
Christian education
Preventive System

Prevention?
 Preventive?

Praevenire: go
before
– show the way…
– trail blaze!
– “A lamp to my feet”
Preventive System
This is more clearly seen when the
derivation of ‘preventive’ is understood.
 It derives from the Latin praevenire: ‘to
precede’, ‘to anticipate’, ‘to go before
with spiritual help’
 The term includes deep intuitions,
precise options and methodological
criteria

Assistance

Assistere:
– To be there where it
is happening!
– To be a participant

To be actively
present!
Reason

To reason…
– Discuss
– Put forth ideas and
point of view
– Debate
– Have your say and
listen to their say

Dialogue
Reason


the term “Reason” refers to
that whole range of human
activity which is the matter of
education
“Reason” emphasises basic
human values such as the
freedom and dignity of the
individual, the primacy of
conscience, the goodness of
creation and culture, and the
worth of work and social living
Religion


“Religion”, indicates that his
pedagogical approach is
essentially transcendent,
that it emerges from and is
oriented towards
relationship with God
Don Bosco’s educational
activities were not restricted
to religious education
classes and active moral
formation
Religion

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


Morality
Faith
Purpose
Compassion
God’s tender
presence in the
everyday
Kindness

Amorevolezza
– Loving-kindness
– Gentle
– Interpersonal

Affectionate
Kindness


“Loving-kindness” is more
a daily attitude of love that
has the good of the other
at heart and which works
so that the students realise
their potential with growing
independence
Rather, it is an attitude
expressed in practice in
the commitment of the
educator as a person
dedicated to the good of
the students
Kindness


Loving-kindness also
implies much about the
atmosphere in which
education occurs
It is an atmosphere
marked by a “family spirit”
in which there is mutuality
in human relationships and
a full range of joyful and
stimulating educative
activities.