Page 13 - Salesian Bulletin 2014 [01] January-March

Corpus Christi Mass at Castelnuovo and took part in the procession.
Prayer for the Canonisation of Mamma Margaret
It is interesting to note that his mother was not present for his ordi- nation or for those first four Masses. She was present now and one can only wonder about her thoughts and feelings at that time and in these events. However, we do know that together with several admonitions about wealth, she said, “You are now a priest, to say Mass is to begin to suffer. From now on, give your whole attention to saving souls and don’t worry about me.”
God our Father,
we thank you
for making Mamma Margaret
a strong and wise woman,
a heroic mother
and a wise educator.
Give us the joy of seeing her raised to the honours of the altar so that all may imitate
her way of holiness,
lived as daily and humble service of her neighbour. Through her intercession
grant us the grace
we request with a trusting heart. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
his during his ten years in that town. For his fourth Mass, he was still in Chieri, he went to the cathedral, the Duomo, and celebrated Mass at the altar of Our Lady of Graces, another favourite calling-place for him dur- ing his time there. It was only then, after four days, that he returned to his home place and celebrated the
It was said about John Bosco that he regarded Our Lady under all titles or none. He grew up seeing Mary as the Mother of the Saviour. Because of the words of Jesus from the Cross she was also the Mother of the Church, and so our Mother too.
child figure in the fresco was speak- ing to a little boy. Then a claim was made that a thirty-year-old man was cured of some chronic ailment. Naturally this caused quite a stir and the place became a centre for pilgrimage. However, back in Turin there was a Confraternity, coming from Munich in the seventeenth cen- tury, devoted to Mary Help of Christians. When Don Bosco came to build a great basilica in honour of the Virgin Mary and in view of the prevailing anti-church sentiment, he decided to dedicate it under this title in 1868. Typical of Don Bosco, the teacher, he issued a number of book- lets explaining the significance of this title. However, to this day, the local title for the basilica is Don
HELP OF CHRISTIANS
At his time there was a ground swell in favour of the title and con- cept of Immaculate Conception; it would be defined in 1854. It was particularly apt for his work with young people. She who was sinless in every way could be their support and guardian in the face of all and every temptation.
At a time when Bosco was fre- quently in Rome promoting the recognition of the Salesian Constitutions, an event occurred at Spoleto, a town about ninety kilome- tres north-east of Rome. There was an old church ruin in that place, and though exposed to weather, there was a well-preserved fresco of the Virgin Mary under the title Help of Christians. It was reported that the
Bosco’ s Madonna. No
there. <
—Fr John E. Butler lives at
St Catherine’s, NUIM North Campus,
Maynooth, Co. Kildare.
SDB 13
great surprise