Memoirs of the Oratory of Saint Francis de Sales from 1815 to 1855

Table of Contents

Preface

Chapter 1. First ten years Father s death - Family difficulties - The widowed mother

Chapter 2. A Dream 

Part I. The First Decade 1825 to 1835 [I, 1] Chapter 3. First entertainment for children - Sermons - Acrobatics Bird nesting

1. [I, 2] Chapter 4. First communion - The mission sermons - Fr. Calosso - School in Murialdo
2. [I, 3] Chapter 5. School work and farmwork - News good and bad - Death of Fr. Calosso
3. [I, 4] Chapter 6. Fr Cafasso - Doubts - Dividing our inheritance - School at Castelnuovo - Music; the tailor
4. [I, 5] Chapter 7. School in Chieri - Kindness of teachers - The first four grades
5. [I, 6] Chapter 8. My companions - The Society for a Good Time - Christian duties
6. [I, 7] Chapter 9. Good companions - Practices of Piety
7. [I, 8] Chapter 10. Humanities and rhetoric - Louis Comollo
8. [I, 9] Chapter 11. Waiter and bartender - A feast day - A tragedy
9. [I, 10] Chapter 12. Jonah
10. [I, 11] Chapter 13. Games - Conjuring tricks - Self-defense
11. [I, 12] Chapter 14. A race - A jump - The magic wand - The top of the tree
12. [I, 14] Chapter 15. Study of classics
13. [I, 14] Chapter 16. Choosing a state in life

Part II. The Second Decade 1835 to 1845 [II, 1] Chapter 17. Clerical investiture - Rule of Life

1. [II, 2] Chapter 18. Departure for the seminary
2. [II, 3] Chapter 19. Seminary Life
3. Amusements and recreation
   1. [II, 4] Chapter 20. Vacations
4. [II, 5] Chapter 21. A feast day in the country - The violin - Hunting
5. Louis Comollos friendship
   1. [II, 6] Chapter 22. Louis Comollo s Death
6. [II, 27 Chapter 23. A prize -The sacristy - Dr. Borelli
7. [II, 8] Chapter 24. Studies
8. [II, 9] Chapter 25. Sacred ordinations Priesthood
9. [II, 10] Chapter 26. Priestly work begins - Sermons at Lavriano - John Brina
10. [II, 11] Chapter 27. The Convitto Ecclesiastico
11. [II, 12] Chapter 28. The feast of the Immaculate Conception - And the beginning of the festive Oratory
12. [II, 13] Chapter 29. The Oratory in 1842
13. [II, 14] Chapter 30. The sacred ministry - Taking a post At the Refuge (September 1844)
14. [II, 15] Chapter 31. Another Dream
15. [II, 16] Chapter 32. The Oratory at the Refuge
16. [II, 17] Chapter 33. The Oratory of St. Martin of the Mills - Difficulties - The hand of the Lord
17. [II, 18] Chapter 34. One Day at St. Peter in Chains - The chaplain s housekeeper - A letter - A sad event
18. [II, 19] Chapter 35. The Oratory at the Moretta House
19. [II, 20] Chapter 36. The Oratory in a field - An outing to Superga
20. [II, 21] Chapter 37. Threats from Marquis Cavour - The Oratory in trouble again
21. [II, 22] Chapter 38. Goodbye to the Refuge - Fresh imputations of insanity
22. [II, 23] Chapter 39. Transfer to the present Oratory of St. Francis de Sales at Valdocco

Part III. The Third Decade 1846 to 1856 [III, 1] Chapter 40. The New Church

1. [III, 2] Chapter 41. Cavour, again The City Council The police
2. [II, 3] Chapter 19. Seminary Life
3. [III, 4] Chapter 43. Sickness and recovery - Planning to stay at Valdocco
4. [III, 5] Chapter 44. Permanent residence at the Valdocco Oratory
5. [III, 6] Chapter 45. Regulations for the oratories - Company and feast of St. Aloysius - Visit of Archbishop Fransoni
6. [III, 7] Chapter 46. The start of the hospice - The first boarders arrive
7. [III, 8] Chapter 47. The St. Aloysius Oratory - The Moretta house - Seminary land
8. [III, 9] Chapter 48. The number of artisans grows Their way of life Short evening Exhortation The archbishop grants privileges Retreats
9. [III, 10] Chapter 49. Progress in music - Procession to Our Lady of Consolation - Award from the city and from the Schools of the Poor - Holy Thursday - The foot-washing rite
10. [III, 11] Chapter 50. 1849 - The closing of the seminaries - The Pinardi house - Peter s Pence and Pius IX - rosaries - The Guardian Angel Oratory - A visit from some deputies
11. [III, 12] Chapter 51.
12. [III, 13] Chapter 52. A particular episode
13. [III, 14] Chapter 53. Fresh difficulties - A consolation - Father Rosmini and the Archpriest Peter De Gaudenzi
14. [III, 15] Chapter 54. Purchase of the Pinardi and Bellezza houses - the year 1850
15. [III, 16] Chapter 55. The Church of St Francis de Sales
16. [III, 17] Chapter 56. The powder magazine blows up - Gabriel Fascio - The new church is blessed
17. [III, 18] Chapter 57. The year 1852
18. Chapter 58. 1853
19. Chapter 59. Catholic Readings
20. Chapter 60. 1854
21. Chapter 61. An Attempt on My Life
22. Chapter 62. Attacks - A hail of blows
23. Chapter 63. Grigio

Translation: Daniel Lyons*, sdb - with 88 Errata Corrige of Arthur J. Lenti, sdb.

Memoirs of the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales from 1815 to 1855. The Autobiography of Saint John Bosco, tr. by Daniel Lyons, SDB, with notes and commentary by Eugenio Ceria, SDB, Lawrence Castelvecchi, SDB and Michael Mendl, SDB (New Rochelle, NY: Don Bosco Publications, 1989)