Located in the heart of the city and a place bustling with activity, the Don Bosco campus in Panaji is an alternative home for many and so January 31 is a special day, though it is not marked in most calendars.
It is the feast day of Saint John Melchior Bosco, lovingly known as Don Bosco. He died on January 31, 1888, in Turin, but since his beatification in 1929, and more so after his canonisation in 1934, he has been immortal for all associated with his work.
Being born in 1995, certainly I haven’t met this beloved saint, but through my journey as a student at the Higher Secondary School in Panaji, with the mentoring of priests and teachers, it was like a personal spiritual encounter with Don Bosco. Meet anyone, young or old, past pupil or benefactor, they will definitely have a personal story to tell about this dear saint.
This love and optimism for the saint serve as a great opportunity while we see a post-pandemic resumption and recovery. The climax of Don Bosco’s life as a friend and father of youth was during the industrial revolution. Jesus Christ called fishermen and with them fished out and built a strong community of faithful. Likewise, John Bosco brought together all the young people who were astray due to the perils of an industrialised society and trained them at the Oratory.
I recall attending the feast Mass last year when we did not expect our country to be affected by the pandemic. This year as we celebrate the feast, at least all devotees of Don Bosco have the opportunity to participate in Mass due to the declining cases and the hope of the vaccine, after following all standard operating procedures. This is a sign of hope.
A post-pandemic recovery would mean seeing every person as equal just as Don Bosco saw the youth at his oratory. You can be saintly like Dominic Savio or any juvenile delinquent, but according to Don Bosco, you needed a supportive environment to let go of all previous shortcomings and grow. He coined the term, “Preventive System of Education”. According to this system, young people need to have access to education, an environment to learn and opportunities to perform and grow in life. These threesome aspects will keep all negativity at bay and thus prevent them from harming themselves and others.
The pandemic has been a challenge for all, particularly the youth, who have been deprived of their carefree life. Yet, the spirit of a Don Bosco way of life tells us that if we support the youth with the required opportunities, they can grow and perform without being prey to social ills.
Focusing on learning and providing the right environment for people to feel hopeful about the future is key now. Leaders and teachers in the world can learn good mentoring skills from Don Bosco, like a magnet who attracted young people to be good and responsible citizens.
Similarly, here people found personal mentors as priests and teachers. The young need an environment where all are encouraged and rewarded like the oratory that helps the youth to learn skills useful for life. In the world today, the youth need to feel encouraged to perform with an environment that promotes equality rather than greed, discrimination and intolerance.
Don Bosco also encouraged people to play and move amongst nature. The world today needs to understand the relevant role of nature to sustain future generations and promote livelihood that is good for the environment and economy. It is only when the young feel safe and are encouraged and given opportunities in life, they can perform to their fullest and reach their highest potential of self-actualisation which can be achieved through mentoring in a proper environment.
Don Bosco has been a role model in various ways. As a spiritual guide, he encouraged people like Dominic Savio and Mary Mazzarello in their journey to holiness as he inspires all members of the Salesians of Don Bosco and Daughters of Mary Help of Christians today.
As a master communicator, his charismatic personality drew people closer to Jesus and goodness which is essential in a world that has unfortunately been plagued by misinformation and biased communication.
As a prudent protective person, he wanted the youth to have access to the required environment to grow just like the Don Bosco campus in Panaji that provides students from kindergarten to post-graduation the opportunity to learn and the oratory and ground that allows them to hone their skills as artists and sportspersons.
As an artist of humanity, he always showed love to the downtrodden and less fortunate as can be seen in the work done by Don Bosco Night School at Panaji, Margaret Bosco Bal Sadan at Uccassaim and Konkan Development Society at Odxel in the Panaji Province. All these characteristics made Don Bosco a vibrant person and a loving saint to all.
“Walk with your feet on earth, but heart in heaven”, is a famous quote by Don Bosco. May the world be inspired with such a spirit of optimism on his feast day.
(The writer is a freelancer and ex-student of Don Bosco Higher Secondary School)
