Saint John Bosco

Proof reading, as anyone who has had to do it will know, is a soul-destroying activity. To read what you have read countless times looking for typing errors is no enjoyable pastime. So reluctantly I started proof-reading our new edition of the life of Don Bosco for primary school children. It had been produced in France and translated into many languages, including English. However the English version was produced for the USA and I had been advised by a primary school teacher that the American spellings would make it unacceptable in primary schools in the UK. Bowing to her superior knowledge and sensing an opportunity, I asked her to produce a ‘UK English’ version for me. Surprisingly she accepted though she demanded some crucial changes to the illustrations, “Not politically correct!”, she kept muttering.

So here I was, a primary school child again, engrossed in a book, lost to the world. I was prepared to be bored, after all I did know the Don Bosco story rather well. Page one, and I was back in the Piedmont hills of the 19th century, in the little village of Becchi, with the Bosco family struggling to make ends meet. I felt great sympathy for them. I followed the keen student Bosco through seminary (Now that’s a big word for primary school children!) I glanced at the picture of the young priest, Don Bosco, in his black cassock. What would children today make of that, probably some of them had never seen a cassock. Well I suppose seeing a picture of Don Bosco playing football in a cassock might help. The dusty playground of the Turin oratory was a long way from the plush park of the stadium of Juventus, Turin’s famous football team. I must say I found the UK English more pleasant to read than the distracting American spellings. But how do you explain to our multi-cultural classes of children the purpose of missionary work? Mind you it was to Patagonia in South America that Don Bosco sent his first missionaries, the children probably know that country from excellent TV documentaries. I needed to remind myself that I was proof-reading. It was difficult to concentrate on the spellings, I had become so engrossed in the story, surprisingly moved by it. Strange isn’t it?

No matter how many times I read the life of Don Bosco it always holds a certain fascination for me. There I was, a child again, enjoying a good read. I know children today will enjoy this story as much as I do? I hope so.

Tony Bailey

Customer Reviews:

You may also be interested in this/these product(s)

School Ethos and Chaplaincy £12.00

Symbols and Spirituality £12.00