Fr. Peter Ricaldone's Annual Strenne

Fr. Peter Ricaldone’s Annual Strenne

(ANS – Rome – Dec. 18, 2023) - The 4th successor of Don Bosco at the head of the Congregation, Fr. Peter Ricaldone, was affectionately called the “fifth Don Bosco,” for the person that he was. He was Rector Major for almost 20 years (1932-1951) and lived at a time when direct contact with the founder for reasons of age was slowly diminishing. For this reason, he worked hard to ensure that the Salesian tradition was handed down correctly, and hence was also called “the ‘codifier’ of Don Bosco’s spirit.”

His mission was to consolidate not only the spirit, but also the Salesian mission and consequently the structures that sustained it. It was during his leadership that great expansion and quite a few satisfactory events took place: Don Bosco was canonized (1934), and Mother Mazzarello (1938) and Dominic Savio (1950) were beatified. Besides these milestones, he also enlarged the basilica of Mary Help of Christians in Turin, laid the foundations of the future Library of Christian Doctrine (the LDC publishing house), mainly to facilitate the training of teachers of religion and to produce books and teaching material. In 1940, he obtained the decree from the Vatican with which the Pontifical Salesian Athenaeum (PAS) was erected in Turin. He also began the construction of the Shrine of Don Bosco at Colle (Becchi) and set up a highly valued industrial technical school.

At the same time, he had to also face some dark pages of the history, such as World War II and the religious persecution in Spain. Through all this, however, complete trust in Divine Providence and the commitment to transmit Don Bosco in his genuine and integral form always endured.

With him, moreover, some of the typical traits of modernity and the role of the Rector Major as it is usually understood today began to emerge. For example, he was the first to start travelling around the world to meet all his confreres scattered everywhere.

Through the strenne issued during his period (all of which are well documented in the minutes of the superior chapter), he was able to unite tradition and innovation. For his strenne, he kept his gaze fixed on Don Bosco and adapted a shorter and a more concise form. He was also the first of the Rectors Major to publish a special commentary on the strenna.

Moreover, with him the strenna became more and more a message and an invitation for the entire Salesian Family and ceased to be a specific one depending on the recipients (the only exception being the 1935 strenna).

His first strenna was the one on the theological virtue of charity (1933), almost as if to make it a programmatic manifesto, referring to the heart of the Gospel and Don Bosco’s life.

Several of his strenne, on the other hand, are linked to historical events, which Fr. Ricaldone took advantage of, to make them part of a well-studied project of knowledge to know the actual person of Don Bosco. In this sense, for example, reference to great Salesian witnesses who lived the Salesian charism and through it were raised to the honors of the altar could not go unnoticed in his strenne.

Other strenne – all from the wartime and post-war period – complete the cycle of the theological virtues and the four cardinal virtues, and thus also constitute an invitation to face the various vicissitudes of life with faith, hope, and charity, and to gain strength through prudence, justice, and temperance in order to change the world for the better.

Another group of Fr. Ricaldone’s strenne again highlight Don Bosco, proposing him as a model for the Salesian and young people to implement his three great loves: Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, Mary Help of Christians, and the Pope.

Finally, work, both intellectual and organizational, was a strong point in his life. Fr. Ricaldone also wrote extensively on education, agrarianism, Salesian formation and spirituality, and received great recognition for it.

Topics proper to Don Bosco and valid for any of his disciples such as love for the young (1951), poverty (1936), and humility (1952) were never lacking focus in his messages.

Below are all the strenne left by Fr. Ricaldone to the Salesian Family:

1933: To everyone: “Think well of all, speak well of all, do good to all.”

1934 (Canonization of Don Bosco): “Don Bosco encourages us to sanctify ourselves with purity of life. Holiness is purity.”

1935: - To all: “Faithfulness in following the teachings of St. John Bosco in all things.”

- To the Salesians: “Fidelity to the Constitutions, Regulations, traditions, methods, and works proper to the Congregation.”

- To the students: “Faithfulness to the Rules and to the Eucharistic tradition.”

To the past pupils: “May each of their homes truly be a little Salesian house where our Father reigns with his spirit.”

1936: “Knowledge, love, and the practice of evangelical poverty procure for us temporal happiness and eternal goods.”

1937: “Let us cultivate Eucharistic piety according to the teachings and practice of St. Don Bosco.”

1938: “Let us sanctify our work in the spirit and works of St. Don Bosco.”

1939: “Following the example and spirit of St. John Bosco, let us sanctify joy, recreation, and entertainment.”

1940: “St. John Bosco invites us always to hold catechetical teaching and religious formation in the highest honor, in our homes and especially in the festive oratories.”

1941: “To commemorate the first Mass celebrated by St. John Bosco on June 6, 1841 we honor the Catholic priesthood by making known its greatness and zealously fostering priestly vocations.”

1942: “Let us live the life of charity intensively. Charity toward God, loving him above all persons and things; charity toward our neighbor in thought, word, and deed.”

1943: “Let us open our hearts to hope: God is our Father. Mary Help of Christians is our Mother. From Heaven watch over us, Father, Teacher, Guide, St. John Bosco.”

1944: “Let us approach God with fullness of faith.”

1945: “Utmost prudence in word and deed.”

1946: “Let us practice the virtue of justice toward God and neighbor.”

1947: “WE ARE STRONG: in overcoming passions; in enduring and overcoming trials; in winning many souls to God.”

1948: “Let us practice the virtue of temperance in the use of the senses and the care of the body.”

1949: “Let us increase in ourselves and propagate devotion to Mary Help of Christians everywhere and among everyone.”

1950 (Holy Year): “Know, love, and defend the Pope.”  

1951 (Beatification of Dominic Savio): “Blessed Dominic Savio encourages us to practice faithfully the educational system of St. John Bosco.”

1952: “In this world, ravaged by pride, there is an urgent need to practice humility. Humility is the radiance of truth. Humility makes life joyful in families, communities, and society. Humility is the sure shield of chastity.”