austraLasia #3195
ROME: 17 February 2103 -- The fourth and final section of Peter Braido's 'Don Bosco, Educatore' (third and most recent edition, 1997) is now in English translation and is available in pdf format from SDL (cf. link above, or go to the English collection of SDL and look up Titles - Don Bosco, Educator, Documents and Writings from the Last Five Years (1883-1887).
Given not only that this final section was the longest of all (106 pages), that it contained a number of diagrams and very many pages of critical apparatus, all of which has been translated and adapted (line numbering for texts obviously different from the original printed Italian text), this was something of a nightmare translation and took time! But the good news is that we now have the full text for this particular edition of Braido's - which includes the work of da Silva Ferreria, Motto and Prellezo as well.
The Fourth section contains:
- the circular letter attributed to Don Bosco on punishments (Prellezzo)
- the social and pedagogical nature of the preventive system (Braido, a variety of shorter texts)
- the two letters from Rome (Braido - many people think there was only one, and that Don Bosco wrote it. There were at least two and just to what extent Don Bosco 'wrote it' is explored in detail in this long and fascinating excursus)
- the Memoirs from 1841 to 1884-5-6 (Motto. Parts of this are cited in the appendix to the Constitutions, but a full translation of it has never been available in English until now).
- three letters to Salesians in America (Motto, who claims that it is in these that we begin to see Don Bosco developing the preventive system into a spiritual and religious way of life for his Salesians.
Clearly this fourth section, but not to overlook the material already available in the three sections earlier posted to SDL, is of very special value in a year when we are focusing on Don Bosco's pedagogy.
Just note that while there has been an effort to eliminate typos or other small errors, this is not a fully-proofed, ready-for-print edition as yet. That will come when and if someone decides it is worth printing. In the meantime it is important that the substance of these studies is available to those who want and need it.
Happy reading.
ps: thanks to the collaboration of Fr Mike Mendl, the other major item now in translation (Braido's Prevention, not Repression), is now available on SDL (search for it under that title in the English collection or under author) in a proofed edition
Documents and Writings from the Last Five Years (1883-1887)
Given not only that this final section was the longest of all (106 pages), that it contained a number of diagrams and very many pages of critical apparatus, all of which has been translated and adapted (line numbering for texts obviously different from the original printed Italian text), this was something of a nightmare translation and took time! But the good news is that we now have the full text for this particular edition of Braido's - which includes the work of da Silva Ferreria, Motto and Prellezo as well.
The Fourth section contains:
- the circular letter attributed to Don Bosco on punishments (Prellezzo)
- the social and pedagogical nature of the preventive system (Braido, a variety of shorter texts)
- the two letters from Rome (Braido - many people think there was only one, and that Don Bosco wrote it. There were at least two and just to what extent Don Bosco 'wrote it' is explored in detail in this long and fascinating excursus)
- the Memoirs from 1841 to 1884-5-6 (Motto. Parts of this are cited in the appendix to the Constitutions, but a full translation of it has never been available in English until now).
- three letters to Salesians in America (Motto, who claims that it is in these that we begin to see Don Bosco developing the preventive system into a spiritual and religious way of life for his Salesians.
Clearly this fourth section, but not to overlook the material already available in the three sections earlier posted to SDL, is of very special value in a year when we are focusing on Don Bosco's pedagogy.
Just note that while there has been an effort to eliminate typos or other small errors, this is not a fully-proofed, ready-for-print edition as yet. That will come when and if someone decides it is worth printing. In the meantime it is important that the substance of these studies is available to those who want and need it.
Happy reading.
ps: thanks to the collaboration of Fr Mike Mendl, the other major item now in translation (Braido's Prevention, not Repression), is now available on SDL (search for it under that title in the English collection or under author) in a proofed edition
