acceptance already made known to Lastres in Barcelona, and proposed by Fr Rua, were approved: 1. The name and all appearance of a house of correction be removed so that the youngsters not be humiliated.

2. For the time being we should take care only of boys of the first category.

3. For the time being we should not accept boys from the courts.

4. The boys to be accepted should not be older than 14 nor younger than 9 years of age.

5. Freedom should be given to us to direct boys we judge fit for it to pursue studies.

Fr Durando suggested adding the text of the agreement drawn up for the orphanage in Trent, with some alterations he himself had taken care of. Fr Rua proposed that a fixed amount of money be paid for every youngster, for the director, for the teachers and the service staff. Fr Durando advised not specifying the exact amount of money to be paid, so that the contracting party could determine it. All was approved.808

Fr. Rua took upon himself the task of putting togeth er the various suggestions in a letter to be sent to

the President of the Madrid committee. It was an articulate and precise letter which Don Bosco signed

on July 8, l886. The first considerations in the letter were of an educational nature and were such a s to discourage the continuation of negotiations.

Fr Rua recognized that the project might have created some difficulties for the committee, starting from

the condition in the second part of article No. 2 of the agreement, namely, not to accept an yone who might have received a guilty verdict. He also added:

I shall provide some explanation for this: our wish would be that youngsters who leave this

new institution aimed at their civil and Christian education, should not carry the stigma of

disgrace. If people were to say that the youngsters came from a correctional school, a

reformatory, that would be a stigma that would last througho ut their lifetime. Our wish is

that any sign which could lead people to believe that the institution was a correctional

house, should be removed. To this end, our opinion is that it should be called hospice or

institution but not a reformatory or the like. It is also our wish that for the period of five

years, at least, no youngster with a guilty verdict from the courts should be admitted,

precisely for the reason of getting the public used to not considering the institution as a

correctional house. This al so to enjoy greater ease in creating a good group of youngsters to

put on the right track who will in turn help put others coming in later on the road to work

and virtue.

After these first five years, we hope to be able to gradually accept youngsters received a guilty verdict, but even then it would be appropriate to make sure that their admission not be voiced abroad among the public. As far as the financial aspect of the agreement is concerned, the Salesians are awaiting proposals from the c

as far as the name for the school is concerned, it is proposed that a name of a Saint like St Isidore be chosen.

who have

ommittee. Instead,

The last additional item would aggravate the probably negative impressions of the committee, even

though “with great regret” on the part of the Salesians: "Given the shortage of personnel over some years, it will not be possible to immediately acquiesce to your wish, which is also mine. We might have to wait perhaps until 1888 or even 1889 before I have personnel suited for the undertaking”.809

808Verbali del capitolo superiore, quad. I, fol. 92v. 809Letter of 8 July, reported in MB XVII 604-605.