mentioned the Carnevale with rituals both sacred and profane attached to them. The welcoming ceremonies reserved for religious and civil authorities were quite frequent. There were also other initiatives which prevented routine and boredom from setting into school life.
Every festivity had a twofold aspect: the religious and the profane. Don Bosco always wanted the explicit educational nature of these events to be brought out. He started doing this at the general gatherings held on Sundays at the oratory. As far as possible these gatherings had novelty, joy, edification as their feature.1177
Teachers were invited to remind their students about the upcoming festivities.
1178
Solemn festivities reflected the religious rhythm of Sundays, strongly enhanced by music, singing, and
possibly by the appearance of a Bishop, with better food at the dining table and with the harmonious sounds of the band playing in the playground. In late afternoon, the feast days was always concluded
with a theatrical performance. The climax of the feast day was Eucharistic communion, possibly a
general communion during the early mor ning Mass.
Don Bosco wrote to Fr Michael Rua in February, 1870. At the end of the letter he addressed the boys at
the Oratory directly:
The evening of the 25th I shall be with you and I will be all yours. But, please, don't try to
have any festivity on my behalf. The greatest feast that you can offer to me is to see you all
in good health and well behaved. I will try my best to make you cheerful. The Sunday
following my arrival, I hope we will celebrate the great feast day in honor of St Francis de
Sales. M ake that feast day the best feast I could ever want to have. I would like you all, on
that day, to receive Holy Communion. When you celebrate feast days like this all the rest
means nothing.
1179
3. Theatre
The first theatrical performance took place on 29 June 1847, when the Oratory at Valdocco was at its beginnings. It was in honor of Archbishop Louis Fransoni who was visiting the oratory. The group of boys had been prepared for "Recitals" dialogues and a sketch. When the Archbishop arrived, Don Bosco read out some words prepared for the occasion. After Mass and the Confirmation ceremony, the following performances took place: first of all several poetic and prose compositions were read out. They were followed by a dialogue-type comedy written by one of Don Bosco's collaborators, Fr. Carpano, and entitled: A corporal in Napoleon's army.1180
Two years later Charles Tomatis, a very clever and versatile artist who lived at the Oratory from 1849 - l861 one Saturday ev ening, when Don Bosco was busy hearing confessions, took the initiative of
entertaining the young boarders with mimes, puppet shows, farces and comedies.
1181
For 1847 -1852 another type of theatrical activity is recorded. It consisted of dialogues and
performa nces with didactic intent: on Bible History, The metrical decimal system, etc. Generally these
performances were connected with the activities of the Evening and Sunday schools and, occasionally,
J.M. Prellezzo, Valdocco nell'Ottocento...., pp. 83-84, 91-93.
1177 In fact up until 1842, according to MO (1991) 123-125; then 125, feast of the bricklayers in honour of St Anne;
years later, 144-146, walk to Superga; 158-160: “leaving church, free time began” (p. 159); 178-180, Feast of St
Aloysius; 195-196, Feast of Pius XI exiled at Gaeta.
1178 “When there was a Novena or Solemnity, give some words of encouragement, but brief, and if you can, with an
example” (Regolamento per le case..., part I, Chap VI Dei maestri di scuola, art. 13, p. 35, OE XXIX 131.
1179 E II 71-72.
1180 MO (1991) 179 and Storia dell'Oratorio..., BS 4 (1880) no. 2, Feb. p. 2; no. 3, March, p. 7.
1181 MB III 592-593.