There are two other important intuitions which may be considered as already acquired by Don Bosco by the time the oratory was finally established at Valdocco. The first has to do with the flexible structure he wanted to give the oratory: it is not to be parochial (which was the way Fr Cocchi still envisaged his oratory) and not even inter-parochial but something in between, namely something suited to Church, urban society and working class youth. The second was related to the dynamic intertwining of religious formation and human development, catechism and education. 1257
W hat stands out, first of all, is the religious element.
(The Oratory is) a house for Sunday gatherings where everyone would had the opportunity
to satisfy his religious duties, receive instruction at the proper time and be given direction,
advice to lead a Christian and upright life.
1258
The (Oratory) Regulations contain this warning: when a young man enters this oratory he should be
convinced that this is a religious place where we wish to turn young men into good Christians and
upright citizens.
1259
The Regul ation concerning the Rector summarises the eminently Christian goal of oratorian education.
First of all he is “the principal superior and responsible for all that happens at the Oratory”. “He should use every possible means to instill in the hearts of theyoung the love of God, respect for sacred things, frequent reception of the sacraments, filial devotion to May Most Holy and all that constitutes true piety”.1260Hence the Oratory is a school where one may find religious instruction and practices besides inspiration to live a Christian life.
One of the few conditions required for acceptance into the oratory was that “the young person be occupied in some art or craft, because idleness and not doing anything, are the source of all vice and make religious instruction useless no matter whether it be in the form of Sunday sermons, morning or afternoon sermons, or catechesis in classes or all together”.1261
As for 'religious practices', according to the accounts given of the oratory at its beginnings there is much insistence on giving the young the opportunity to approach the sacraments of Confession and Communion.1262 When the first chapel at the oratory was blessed on 8 December1844, Don Bosco
wanted the chapel to be a sure place where the young could fulfill their du ties in church.
1263
Even during the critical times of the 'wandering oratory', Don Bosco's first concern was to find a way for the
young to fulfill their religious duties: catechism, hymn singing, Mass and Vespers and religious
instruction.
1264
The oratory, besi des all of the above, was an open structure, extremely flexible as to time and the kind
of young people who attended it. The oratory had no timetable; it was not a school bound to fixed
periods. All workers and students had their days off and free time whi ch might be easily wasted in
idleness and dissipation, especially at weekends.
The oratory was called upon to fill the gaps when the young were not working and needed to be kept
busy. It was called upon to fill the life of the young with new possibilities, joy, human and heavenly values, formation and recreation, instruction and edifying practices. There was a steadfast concern not
1257 G. Chiosso, Don Bosco e l'oratorio..., in M. Midali (Ed.), Don Bosco nella storia..., p. 302
1258 Circular, 20 December 1851, Em I 39
1259 Regolamento dell'Oratorio...per gli esterni, part II, Chap II, art. 6, p. 30, OE XXIX 60.
1260 Regolamento dell'Oratorio...per gli esterni, part I, Chap 1. art. 1 and 7, p. 5 and6, OE XXIX 35 and 36. 1261 Regolamento dell'Oratorio...per gli esterni, part II, Cahp II, art. 5, p. 30, OE XXIX 60
1262 Cf for example MO (1991) 123-124, L'Oratorio nel 1842.
1263 MO (1991) 133.
1264 MO (1991) 134-146.