experiences range from a rural mountain background, (Francis Besucco and Severinus) to urban and metropolitan scenarios with their prisons, public squares, places of corruption; from chimney-sweeps and village farmhands to urchins and rascals; from humble and honest country kids, lost in the city, knowing neither the place nor the language, to the street kids, orphans, and also students and young workers needing an appropriate cultural formation and a profession.

This is the basis of a 'pedagogy of the possible', which differs in objectives, rhythms, provisions and results and is the origin of a practical, varied, non-rigid nor systematic youth spirituality.

In the narrative writings of the 1850s, we notice the different ways the characters began their journey of recovery: Louis, in the sixth and seventh dialogues found in Current Events presented in dialogue form (Fatti contemporanei esposti in forma di dialogo l853), the anonymous protagonist of The unhappy life of a new apostate (La vita infelice di un novello apostata 1853), the young man who had to be lured “either with promises or with little gifts”, in the Historical Outline (Cenno storico1854), the soldiers who are approached by Peter in the barracks, in The power of a good education (La Forza della buona educazione l855), the young gang leader of assassins recovered by St. John The Evangelist, as recorded in the lives of the Supreme Pontiffs St. Linus, St. Cletus and St. Clement (Vita de' sommi Pontefici S. Lino, S. Cleto, S. Clemente l857).

7. Unresolved adolescent problems

Even a painstaking analysis of what Don Bosco as an educator said and did may leave the impression that several problems relating to the life of the young, have only been touched on. Don Bosco's social, political education is substantially aimed at the religious and moral level. Similar guidelines are followed solving the problems that would eventually be listed under the leading of sex education, education to love, as preparation for engagement1020 and marriage and intervention in cases of

adolescents facing crises of faith, doubt, intolerance and alienation. Among Don Bosco's books there

are some which present difficult situations produced by encounters with Protestants (for example

“Severinus” or “adventures of a young man from the Alps”1868 or with a corrupt individual (Valentino... l866) but they do not offer convincing solutions.

We note two situational crises in the area of faith and morals, and the suggestions given by Don Bosco or actually drawn from some letters of spiritual direction by Don Bosco himself. A diary note left by Fr Dominic Ruffino, dating back to June l862,1021 providesthe first indication. Don Bosco calls the

attention of his young helpers to possible youth crises in the a rea of religious practice. He does not

offer solutions but thinks that recalling a past warning from a teacher might produce some good in the

future.

We should be providing the youngsters with protective means for the future when they will

be 17 or 18 yea rs of age: “look here, a very dangerous age is approaching. The devil is

preparing snares to make you fall. First, he will tell you that frequent communion is for

small kids and not for big ones like you and so you should go to communion rarely. Then

the devil will keep you away from sermons and cause you to be bored with God's word.

When we meet them already grown up, we should say: “Do you remember what we told

you? “Ah, it is true”, they will say. This recollection will do them good.1022

1020 Regarding sexual problems during puberty Peter Stella observes: “We could tentatively say that Don Bosco and his

times, incomprehensibly. Did not know or tackle problems tied to masturbation by young people”. (P. Stella, Don Bosco

nella storia della religiosità cattolica, vol II p. 262). Instructive though elusive are observations in the following pages:

Problemi particolari dell'educazione tra pubertà e matrimonio (pp. 262-274).

1021 Lemoyne accredits this to a diary entry by John Bonetti which we cannot trace. Ruffino's text is shorter than the

longer one in MB VII 192.

1022 D. Ruffino, Memorie 1862 1863, p. 79.