Don Bosco's Adulthood

The young priest Don Bosco was 26 years old when he was
ordained. He moved to Turin where he accepted the
suggestion of his confessor, Father Cafasso, to carry out
three more years of studies at the Pastoral Institute founded
by him (Ecclesiastical Convitto in Italian), near the Church of
San Francisco de Asís. The purpose of these studies was to
deepen the priestly task, moral theology and preaching. At the
same time he provided pastoral services in different centers of
the city, which would allow him to know the youth reality of it.

According to the statistics of the time, 16 when the young Don

Bosco arrived in Turin in November 1841 there were 7148
children under the age of 10 employed as bricklayers, tailors,
carpenters, paintbrushes, chimney cleaners and many other
trades. It was the industrial revolution that was beginning to
bear fruit in the Savoyard capital and where workers had to
work up to 14 hours for low wages of a maximum of 30 liras
per semester of time. Meanwhile, Turin's prisons were
overflowing with children as young as 12 in overcrowded
conditions. The young priest of peasant origin was soon
impressed by this reality with which he identified and rejected
numerous offers that could have guaranteed him a life of well-
being and tranquility among the city's bourgeoisie.

congregation from the different parishes where the boys came

from and finally, for others, Don Bosco had lost his mind.
Father Borel suggested that he reduce the group to 20 boys,
the Marquis de Cavour warned him that he was wasting his
time, and priests Vincenzo Ponzati and Luis Nasi made
careful arrangements to admit him to a mental hospital.

La adultez de Don Bosco

El joven sacerdote, Don Bosco, tenía 26 años cuando se
ordenó. Se trasladó a Turín en donde acepta la sugerencia de
su confesor, el padre Cafasso, de adelantar tres años más de
estudios en el Instituto Pastoral fundado por él (Convitto
Eclesiastico en italiano), cerca de la Iglesia de San Francisco
de Asís. El propósito de dichos estudios era profundizar en la
tarea sacerdotal, la teología moral y la predicación. Al mismo
tiempo prestaba servicios pastorales en diferentes centros de
la ciudad, lo que le permitiría conocer la realidad juvenil de la
misma.
Según estadísticas de la época,16 cuando el joven Don Bosco
llegó a Turín en noviembre de 1841 había 7148 niños
menores de 10 años empleados
como constructores, sastres, carpinteros, pintores de brocha,
limpiadores de chimeneas y muchos otros oficios. Se trataba
de la revolución industrial que comenzaba a dar sus frutos en
la capital saboyana y en donde los obreros tenían que
trabajar hasta 14 horas por pobres salarios de máximo
30 liras semestrales de la época. Por su parte, las cárceles
turinesas estaban atestadas de muchachos tan jóvenes como
12 años en condiciones de hacinamiento. El joven sacerdote
de origen campesino se dejó pronto impresionar por esta
realidad con la que él mismo se identificaba y rechazó
numerosas ofertas que le hubieran podido garantizar una vida
de bienestar y tranquilidad entre la burguesía de la ciudad.