The Salesians are devoting to the memory of this great priest, educator and religious, a year of celebrations. Begun on 31 January, the year will conclude with an International Congress on “Don Rua in History” to be held in Rome between 29 and 31 October at the Salesianum.
Among the first boys to be welcomed by Don Bosco, Michael Rua grew up at the Oratory in Valdocco and, after being among the very first to make religious profession in the Salesian Congregation, he became the right hand man of the Founder with whom he shared his life and ideals. “Michael, you and I will go halves in everything” Don Bosco once told him.
“When he took charge of the Congregation there were 700 religious; when he died there were 4000. He inherited from Don Bosco 64 houses in 6 different countries, and he left to his successor 341 spread in 30 countries in the Old and New Continents. At the death of the Founder in 1888, the Salesian missions were limited to Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego; in 1910 they had gone to take their place in the forests of Brazil and Ecuador where the Indians lived, then China, India, Egypt and Mozambique,” wrote Fr Auffray, a Salesian of the first generation in his life of Don Rua.
Among his main qualities were a great openness in pastoral and social terms and untiring hard work, summed up in the motto “work and temperance”. To these were added a great sensitivity , an open-hearted kindness, a special love for the poorest youngsters, an oratorian spirit, so that he was accustomed to say “every house ought to be an oratory”, an ardent missionary zeal and a deep regard for the laity.
Don Rua inherited from Don Bosco a vibrant concern for young workers and for the working class, as well as great appreciation for all forms of organisations aimed at protecting and safeguarding every one’s rights. On good terms from 1875, with the French social reformer Leone Harmel, he supported and gave assistance to the many groups of French workers who on a number of occasions demonstrated in Italy and also in the presence of Pope Leo XIII, the writer of “Rerum Novarum”, about their condition as Christian workers. It was as a result of the interest shown by Blessed Michael Rua that in Turin the first Catholic Trades Union was founded for workers in the fashion industry and on a number of occasions he intervened to restore peace after strike action and to establish respect for fundamental human rights, more just and fair relationships between workers and employers.
The reputation for holiness which accompanied Don Rua during his life grew after his death. Pope Paulo VI beatified him on 29 October 1972.
On the sdb.org site various resources are available connected with the life and work of Don Rua. Shortly a DVD will be published: “Don Rua – The Successor”, produced by the Missioni Don Bosco in collaboration with the Salesian Hitorical Institute (ISS).
Published 06/04/2010
