(ANS – Rome) – Recently published and distributed is the No. 59 (July-December 2012) of "Salesian Historical Research" (RSS), the bi-annual magazine of religious and civil History, published by the Salesian Historical Institute (ISS), which provides contributions on the history of the Salesian family, with particular attention to the critical edition of historical sources, reviews of what is produced under the scientific profile and a bibliographic collection on these themes. These critical contributions that help us to understand how Don Bosco and the first members of the Salesian family acted.

The section "Studies" offers two essays:

• "The spirit of Don Bosco's blows in this Institute. Salesian education in Salesianum Vienna III from 1909 to 1922" by Sr. Maria Maul. This third and final part of a research on the beginning and development of the first Salesian House in Austria, examines some aspect of Salesian education. The methodology used was helped by continual comparisons and references to the surrounding world, both secular and religious, involved in youth training, in order to highlight the originality of the preventive system compared with how the very rich lived in different environments of secular and Christian Vienna at the turn of the 20th century.
• "The Salesians as religious educators. Figures and roles within the Salesian House of Fr Bruno Bordignon. In the third part, which is published – "The originality of the Organization and the Government of a Salesian House", documents the originality of Don Bosco in the definition of some figures and roles with special reference to the "Behaviour toward Superiors and companions", but also that he planned an open system.

In the sector, Sources, is published the second part of the critical edition of "Unedited Circular Letters of Don Michele Rua: 2. Vicar successor of Don Bosco and Rector Major (1885-1910)" by Fr José Manuel Prellezo. Taken into consideration, with a critical reading, are the monthly newsletters compiled by Don Rua which remained unpublished until now. Interesting texts documenting the relationship between the successor of Don Bosco and the members of the Salesian superior Chapter, Provincials and Rectors of houses progressively opened throughout the world.

In the Notes, three contributions are being offered by Sr. Enrica Rosanna, Fr Aldo Garcia, and Augusto D'Angelo and made for the presentation of the book "Don Michele Rua, first successor of Don Bosco. Personality traits, management and works (1888-1910)". The text, in fact, constitutes the proceedings of the 5th International Congress of the History of the Salesian Work promoted by the Association of Salesian History Enthusiasts and held in Turin from October 28 to November 1, 2009 and whose presentation was held at the headquarters of the Salesian Pontifical University in Rome, on October 20, 2010.
 
In the third section of the magazine – Reviews – some publications are introduced.

RSS offers the possibility of reconstructing the Salesian history, with the development of the Congregation in the different countries of the world, and to grasp the identity, originality and educational entrepreneurship of Don Bosco and then, be inspired by his action. A collection of studies that offers above all an experience which stimulates us to address the problems of today's youth and the organization of the Salesian houses. Don Bosco's creativity has been open to evolving situations, gifted with an outstanding interpretation skill, never static but in continuous improvement.

"The reading of these texts allow us to discover an original world, an inspiration and model for the education of youth today with entrepreneurship in the spirit of Don Bosco", says Fr Bruno Bordignon, editor-in-Chief of the magazine RSS.

Published 28/12/2012