Where did the idea for this book come from?
It simply answers to a wish expressed by Don Bosco himself: "[One thing that must be done] is the biography of those brothers who have already been called by the Lord to eternity. Few memories will suffice for some, but for others it will be necessary to treat them ex professo ... ". Therefore, we have only fulfilled Don Bosco's desire.
Give us some information: the time frame, the content of the biographies, the photographs …
The chronological arc extends from 1892, the year in which the first Salesian died in Spain, until June 30, 2018, the day in which the definitive text of the dictionary was delivered to the CCS publishing house in Madrid. The biographies of the dead include the essence of their biography.
What were the main difficulties encountered?
Basically, the lack of news for many of the deceased Salesians. On the one hand, for hundreds of them the mortuary letter had not been made; on the other, many archives have disappeared – due to and during the Spanish civil war, the closure of a number of houses, and due to the negligence and abandon in which not a few houses' archives find themselves.
What does this work represent for the Salesians?
The biography of the Salesians shows us where the true effectiveness of our charism resides. If we read carefully the profiles of those who have preceded us, we perceive that behind their historical story there is a life, a spirit that animates and inspires their creativity, and a charism that gives orientation and meaning. At their foundation, there is not only memory, but life, which goes beyond memory. The fragments of life that are found in this dictionary are not just the story of a group of Salesians who have offered the best of their lives in their time and in their own way, but much more: because beyond what they have done - which does not cease to be surprising - there are admirable examples of gospel virtue and authenticity, which make them models of Salesianity.
When we approach the protagonists of our history, we cannot but admire their apostolic audacity, their generous dedication and their disinterested work in favor of the young people of their time. And their story generates a commitment. The life of these Salesians awakens in us a new call to try to discover ways to evangelize the young through Salesian presence in the new challenges presented to us.
They have made the history of the past; we must make the history of the future.
