His mission was to consolidate not only the spirit, but also the Salesian mission and consequently the structures that sustained it. It was during his leadership that great expansion and quite a few satisfactory events took place: Don Bosco was canonized as Saint (1934), Mother Mazzarello (1938) and Dominic Savio (1950) were also beatified. Besides these milestones, he also enlarged the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians in Turin, laid the foundations of the future Library of Christian Doctrine (the 'LDC' publishing house), mainly to facilitate the training of teachers of religion and to produce books and teaching material. In 1940, he obtained the decree from the Sacred Congregation of Vatican, with which the Pontifical Salesian Athenaeum (PAS) was erected in Turin: He also began the construction of the Temple of Don Bosco at Colle (Becchi) and set up a highly valued Industrial Technical School.
At the same time, he had to also face some dark pages of the history, such as World War II and the religious persecution in Spain. Through all this, however, the abandonment to Divine Providence and the commitment to transmit Don Bosco in his genuine and integral form always endured.
With him, moreover, some of the typical traits of modernity and the role of the Rector Major as it is usually understood today began to emerge. For example, he was the first to start travelling around the world to meet all his confreres scattered everywhere.
Through the strenne (the themed new year messages to focus upon, given by the Superior of the Salesian Society) issued during his period, (all of which are well documented in the minutes of the Superior Council), he was able to unite tradition and innovation. For his strenne, he kept his gaze fixed on Don Bosco and adapted a shorter and a more concise form. He was also the first of the Rectors Major to publish a special 'Commentary' on the strenna as well.
Moreover, with him, the strenna became more and more a message and an invitation for the entire Salesian Family and ceased to be a specific one depending on the recipients (the only exception being the 1935 strenna).
His first strenna was the one on the theological virtue of Charity (1933), almost as if to make it a programmatic manifesto, referring to the heart of the Gospel and Don Bosco's life.
Several of his strenne, on the other hand, are linked to historical events, which Don Ricaldone took advantage of, to make them part of a well-studied project of knowledge to know the actual person of Don Bosco. In this sense, for example, reference to Salesian Testimonies that lived the Salesian charism and through it were raised to the honours of the altar could not go unnoticed in his strenne.
Other strenne - all from the wartime and post-war period - complete the cycle of the theological virtues and the four cardinal virtues, and thus also constitute an invitation to face the various vicissitudes of life with faith, hope and charity, and to gain strength through prudence, justice and temperance in order to change the world for the better.
Another group of Fr Ricaldone's strenne again highlight Don Bosco, proposing him as a model for the Salesian and young people to implement his three great loves: Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, Mary Help of Christians, and the Pope.
Finally, work, both intellectual and organizational, was a strong point in his life. (Fr Ricaldone also wrote extensively on education, agrarianism, Salesian formation and spirituality, even received a great recognition for it).
Topics proper to Don Bosco and valid for any of his disciples such as: love for the young (1951), poverty (1936) and humility (1952) were never lacking focus in his messages.
Below are all the Strenne left by Fr Ricaldone to the Salesian Family:
1933: To everyone: 'Think well of All, speak well of All, do good to All'.
1934 (Canonization of Don Bosco): 'Don Bosco encourage us to sanctify ourselves with purity of life. Holiness is purity'.
1935: - To all: 'Faithfulness in following the teachings of St John Bosco in all things'.
- To the Salesians: 'Fidelity to the Constitutions, Regulations, traditions, methods and works proper to the Congregation'.
- To the students: 'Faithfulness to the Rules and to the Eucharistic tradition'.
To the Past Pupils: 'May each of their houses be a true little Salesian house where our Father reigns with his spirit.
1936: 'Knowledge, love, and the practice of evangelical poverty procure us temporal happiness and eternal goods.
1937: 'Let us cultivate Eucharistic piety according to the teachings and practice of Saint Don Bosco'.
1938: 'Let us sanctify our work in the spirit and works of Saint Don Bosco'.
1939: 'Following the example and spirit of St. John Bosco let us sanctify joy, recreation and entertainment.
1940: 'St. John Bosco invites us to always uphold catechetical teaching and religious formation in the highest honour, in our homes and especially in the Festive Oratories'.
1941: "To commemorate the first Mass celebrated by St. John Bosco on 6 June 1841 we honour the Catholic Priesthood by making known its greatness and zealously fostering priestly vocations".
1942: "Let us live the life of charity intensively. Charity towards God, loving him above all persons and things; charity towards our neighbour in thought, word and deed'.
1943: 'Let us open our hearts to hope: God is our Father. Mary Help of Christians is our Mother. From Heaven watch over us, Father, Teacher, Guide, St John Bosco'.
1944: 'Let us approach God with fullness of faith'.
1945: 'Utmost prudence in word and deed'.
1946: 'Let us practice the virtue of justice towards God and neighbour'.
1947: 'WE ARE STRONG: - in overcoming passions; - in enduring and overcoming trials; - in winning many souls to God'.
1948: 'Let us practice the virtue of temperance in the use of the senses and the care of the body'.
1949: 'Let us increase in ourselves and propagate devotion to Mary Help of Christians everywhere and among everyone'.
1950 (Holy Year): 'Know, love, defend the Pope'.
1951 (Beatification of St Dominic Savio): 'Blessed Dominic Savio encourages us to faithfully practice the educational system of St John Bosco.
1952: "In this world, ravaged by pride, there is an urgent need to practice humility. Humility is the radiance of truth. Humility makes life joyful in families, communities, and society. Humility is the sure shield of chastity".
