Don Rua: The Most Faithful son of Don Bosco

It was the beginning of February, 1888. Don Bosco the founder of the society of St. Francis de Sales had just died few days earlier. But, the future of the Salesian society was uncertain because it was always Don Bosco who did this, Don Bosco who did that in the Congregation. No one else in the society seemed to have done anything. His loss placed the future of the society in jeopardy.

                “Who will lead the society with these chaos: to start from the scratch, it was the time when most of the religious congregations were dying out especially in Piedmont; there was an aversion to them? Though the society was formally approved, the novelties that Don Bosco introduced such as lay members who would live outside the community, religious in Shirt-sleeves brought the animosity among the prominent people of the Church. The Salesian society was flourishing in its mission but who will pay its debts? Yes, the founder had left them the legacy of debt of 600,000 lire borrowed for building the Sacred Heart Church in Rome.” These were the thoughts of many Cardinals in Rome. However, there was also a hope according to the words of Gamaliel: “If it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow it” (Acts 5:39).

                On the contrary there was perfect harmony and consensus inside the Congregation in electing the first successor of Don Bosco. The Salesians had no other name but that of ‘Don Rua’. The whole Congregation unanimously accepted Don Rua as the head of the society. The appointment of Don Micheal Rua as Vicar from the Holy See on November 27, 1884 also assured his succession.

                It was strange that Don Rua had serious misgiving about his worthiness to take up the office of the Rector Major and created in him grave doubts as to his right to be the heir of Don Bosco. In addition, the decree of approving his authority as Vicar was found missing from the archives. When this news spread, Cardinal Alimonda, a friend of Don Bosco and Cardinal Protector asked Don Rua to have recourse to Rome. He did so through a letter on February 8, 1888. When Bishop Cagliero came to know this he immediately wrote to the Cardinal Protector expressing the unanimity in electing Don Rua.

                Meanwhile some eminent people of the Church were trying to merge it with another congregation of similar charism. The intervention of Bishop Emilian Manacordia, a friend of Salesians defended Don Rua’s competence and assured its safe future. At last in a fresh decree on February, 1888 the Holy Father nominated Don Rua as the Rector Major of the Dociety. Don Rua held the office for 22 years. During these years he made Salesians feel that Don Bosco was living among them. It was his great fidelity to Don Bosco to do so. His fidelity was more evident in his first circular letter as Rector Major in which he addressed the entire congregation: “My dear sons, this will be the programme I shall follow during my years of office:

¯  To maintain and develop the work began by Don Bosco

¯  To follow diligently the methods taught and practised by Don Bosco

¯  To study and imitate in speech and in action the model offered by Don Bosco

He wanted to lead the Congregation as Don Bosco would wish. Even in small matters he thought how it would be in the mind of Don Bosco. For Don Rua, Don Bosco was the perfect mentor on earth. He imbibed Don Bosco’s Spirit by his keen observation. Once he said, “Watching Don Bosco even in his tiniest actions made a greater impression on me than reading and meditating any holy book.” Such was his fidelity to the founder.

                His fidelity to Don Bosco was not an achievement made in a short period of time. It had its beginning in 1845. After he had met Don Bosco in the oratory just once he defended his beloved priest when his parish priest doubted Don Bosco insane. For many years even after his priestly ordination Don Bosco was his father and oratory was the home. His literal obedience astounded Don Bosco many times. The latter was afraid to give any punishment to Rua just for fun. Once Don Bosco exclaimed, “I cannot play jokes with Rua. His obedience is non plus ultra (extreme). When Don Bosco called on Don Rua to be the rector of new house at Mirabello he did not show any gesture of opposition when he was just 26 whereas none of the confreres were younger than 27. After receiving the obedience he just took his Breviary and was ready for the journey. Many glowing reports came from Mirabello after some time saying, “Don Rua at Mirabello acts just kike Don Bosco at Valdocco.” He was ready to walk in the shadow of the founder always accepting to do even odious things to save Don Bosco’s image as a father. Even a mere wish of Don Bosco was a command to him. Thus was his filial and complete obedience.

                The peculiar character of Don Rua is his respect for the rules, which earned him the name ‘The Living Rule’. In performing his duty he neither worried about the comments of others nor the popularity he had as a consequence. It was also said once that getting ‘Yes’ from Don Rua was more difficult than ‘No’ from Don Bosco. However, when he became the Rector Major he manifested Don Bosco’s kindness and cheerfulness except for the abrupt silence after the bell.

                Don Rua trusted Don Bosco’s protection even after his death. During his first year as the Rector Major Cardinal Alimonda questioned him abut the debt of 600,000 lire. He replied, “Your eminence we have to confess that Don Boso even in Heaven doesn’t remain idle.” It is true that when Don Rua died the debt of the congregation was nil.

                He was not satisfied with his own fidelity towards his father but worked hard to foster it wherever he went, especially in the Salesian houses. His life as the Superior General was studied with journeys. There was not a year passed without journey as the Rector Major. He too he obeyed the words of Don Bosco, “A good superior is a man who always has his travelling case in hand.”

                Finally, his fidelity to Don Bosco was not static but dynamic. He was really aware of the changing times and of the needs of the young and fearlessly opened up Salesian works to the new fields of pastoral ministry. It is because of his insistence that the SDBs and FMAs began a variety of social works including in different parts of the world. When the worked began on Simplon tunnel between Switzerland and Italy a cam was opened for the Italian workers on the Swiss side. Don Rua sent Salesian men and women to serve these workers. He followed solely the principle of Don Bosco that whatever can be risked in order to do good to souls.

                The mission he accomplished all along in his life was the vision of Don Bosco. It was he who stared the process to fulfil Don Bosco’s prophetic dream in the night of 9 April 1886 which was about the future missionary expedition. There he foresaw Salesians’ presence from Valparaiso (Chile) to Beijing (China). We, Indians, too are privileged that the first Salesians who set foot in our soil were sent by Don Rua. This was one of the plans of Don Bosco and he visualized in the dream.

                Blessed Michael Rua never stopped fostering the spirit of Don Bosco among the Salesians. On his beatification Pope Paul VI rightly said, “He made the example of the saint (Don Bosco) a school …, his life a history, his rule a spirit, his holiness a type, a model; he made the spring a stream, a river.”

                The difficult moments that are mentioned in the beginning were not at all threats both for Don Rua and the Congregation. The whole congregation relied on Rua and he was firm in his fidelity to Don Bosco since his fidelity to Don Bosco was the fidelity to Christ. With the same trust he was able to face more difficulties later in his life. even on his death bed he encouraged the Salesians to have filial love and faithful trust in Don Bosco by repeating words of their father, “ We shall meet in Heaven.” 

                The precious message he had left to the Salesians is ‘to be worthy sons of Don Bosco’. This is my prayer to Don Bosco everyday, “Father, make me a worthy son of yours.” The Salesian life gets its complete meaning with these two: perfect emulation and great fidelity to Don Bosco as Blessed Michael Rua did. Because “he was the most faithful, therefore the most humble and at the same time valiant of the sons of Don Bosco” (Pope Paul VI, 29^th October 1972).