Sacred Ordinations
Priesthood
The year Comollo died, 1839, I received the tonsure and the four minor orders, the third year of theology. When the school year ended, I got the idea of attempting something almost impossible – to cover the course of a year’s theology during my holidays. With this in mind and without telling anyone, I presented myself to Archbishop Fransoni to ask permission to study the fourth-year texts during the holidays. In the following school year (1840-1) I would complete the quinquennium. I quoted my advanced age of 24, as the reason for my request.
That holy bishop made me very welcome and, after verifying the results of the exams I had taken till then in the seminary, granted the favour I was asking on condition that I take all the treatises in the course I wanted to take. The dean, Dr Cinzano, was charged with carrying out the wishes of our superior. After two months of study, I finished the prescribed treatises, and for the autumn ordinations I was admitted to the subdiaconate.
When I think now of the virtues required for that most important step, I am convinced that I was not sufficiently prepared for it. But since I had no one to care directly for my vocation, I turned to Fr Cafasso. He advised me to go forward and trust in his advice.
I made a ten-day retreat at the House of the Mission in Turin. During it I made a general Confession so that my confessor would have a clear picture of my conscience and would be able to give me suitable advice. Though I wanted to complete my studies, I quaked at the thought of binding myself for life. Before I took the final step I wanted to receive the full approbation of my confessor.
Henceforward I took the greatest care to practise Doctor Borrelli’s advice: a vocation is preserved and perfected by recollection and frequent Holy Communion.
On my return to the seminary I was put into the fifth year and made a prefect. This is the highest responsibility open to a seminarian.
Sitientes Day, the Saturday after the 4th Sunday of Lent, of 1841 saw my ordination as deacon; in the summer I would be ordained a priest. I found the day I had to leave the seminary for the last time very difficult. My superiors loved me and showed continual marks of benevolence. My companions were very affectionate towards me. You could say that I lived for them and they lived for me.
If anyone wanted a shave or his tonsure renewed, he ran to Bosco; if he wanted someone to make a biretta for him, to sew or patch his clothes, Bosco was the man he turned to. So you can imagine how sad was the parting from that place where I had lived for six years, where I received education, knowledge, an ecclesiastical spirit, and all the tokens of kindness and affection one could desire.
My ordination day was the vigil of the feast of the Blessed Trinity. I said my first Mass in the church of St Francis of Assisi, where Fr Cafasso was dean of the conferences. Though a priest had not said his first Mass in my home place for many a day, and my neighbours were anxiously waiting for me to say mine there, I preferred to say it without fuss in Turin. That day was the most wonderful day of my life.
At the Memento in that unforgettable Mass I remembered devoutly all my teachers, my benefactors spiritual and temporal, and especially the ever-lamented Fr Calosso, whom I have always remembered as my greatest benefactor.
On Monday I said Mass in the Church of Our Lady of Consolation to thank the great Virgin Mary for the innumerable graces she had obtained for me from her divine Son Jesus.
On Tuesday I went to say Mass in St Dominic’s Church in Chieri, where my old professor Fr Giusiana was still living. With fatherly affection he assisted me. I spent the whole day with him, one I can call a day in paradise.
Thursday was the solemnity of Corpus Christi. I went home and sang Mass in the local church and took part in the procession of the Blessed Sacrament. The parish priest invited to dinner my relatives, the clergy, and the people of standing in the vicinity. They were all happy to be a part of it because my compatriots loved me very much and they were all glad everything had turned out well for me. I went home that evening to be with my family. As I drew near the house and saw the place of the dream I had when I was about nine, I could not hold back the tears. I said:
How wonderful are the ways of Divine Providence! God has truly raised a poor child from the earth to place him amongst the princes of his people.