Tivoli - learning about the Oblate Salesians

Today the days of ongoing formation continued with an easy timetable, which allowed all the sisters ot spend time together… and for me to get the talks in good order. After each talk there were sisters who came for confession… yesterday and today. That meant I needed to stay up later last night to make sure all was in order.

Besides the homily at Lauds and the longer homily at Eucharist, I again gave two conferences today: one in the morning at 10.00 and the other at 16.30 in the afternoon. The morning conference centered on Humility and Hope, Loving the Lord: Reflections of Francis de Sales on Prayer. This is material that I had developed earlier for other groups, but I redesigned it to work with the Sisters here and this occasion. The afternoon talk continued, looking at Characteristics of Salesian Prayer as an apostolic tradition. This allowed me to bring in some reflections of Don Bosco, Mother Mazzarello, Francis de Sales, and of the Sister’s founder, “monsignor” Giuseppe Cognata.

These women know the writings of their founder very well — most of the very elderly sisters were formed by him, as a matter of fact. And this is what I have been learning mostly during these days: the life and sufferings of this Salesian bishop.

Giuseppe Cognata was named to Bova as Bishop by Pius XI in 1933 when he was 47 years old. This was one of the poorest dioceses in Italy at the time. He worked unstintingly for seven years, and during this period founded the Oblate Salesians of the Sacred Heart. He worked for education and for the social development of the people, as well as for evangelization and catechesis in that very poor area.

In working on behalf of the poorest and most exploited people of his very poor diocese, Mons. Cognata discovered how much corruption and organized crime had to do with the backwardness of the area. Even the clergy was corrupt. His heroic efforts to speak out on behalf of the poor earned him many enemies — and in 1940, false accusations were made to the Holy See against the bishop. He was immediately removed from the diocese, and went to a Salesian community in north Italy as a simple priest.

This was his situation for the duration of the pontificate of Pius XII. When John XXIII became pope, he opened the case (the accusations had been enough to suspend Bishop Cognata in 1940, and he never had a a hearing according to canon law). John XXIII re-instated Bishop Cognata in 1962. He was allowed once again to see his Sisters and, in the last ten years of his life, completed the work of foundation.

The Oblate Salesians received full pontifical recognition on 29 January 1972, formerly the feast of Francis de Sales. Bishop Giuseppe Cognata died on 22 July of that same year. He had spent his life in oblation, amid untold spiritual and human suffering… but also remained always joyful and optimistic in his own manner, offering all to the Heart of Christ.

An amazing man! An amazing life!

These Sisters remember him with great affection and simplicity. "Monsignore mio," I heard more than one exclaim, "quanto hai sofferto! Aiutami tu a rimanere fedele a Gesù Crocifisso! (O my bishop, how much you’ve suffered! Help me to keep faitful to Jesus Crucified!)"

There is so much feeling in this expression that I have not been able to find a way to translate it into English: the words I can tell you, but the feeling!!!, no, I have a hard time to convey it. What strikes me is that these Sisters live an oblative life — constantly offering their work and their lives for the good of the little people, those who suffer, those without voice, not seeking recognition but promoting those who would never have had the courage to come forward in Society and in the Church. True oblation; true evangelization; true witness.