Actually, from my vantage point in Rome, this is not new. Arthur J. Lenti has become one of the important authors in the Salesian world now. I hear many quoting from his works. In Sicily, after the publication of his great Opus of 7 volumes, some professors have gone back to the Journal of Salesian Studies and have begun to translate some of those vintage articles into Italian. In Spain they describe his writing as scientific, enlightening and inspiring.
In a few days Arthur Lenti will celebrate his 90th birthday. His birthday is actually 31 January, feast of St John Bosco, whose life and work Fr Arthur has made the center of the last 28 years of his work at the ISS. But of course, when Arthur was born in the province of Alessandria, close to Torino, in 1923, Don Bosco was not yet a canonized saint. That canonization would not have come until Arthur was 11 years old. Nor were Salesian Studies his professional interest. Arthur trained at the Biblicum in Rome, and taught Sacred Scripture for many years. He was able, however, to use the biblical scholars techniques in approaching the documents, published and unpublished, around Don Bosco to give us a fresh understanding of the apostle of the young. This certainly accounts for the great wave of enthusiasm throughout the world for his contribution. Chris Woerz is right to be happy! More that that, we are right to want to learn from what Arthur has worked so hard to give us: a clear study of the life and times of St John Bosco so that we can look a the needs of our own times, and then to do what we can on behalf of the young, as Don Bosco would do.
It is good to see this happening. It validates not only the hard work of research and teaching done by Fr Arthur, but the whole purpose of the Institute of Salesian Studies in Berkeley. May the new leaders of the ISS find the resources and backing to move forward.
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