Today October 29

Today is the feast of Blessed Michael Rua, (1837 - 1910), second superior of the Salesians after the long-lived founder, Don Bosco. A poor fatherless boy, Michael was one of the boys in the Boys' Town (called a "youth club"). The youth clubs ran into the same trouble that good ideas for the poor always do: fine, but "not in MY back yard (NIMBY)." So they were always having to move. Even at a young age, Michael felt a special closeness to the Master. When he was only 10 years old, he reached out for a gift from Don Bosco and Don opened his empty right hand and made a cutting motion across it with his left, symbolizing that they two would share everything. Michael was the only one who could decipher Don Bosco's handwriting, and spent many hours transcribing it. He was given the cassock by Don Bosco himself. He was a natural leader, but very different from the founder . . . he was much more conservative and ascetic. He was even something of a stickler, for the kids said, "Better a 'no' from Don Bosco than a 'yes' from Don Rua."

But I think that's okay. It was Don Bosco's policy to "hire from within;" to pick natural teachers and leaders from among those very boys themselves, and a natural risk inherent in that is that you may get damaged individuals. Michael suffered both from the death of his father and from the neglect of his mother (who went immediately to work to feed her 9 children -- of whom Michael was the last -- and would come home completely exhausted). He developed a hard edge that didn't mellow til he was much older. When he was actually superior -- in 1885, only three years before Don Bosco's death, but during his severe decline in health -- Michael learned to smile and let go a little.

But if he lacked the founder's innate charm and affability, he had other gifts. Endowed with a prodigious memory, he was a fine student of philosophy and theology, a great teacher, a diligent secretary, a well-ordered priest and disciple, and a hard-working friend. He had positively liberal ideas (for the times) on the great good and usefulness of music, theater and sports for the boys. And he was greatly devout. He said frequent Communion and constant devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary were the pillars on which the whole world rested. His last words were: "To save one's soul is everything, everything!" He died in peace after a long illness at 9:30 am on April 6, 1910 and was beatified on today's date in 1972 by Pope Paul VI. Blessed Michael Rua, pray for us.