HOW TO "GET IT ACROSS" TO YOUTH

by . the Rev. J. I. Ryan, S.C.
GETTINKi it across " is a phrase that has piquant currency and it is the hub-quality ot every leakier. Particular saints excelled in this quality, which however it may be termed ID t ifferent epochs, is simply the right technique of dealing with a problem. Problems vary, so, too, the technique. JO the thirteenth cc;. Lilly a widespread desire for maierial riches and comforts was blinding man s vision of things eternal. Two great saints arose and with a technique all their own tackled the growing evil. St. Fiancisoaf Assisi and St. Dominic by the apostolate of the mendicant friar devoted exclusively to the quest of the spiritual in striking COM] List to the feverish rush for earthly riches, achieved the tegeneration of society.
St. John Bosco, toca was faced with a problem which is pertinent to our own times, the problem of youth. His method of solving his problem was, if not unique, at least eaceptional. It may be summed up in the phrase, " He stooped to conquer." In other words, he identified himself with youth.
He acquired by personal effort those cardinal qualities — approachableness, resourceful ingenuity and persohal sanctity—which coalesced to form in him a character that once put hirn in sympathetic contact with the great mass of youth. At the outact he made youth the sole object of his apostolate; all that he was or could become was to be spent in the service of youth. For him youth-work could. never be a mere sideline, something parenthetic, bracketed betvvisen more urgent tasks, but youth was paramount and consequently any work that promotal the welfare of youth fell within the ambit of his titanic apostolate.
He realised that religion could not be related to the life of youth merely from the pulpit or by enrolment in some confraternity, but to do so youth must be net on its own pitch, sharing its problems and getting behind its view of things. He eschewed aloofness to any degree. It could never win him that confidence necessary to form the boy, and so with tactful familiarity— familiarity not in the sense of bob-nobbing but rather of beneficent intimacy —he stepped down into the uncharted world of youth and with the questive eye of a pioneer saw beneath their superficial waywardness their intrinsic potentialities for good Truce pioneer as he was, he was fully cognisant and appreciative of the work. of the great youth apostles before him, such as St. Philip Neil. and he took all that was good I hand, sound and traditional and made it the startingpoint of a wider and more personally characteristic apostolate until he became, in the words of Pope Pius XI. " the radiant apostle of the Christian education of youth?'
Thought Unhinged
This novel familiarity with outcasts and thoughtless youth could only be, in the judgment of his conternporir
clerics, the symptom of a mind some• what unhinged while all the time it was the sound ps,rhology of a saint disregarding the dictatea of an anachronistic convention.
St. John Bosco was modern in the truest sense of the term. His aim was genuinely traditional but his methods. ran apace with current thought and tendenctes. His work for youth had as as end their personal sanctiacation through the ordinary means of a normal Catholic the sacramental life of the Church. Christ living and operating on youth by means ot His sacraments, chiefly the sacraments of Penance and Holy Euchank, ivas the focal point of St. John Bosco's apostolate. In this he was traditional, but his technique ran ahead of his times. He saw that the press, the theatre, music, the world of entertainment and sport were having an evil influence on youth. He did not preach a doctrine of prohibition. He had the discernment to see that these things had become a permanent and formative factor in the life of youth, set press, music. theatre, sport and entertainments were made the equipment of his great apostolatc for youth. This was his practical appeal. The very things that were being used with evil results, he with far-seeing efficiency -deftly turned into weapons for good. His teeming and inventive brain was ever active in devising for youth and whatever it produced hit theii level to a nicely. In 1849 be had his own youth dramatic assircle and his own theatre, and in 1861 he bad already planned and put into operation his scheme for summer camps. True youth leader that he was, his outlook touched the realities of youth-life by swift intuition and certitude, which . enabled him to show them the reasonableness of religion. With that singular insight of a saint and the sound sense of an educator he skilfully held the balance between the natural and the super• natural and succeeded in dovetailing religion with the familiar world of every day. He started in 1849 his lunch-time recollections.
lot half-an-hour during the mid-day break for lunch he gathered together the working youth of Tulin and gave them instructions on the great truths of religion. This practice was adopted in Paris and other large cities . of France in 1903 and was known as the " midinettes."
Proof of the Puddling The following year, r850, he was already conducting full-time Retreats for apprentices and/factory workers of industrial Turin. In the words of Pope ,Pius XI, he made the supernatural ordinary and thus built up in youth that religious and moral character that is latheu to the man. To these who asked him the secret of his success he replied that nothing could be done with youth until one had gained their confidence. To Cardinal Tosti, who directed the great work of St. Michael's Hospice in Rome, wherein hundreds of poor boys were taught arts and trades by the most skilful masters and the most modem eouipment, he replied after a visit tolhe workshops that there was no contact between the masters and boys and therefore no lasting educative influence could result.
" How do you gam their confidence?" asked the Cardinal. " By using every means to Will their friendship, putting oneself in contact with them ana by being like one of themselves," replied Don Bosco. The saint then gave him practical proof. They drove off to the Piazza del Popolo where there was always to be found gangs of street lads. Don Bosco got out and the Cardinal watched. As soon as the lads saw a priest coming they. scampered • in all directions. They peered from behind the pillars of the colonnade to see what was happening and saw Don Bosco gently calling them back. There was some hesitation until a few of the more daring cautiously slouched Back.
"Come on, boys," said the saint, " 1 want to join in your game."
He tucked up his cassock and the game began with real zest. Soon the piazza was filled With the noise and laughter of sportive youth. The game over, the lads surrounded Don Bosco, who spoke to them of confession, communion and' their daily prayers, while front a distance the purpled Prince of the Church looked With amazement at the peasant priest completely at home with Rome's outcast youth. Many, it is true, questioned the propriety of such methods, but here was die Gospel brought up to date. S. John Bosco, like his Divine Master, made himself the friend of " the publican and the sinner " to lift them up from spiritual degradation to the grandeui of the .supernatural.
• The Modern Patron
His conquest still pies on. In a newly-built Youth Club in East London a meeting of the boys was called to decide the patron saint of the club. The zealous curate laboured bard with theological and devoticinal reasons why St. Joseph should be their patron. But one youth unmoved by the arguments stoutly declared for Don Bost*. The rest of the lads supported him. Realising the strong opposition, the curate diplomatically adjourned the meeting with the hope that time would cool the unorthodox ardour of the boys.
At a later meeting, armed with the parish priest's support for St. Joseph, the priest with a note of finality, proposed St. Joseph I but the boys were adamant in their choice of St. John Bosco and youth carried the day.
Scores of youth dubs and organisations throughout the country flourish under his patronage. Football leagues, dramatic circles; hiking and cycling clubs thrive in his spirit and name. The Salford Diocesan Youth Parliament honour his patronage and the Birmingham Catholic Youth Conrail " endeavours to make known in the diocese the life ald teachings of St. John Bosco, and under his patronage to promote every Catholic youth activity."
St. John Bosco is ii mere figure litutgically projected into our age. His spirit and methods still capture the youth of to-day. '
.MRS. PARK1NGTON
wiTH Miss ,Gteer Garson occasion If ally blowing upon that redundant-and quite enchanting — lock of errant hair and Mr. Walter _Pidgeon tucking those cheerful hands into voluminous vest pockets, chin-jerking a brave charoot skywards, cocking a gallant, and very wicked, billy-cock .hat Mrs. Parkingtem is assured of success. I enjoyed every minute of it. It is very difficult in any picture which she adorns to watch anything else but Miss Garson. I suggest that this time the filmgoer makes an effort Pidgeonis firstrate in rather a new type of part for him. Miss (iladys cooper as a boozy duchess' superb.. For comic relief the fox hunt in summer is worth the prior of admission all by itself.. Dear Hollywood, how we love you ! When are you going to give us the Eton and Harrow cricket match during tlie Christmas holidays ?—(Empire.)
'W. J. I.
THE CONSTANT NYMPH
IWONDCR who let Charles Boyet loose in this film.? I should recommend him for a special o."Dscar " immediately. Aye ! And stand in Hyde Park with a petition asking the stragglers to sign on the dotted line. For somewhere in Hollywood lurks a genius of fatuity whc has managed to outshine all his predecessors. Yea Evert unto Cecil dc Mille ! Boyer plays-Dodd, a bloodless, brittle mathematician of music who is loved by an adolescent girl. The theme in careful hands might have provided an interest ing adult film. Miss Joan Fontaine played the " nynipth " Tessa beautifully I can .think of DO recent performance studied more carefully or offered in better taste. Boyer is hardly to blame for his performance. No actor looks less .Bohemian: .none less like a real musician. A corner house fiddler with a valet to press his velveteens, adjust his coiffure, and strap down his surplus avoirdupois, perhaps. As the. scrawny, shImbling, shabby genius " Dodd ' he is unbelievably bad. His burping accent—the character has always been English in previous versions —makes one long to hind him a spoonful of baking soda (Warner4-)
W. 3. I.