First Writings

Don Bosco was not only gifted with a charismatic personality that led him closer to the young, he was also blessed with the efficacy of speech, a gift he asked when he was ordained a priest.

His desk piled up with notes and annotations which he diligently gathered consist of topics such as the defense of faith, the Catholic Church, papacy, and various forms of devotions meant for the instruction of the young.

Despite his excellence in writing, he never claimed himself an authority on the field. He never published anything without first submitting it to Church authorities.

One characteristic of his writings was that it was devoid of superfluous ideas and complicated vocabularies. He was simple in his works. He aimed to make the truths of the Catholic faith clear to all, especially to the least educated.

Fr. Angelo Savio claimed that "Don Bosco's first editor was the Convitto's doorman."

His first published booklet was about the life of Louis Comollo, a good friend and co-seminarian of his who died at a young age. By publishing Comollo's life, he wanted to hail him as an exemplary model for the young people.